10TH AUSTRALIA KAGYU MONLAM FESTIVAL
Kagyu Monlam Chenmo – the Great Prayer Festival is the most important Tibetan celebration where Buddhists gather & pray for world peace.
CLICK TO RESERVE YOUR FREE SPOT
DATE & TIME
Thursday 18th May, 9am
to
Sunday 21st May, 7pm
LOCATION
Greenview Events Centre, Club Merrylands Bowling
Address: 65 Newman Street Merrylands, NSW 2160
ABOUT THIS EVENT
Kagyu Monlam is to spread the seeds of loving kindness and pure motivation, to activate their power, and hence bring about genuine peace, love, happiness and well-being in the world.
~ 17th Gyalwang Karmapa
The Kagyu Monlam is an auspicious Buddhist Prayer Festival that celebrates the interconnectedness of all sentient beings in our world. It is a great occasion when all monastic bodies together with the lay Buddhist communities unite together to pray for world peace, harmony, happiness and the wellbeing of our global community.
This year’s festival program includes:
- Prayers and Chants from various Buddhist traditions, leading the daily Monlam sessions.
- Guided Meditations Sessions
- Dharma Talk/Buddhist Teaching.
- Empowerment ceremony and TSog (Feast) Offering.
- Torma : the ancient art of Tibetan ritual offering – View intricate and delicate Torma sculptures prepared by our visiting monastic monks from Sikkim, India. Learn about the significance and tradition of this unique ritual art in Tibetan Buddhism!
- Sand Mandala – Mandala constructed from sand, transmits positive energies to the environment and to the people who view them. They bring purification and healing to the viewer. Follow and witness the creation and dissolution of a Tibetan Buddhist Mandala over the Monlam Chenmo period.
- Buddhist Relics – Don’t miss the rare opportunity to view and venerate this precious collection of Buddhist Relics. It is said that the enlightened beings with high realizations establish relics as a means for passing on blessings of their body, speech and mind for future generations.
- “Bath the Baby Buddha” statue with fragrant water as an act of inner purification and transformation as we mark the beginning of the Saga Dawa Duchen Period.
- Marme Monlam [Lamp Prayer] – culminate our religious program with the lighting of candles as we make “Aspirations” for the world peace for all sentient beings!
- Musical Offering is a celebration of songs, dances and performances from various cultural groups and communities in honour of the Triple Gems. It is a joyful show, on the closing day of Kagyu Monlam, and ends the Prayer Festival on a high note!
Take time away from the busy world and join us on this auspicious occasion and let us pray together for world peace!
Visit MonlamAustralia for more information on this Great Prayer Festival! Alternatively, visit www.kadribodhimonastery.org.au for more information.
Transport/parking options to and from the venue
Merrylands Train Station and Merrylands Interchange is a short car or bus ride from Merrylands Bowling Club. Bus 7014, stops at the Crn of Oxford St & Merrylands Rd. Free undercover parking is available for members and guests at the venue. Entry is via Newman or Oxford Street.
What NOT to bring into the event?
To comply with the venue’s guidelines and requirements, we ask participants to NOT bring any food or drink inside the Greenview Events Centre at Merrylands Bowling Club! Refreshments and meals are readily available on-site at the numerous dining outlets at Merrylands Bowling Club.
Are there any Buddhist etiquettes for Kagyu Monlam's visitors ?
- Please dress modestly and avoid short skirts or low tops.
- Refrain from touching any ordained monastics, especially monks from the Theravada tradition.
- Maintain the serenity within the Main Shrine/Altar Area by speaking softly.
- Do not step over any religious texts/books left on floor cushions.
Can I take photographs at Monlam?
Buddha images are sacred objects, so do not pose in front of them. Always ask for permission when taking photographs.
Will there be a program for Australia Kagyu Monlam?
Yes, a detailed program for Monlam will be created for the 10th Australia Kagyu Monlam Prayer Festival; full program will be posted in Facebook/KDBMINC or on https://kadribodhimonastery.org.au shortly
DISCLAIMER:
Programs may change or be postponed due to circumstances outside of KDBM control. If this happens you will receive an email notification. A reminder/confirmation email is sent 48 hours prior to the event to confirm the event is going ahead.
Bookings are made through Eventbrite, which is an external website. Please read their privacy policy and other disclaimers for how they store and use your information.
Photos and/or video recordings may be taken during KDBM- run events and may be used on KDBM’s website, social media or publications. KDBM may also send images to media outlets, such as local newspapers, to assist with publicity for KDBM events. Please notify and write to KDBM if you do not want your or your children’s image or video taken [[email protected]].
MONLAM CHENMO
” I make this aspiration that when you recite these prayers during the Monlam, each word may first arise in your heart, and then emerge from your mouth. I pray that every letter and syllable becomes a golden image and that every word fills the entire world. May all the sounds of lament and war as well as the poisonous winds in the environment be dispelled. May these words of love and compassion blend with the innate goodness of every single being and coalesce into one powerful force. Like the light of the sun, moon and stars, may love, compassion and wisdom shine forth. May they strike every single living being and dispel the darkness of ignorance, attachment and hatred that has lurked for ages in their being. When any living being meets another, may it be like the reunion of a mother and child after a long separation. In a harmonious world such as this, may I see everyone sleep peacefully to the music of non-violence. This is my dream.”
~ The 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s Aspiration for the Kagyu Monlam~
[Source: Kagyu Monlam]