|
A place to heal the mind, body and heart.
With inner peace, comes world peace
|
|
| Dear Friends,
You're invited to our upcoming events at the Metta Centre. All talks are open to the public, and your RSVP would assist us in preparing for the event by sending an email to: contact@mettacentre.com.
All our events are free unless otherwise stated, though your generous donations will help us continue to provide free services to the community.
We encourage you to check our website or Facebook page regularly for any updates, changes, cancellations or announcements.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Special Event:
Creating social and individual healing
Venerable Galkande Dhammananda Thero
Tuesday 6 February, 2018
6.30pm for 7pm start to 9pm
Cost: By Donation
Location: Metta Centre
Social healing seeks to deal with wounds created by conflict, collective trauma and large-scale oppression. Its domain is centrally within consciousness. Its primary modalities are truth, reconciliation, forgiveness and restorative justice. It requires individuals to assume the responsibility to become healing agents themselves and as such it is experiential rather than ideological. Social healing requires the healing of minds.
The consciousness of a Buddhist should be guided by the principle of Metta (love), Karuna (compassion), Muditha (Joy) and Upekkha (Equanimity), and not cultural practices that are devoid of these. If these principles guide us, the need to heal will not arise as there will not be any wounds to heal. However, in moments of weakness if there are consequential wounds arising from acts based on selfishness, hatred and ignorance, humaneness, compassion, love and understanding can easily be applied to healing the wounds created.
The late Walpola Rahula Thero in his book “Sathyodaya”, explains how far Buddhists have been misguided to believe in cultural practices that purport to accumulate “pin or merit” to oneself. Many such practices are distant to the real teachings of Buddha and do not advance healing of oneself and others where it is needed.
About the teacher
The Venerable Galkande Dhammananda Thero is a Sri Lankan national and a monk of Theravada Buddhist tradition. He is the Executive Director of the Walpola Rahula Institute for Buddhist Studies, where educational and training programs are offered for religious leaders and lay persons with an aim to support social healing. He is a full-time lecturer attached to the Department of History, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.
After completing his monastic training, Dhammananda Thero joined the University of Kelaniya and received his B.A. Degree in History. After winning the Commonwealth Scholarship in 2003 he completed his Masters and M.Phil degrees at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, where he is now reading for a PhD.
Dhammananda thero is actively engaged in issues related to social justice and harmony that promotes an inclusive plural society. He has been actively using social media to propagate the message of nonviolence during resent inter-religious and inter-ethnic conflicts in Sri Lanka.
Some of his videos titled Bahujana Hitaya (for the betterment of all) can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bREFYFJH-Rs
Over the years he has been in dialogue with religious leaders on issues related to social justice and healing and wishes to support others to enter in to similar dialogues. He is inspired by the Buddha’s teaching of ‘Bahujana Hitaya’ (for the betterment of all) calling for one to work beyond religious, ethnic or social labels to actively uplift the society - especially supporting those who are vulnerable, marginalized and discriminated against.
To Register
Click here to register.
Other Talks by Venerable Galkande Dhammananda Thero
A Discussion on Buddhist Cultural Practices and Social Healing
4.30 to 6.30 pm
10 February, 2018
The Jimmy Little Community Hall, 19, Cecily Street, Lilyfield, 2040
More information
|
|
|
|
HiStory, HerStory, OurStory
With Ven Ayya Tathaloka
Tuesday 13 March, 2018
6.30pm for 7pm start to 9pm
Cost: By Donation
Location: Metta Centre
Ayya Tathaloka is due to give a talk on this topic at the Mitra Conference on 3 March 2018, and this talk at the Metta Centre is the continuation of the topic to further explore the themes of story and experience. (For information and tickets for the Mitra Conference, visit: http://www.mitraconference.com/).
Our sense of ourselves and world are made up of stories: her story, his story, and our ever-evolving shared stories. These stories frame our current experience and sense of selves; they create and shape our future, our destiny, and the future destiny of not only all of humanity, but all of life--even framing and shaping our engagement with the unknown. Unawares, this process run amok can create tremendous harm and suffering. Bringing consciousness and intentionality to this process opens up realms of skilful practice and opportunity. Stories of the Buddha and of his disciples pervade the teachings we learn from today. Engaging conscious choice and intentionality in the process of story: What stories are we creating, holding, perpetuating? What role do they play in creating cultures of enlightenment and awakening--in ourselves and world?
