His Eminence 6th Zimo'g Rinpoche's vision is to build a Nalandra Gompa as his main seat out of Tibet. The executive team of Nalandra is working hard to fulfil his wishes and legacy for many generations of Buddhists to enjoy the supreme knowledge of the Buddha.  This year is the final stage before Nalandra builds the Gompa. We have obtained council and VCAT approval after 18 months of paperwork and appearances at official hearings. Thanks to Michelle Menzel and Prue Lamont who have been very kind to walk through difficult times with the neighbours and attend several hearings. Thanks to you too for your generous donations and membership renewals on time, which keeps the engine running and turns the wheel of Dharma. We continue to channel your generosity into the right investment.

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Twelve months from now, in June 2020, our site will be ready from every point and we will start to build the dream of the first Nalandra in the Southern Hemisphere. Please stay in touch for we need your strong support and spreading the word of mouth to allow us to achieve our shared goal. Our Buddhist builder has estimated a $500,000 dollar budget for the temple and its surroundings.

All your donations are tax deductible. A link will be posted soon, or send us an email. We would be more than happy to guide you through the hassle-free process. Please help this dream come true!

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The Gompa Gains Momentum An article by Andy MacMillan, Director (Excerpt from Nalandra Newsletter Issue 7)

It has been gratifying and incredibly inspiring to be a part of the unfolding of the Gompa Project over the last 18 months. First was deciding the site and design, then obtaining council approval (who have been very receptive and constructive with our ideas). Following neighbourhood review, a VCAT hearing found in the favour of Nalandra. The news was received on Padmasambhava day in July, the auspicious timing no co-incidence and clearly a blessing from the Buddhas for our aspirations.

On an acre of land, the Gompa will be 9m by 11m to accommodate enough people, with the Vajra Gallery and an office space on the side wing. Upstairs on the roof, decking will extend from the upper lounge with a bush view to relax and chat with a coffee or snack. Surrounding the gompa will be a circumabulation path and resting benches, and prayer wheels will line the walls of the gompa. (More details on the Gompa building will be updated in subsequent newsletters).

It is with great reverence and gratitude to the Buddhas, Protectors and all those with great Bodhicitta, I thank our Guru Rinpoche in person, HE Zimo’g Rinpoche, Secretary/Project Manager Michelle Menzel, Town Planner David Robb, and of course ourselves who have provided practical and moral support along the way. We would not be seeing the remarkable momentum developing behind the Gompa Project without you.

It’s fascinating how our tiny contributions create such a big picture in Rinpoche’s vision. Rinpoche makes our standard version of a hard worker pale in the face of his activity, pulling the chariot of two wheels in one direction to achieve great goals in Dharma. He has established one centre after another since he came to Australia, while maintaining remarkable relationships with the people and animals around him. It is our utmost privilege that he has founded his main seat as he would call it outside Tibet in Melbourne, Australia, named Nalandra Australia after Nalandra Tibet.

We would be merely a bunch of directors and administrators, however with Rinpoche’s bodhichita within our motivations, all of our willpower will not be scattered and bring good results.

Rinpoche has now revived the energy of Chogye Jamchen Choe Dzong, bringing his Guru’s blessings and prosperities by merging it with the company Australian International Vajrayana Buddhist Institute, known as Nalandra.

Finally, thanks to the Buddhas again for delivering Mitchell House, who has been coming for some time now to Nalandra.  In recognition of his wisdom and skill, Rinpoche appointed him as Nalandra’s Grants Officer to allow philanthropic funds into the pipeline of a new, bigger picture of completing our task on the ground of Pure Land Nalandra. Mitch graciously accepted Rinpoche’s offer and was warmly welcomed by the board during an executive meeting.

Rinpoche is soon to leave for India to practice his magical display there. I send him love, devotion, appreciation and support for his time in Bhanodi and on Pilgrimage. We will all miss him and look forward to his safe return to Australia.

 

   

In 2014 Rinpoche was donated a 150 year-old temple sitting right in the lap of the Himalayan mountains, in Bhanodi, India. He has been working shoulder to shoulder with the Himalayan Tibetan people to restore their old faith and tradition as well as the property. He and his students have generously visited the site and stayed there for weeks at a time. Rinpoche thus has a parallel responsibility with Nalandra Australia, dedicated to both projects. 

Current Update: 19 April 2018 

Rinpoche is travelling to India and will stay at the Nalandra Padma Retreat Centre for the next five months to bring the project to completion. Followers of the Padma Retreat Centre (Himalayan Tibetan people) are on their way up to the Bhanodi temple as we speak. Carpenters, bricklayers and concrete layers have already made their departure from their home towns. Rinpoche will travel by mid-May 2018 with the gifts for Bhanodi children that our members have accumulated. He will also spend monetary offerings that he received for his teachings to assist the children and single mothers. Although the money is not enough to cover his travel and expenses, he will dedicate all his offerings to support the people and stablise Nalandra's future.

To accomplish the project in India is to restore and maintain ancient and human values. Here it is described as a summary of achievements of the past, present and future.

In the past, we have been quite successful in restoring the Gompa/temple and assuring Rinpoche has all the facilities for his retreat. A fully functional, ventilated kitchen has also been built for mothers to have a healthier cooking environment and facilities, with an adjoining dining area. The dormitory shower rooms and toilets have been upgraded and pathways connecting living areas have been cleared. Above all the fellowship of the Padma Retreat Centre has been brought into confidence that they have a Guru and trustworthy organisation such as Nalandra, not only to restore the holy environment but to lead in a great future of helping young children. For more information please see the March 2016 (Issue 4) Newsletter.

In the present, tasks to complete this summer include: 1). Finishing Rinpoche's personal retreat kitchen, installing the water system etc., 2). Create a circumambulation path around the temple and plant some Australian flowers in the bush, 3). Build over 150 steps from the base of the Padma Retreat Centre property up to the Gompa, 4). Restore around 7 caves which were once liveable meditation rock shelters, installing electricity facilities and proper doors and windows, 5). Build extra dormitory shower and toilet facilitiies. In the future, 1). At the foot of the property Rinpoche plans to build a convenience store/ coffee shop in the wilderness to avail the homesickness of Aussies in retreat. 2). A large stupa will also be built in the arena of the coffee shop, on the way from retreatants' caves to the temple where they will go for Rinpoche's teachings, practice, circumambulation, meals and to meet with others. In the great future, Rinpoche has a wish to build an educational nunnery in the Chamba district where he has been offered land to use however he sees fit. There is no other way than to give it back to the people, so that local girls have the opportunity to receive a proper education in the Buddha's uniform and then decide their future for themselves. If you wish to assist with Rinpoche's plans, please make a donation in our fundraising vase. 

For the complete history of Nalandra's Padma Retreat Centre, please see our newsletters which speak of the project's past, present and future activities. 

Please click here to make a donation towards the Padma Retreat Centre via Give Now (no account required).