The month of May is a busy one at the Buddhist Society of Victoria (BSV), with a special Vesak program and the official opening of the new Newbury Buddhist Monastery (NBM) coinciding with a visit to Melbourne by the society’s spiritual adviser, Venerable Ajahn Brahm.
Ajahn Brahm. From bsv.net.au
Commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and passing of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, Vesak was celebrated at the BSV Buddhaloka Centre, located in Melbourne’s inner suburb of Malvern East, on 3 May. The proceedings were led by Venerable Ajahn Nissarano, who was a librarian at the BSV for a number of years before moving overseas. He currently resides at a forest monastery in Sri Lanka and is in Australia to visit the BSV and NBM. Activities throughout the day included traditional chanting, a Dhamma talk, dana, and meditation.
The surrounds of Newbury Buddhist Monastery. From nbm.org.au
The official opening of the NBM was held on the morning of Sunday 24 May, led by Ajahn Brahm. This auspicious event was attended by monastics from various Buddhist traditions and a large number of enthusiastic Buddhist practitioners, who all took part in the formal ceremony, Dhamma talk, meditation, and dana.
The NBM is set on 150 acres of rolling countryside in the Wombat State Forest, a little over an hour from the heart of Melbourne. The magnificent landscape and tranquil surroundings offer an inspiring setting for seclusion and meditation.
Newbury Buddhist Monastery logo. From nbm.org.au
After initiating the plans to purchase the property in 2012, and due to much work and great dedication on the part of the BSV’s members along with the community of international friends and practitioners, the NBM has been operating since September 2014. The monastery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Venerable Ajahn Brahm, who visits Melbourne annually for the BSV Vesak program, is also leading a two-day retreat at the BSV Buddhaloka Centre, as well as giving three public talks.
Newbury Buddhist Monastery residence. From nbm.org.au
The retreat is taking place on 25 and 26 May, beginning on both days with a meditation session and a Dhamma talk, followed by the offering of lunch to the monastic sangha and then lunch for all. The afternoons include two meditation sessions and two Dhamma talks, with ample time for reflection and rest.
Ajahn Brahm’s talk at the BSV Buddhaloka Centre on 23 May was on the meaning and significance of Vesak. On 25 May, he gave a talk followed by Q&A at the Monash University Religious Centre, and in the evening of 26 May, will give another talk at the Buddhaloka Centre.
Buddha statue outside the Buddhist Society of Victoria's Buddhaloka Centre. From bsv.net.au
Born in London, UK, in 1951, Ajahn Brahm ordained as a bhikkhu in Thailand in 1974 under Venerable Ajahn Chah Bodhinyana Mahathera. He moved to Australia in 1983, and is currently the abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in Western Australia. As well as spiritual adviser to the BSV, he is spiritual director of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia, spiritual adviser to the Buddhist Society of South Australia, and spiritual patron of the Buddhist Fellowship and Brahm Centre in Singapore and the Bodhi Kusuma Centre in Sydney. He travels widely to give teachings and lead meditation retreats.
The BSV was founded in 1953 and is the oldest Buddhist institution in Victoria. The society aims to make the Buddha’s teachings available to the community, with special emphasis on the Theravada tradition, and to provide facilities and support for monks and nuns.
All activities at the BSV are free of charge and organized by a management committee comprised entirely of volunteers. Regular weekly activities included meditation sessions, Dhamma talks, daily dana, and a weekly Sunday school for children.