About the teacher
Ven. (Ayya) Tathaloka Theri is an American-born Theravada bhikkhuni, meditative scholar and Buddhist teacher. Ayya Tathaloka began pursuing monastic life at age 19. She has studied in Europe, India, South Korea, Thailand and other countries, and has taught around the world for the public, in monasteries east and west, and in Sangha Universities in both South Korea and Thailand.
Ayya Tathaloka is the co-founder of Dhammadharini Monastery and the Aranya Bodhi Hermitage in Northern California, recipient of the 2006 Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award at the United Nations in Thailand, and served as preceptor for the first samaneri and bhikkhuni ordinations in Theravada traditions in Australia in 2008 and 2009.
Ayya Tathaloka’s teachings can be found at http://www.dhammadharini.net/.
To Register
Click here to register.
|
|
|
|
Living Buddhism Course
Facilitated by Tina Ng
Tuesday 13, 20, 27 February and 6 March, 2018
6.30pm – 7.30pm
Cost: By Donation
Location: Metta Centre
Our weekly Living Buddhism Course explores a topic chosen by the group, and the facilitator leads the group as a whole to understand, experience and reflect on how the Buddha’s teachings can be applied to understanding that topic and our lives, so as to make our spiritual practice relevant and integrated in our daily lives.
Past sessions have included skilful use of activities, props, talks, guided meditations, discussions, question and answer inquiries, reflective writings, and open sharings within the group. Each session is unique and audience participation is encouraged so as to make the session interactive and relevant to each person.
This is a drop in class, so no need to RSVP, though we encourage you to check our website or Facebook page regularly for any changes or a announcement.
To Register
Click here to register.
|
|
|
|
Zen and the Art of Pause
With Venerable Bom Hyon Sunim
Saturday 28 April, 2018
10am – 4pm
Cost: By Donation
Location: Metta Centre
Zen emphasises ‘just doing it’. It’s a way of self-cultivation leading to calmness, serenity, and concentration. Zen arts and meditation focus on the importance of One, mind-body unity, which is essential for any kind of mastery. Zen attitude, Zen mind remains in the now, being fully aware of the illusory nature of material life.
Zen is unpretentious, seeing beauty in what is imperfect, impermanent, incomplete. It is always in harmonious relationship with nature, deeply respecting the sacred. It never tries to manage or control nature, always seeking a profound spiritual bond.
In the same way, humans must seek a harmonious relationship with nature if the values of peace, serenity, calmness are to flourish. In order to do this, we must live together with nature as one, accepting each other's integrity and power. This is only possible if we practice the Way which resolves contradictions.
Pause…
LISTEN – turn your attention to the sounds …
BE PRESENT – what can you hear?
TASTE – let the tongue linger …
PAUSE – experience the heartbeat of the universe
FEEL – palms together, delight in deep intimacy …
OPEN – to the natural flow of creativity …
BREATHE DEEPLY – trust …
 About the teacher:
Venerable Bom Hyon Sunim is from the Korean Zen tradition and is resident at the Korean Jong Bop Sa Temple in Sydney. Sunim has recently relocated to Sydney, having lived in Victoria for the past 8 years, where she was the resident teacher of the Bodhi Ahm Buddhist Centre and founded the Healthcare Chaplaincy program for the Buddhist Council. She is also the Senior Buddhist Chaplain for the Australian Defence Forces.
Sunim conducts regular teachings and retreats and continues to teach regularly with the Melbourne Sakya group. She is active in interfaith and welcomes engagement with all who are spiritually & ecologically motivated to live in right relationship to the planet & all beings.
To Register
Click here to register.
|
|
|
|
Haiku
With Venerable Bom Hyon Sunim
Saturday 2 June, 2018
1pm – 5pm
Cost: By Donation
Location: Metta Centre
Everyone can do haiku!
It’s fun, playful, insightful.
It challenges our habitual grasping and concept-forming mind activity.
Haiku is a traditional form of Zen poetry consisting of 3 lines.
It focuses on one brief moment in time, employs provocative, colorful imagery, and provides a sudden moment of illumination. The essence of haiku is cutting through.
This is often represented by the juxtaposition of two images or ideas and a ‘cutting word’ or image between them - a kind of verbal punctuation mark which signals the moment of separation, and colours the manner in which the juxtaposed elements are related. Haiku can also be expressed in image and line drawings.
“An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
Splash! Silence again.” Basho
About the teacher
Click here to read about the teacher.
To Register
Click here to register.
|
|
|
|
