BUDDHIST MEDITATION & HEALING CENTRE
3/2b Victoria Street, Bunbury, Western Australia - PH (08) 9791 9798 welcome@hmt.org.au
‘A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE’
Venerable Losang Chodron’s
journey into the Dharma.
journey into the Dharma.
“My life took on some radical changes around the middle of 1975 when I experienced one painful crisis after another and the practice of Hatha Yoga became my refuge and the means of coping with what was happening at that time.
I expected my life would eventually get back to ‘normal’ (as it was before) but when this didn’t happen I began to realize that the changes I was experiencing were in fact a normal part of life.
I was very committed to Yoga but started to feel the need for a deeper understanding of what life was about. Vipassana Meditation was recommended to me and this complemented my Yoga practice very nicely and so I spent some years following Vipassana Meditation and offering service with the Goenka Burmese Tradition.
Even though this was of incredible benefit I felt that I could not commit myself to this path and again felt a sense of dissatisfaction.
My marriage and bringing up a family was very dear to me and I was very involved with this part of my life until my children left home and my marriage ended.
At the end of 1989 I felt a strong urge to go to India without even knowing what I expected to find there. This journey became my introduction to Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism with the Gelugpa Tradition at Bodh Gaya in early 1990.
This was my first encounter with such holy beings as Kyabje Thubten Zopa Rinpoche and Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche and many others. I was very inspired by their presence and teachings, as well as their humility. For some time I had been yearning for a teacher who was truly practising what they were preaching.
From Bodh Gaya I flew to Kopan Monastery which is the ‘Mother Centre’ for all the FPMT Centres around the world. While there I asked many questions and received logical explanations for many of the unanswered questions I had. Both these explanations and the teachings resonated very deeply with my philosophy of life.
After taking refuge with Geshe Lama Konchog at Kopan Monastery I travelled to Dharamsala and had my first teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I also spent some time in retreat.
This five months in India was a life changing experience for me. I had no doubt in my mind that I had found what I had been unconsciously
seeking for many years and had a strong wish to spend the remainder of my life practising and studying the Buddha’s teachings.
Later in the same year I participated in a months Lam Rim Meditation Course at Mahamudra Centre in New Zealand. At the completion of this I had the good fortune to serve Kyabje Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, and strengthen my connection with him and other sangha members.
Then In early 1992 my home was used by Hospice of Mother Tara (HMT) as the centre’s first official teaching and meeting place. It was at this time I took Rabjung Vows (leaving the householders life) with Geshe Tashi Tsering when he visited HMT to give teaching. Later that year I took Getsul Vows (Novice Vows) with Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche at Tara Institute in Melbourne.
I had the good fortune to spend several years on the founding committee of HMT and was involved in the activities and running of the centre.
In 1995 I moved to Chenrezig Nuns Community (CNC) in Qld and was on the founding committee of Cittamani Hospice Service. Later I moved to Brisbane and was Spiritual Care Co-Ordinator at Karuna Hospice Service, all of which are FPMT organizations.
In 1997 Hayagriva Buddhist Centre (HBC) and HMT had their first resident Geshe - Geshe Jampel Senge and for some time I was Geshe la’s carer and had a position on the committee at HBC.
After some time I returned to CNC to do retreat and then to Bunbury where I once again became part of the committee and the dharma service of HMT.
I moved back to Perth where I spent many happy years with the HBC Wheel of Life Palliative Care Support Group which is a community service of HBC in Perth, offering end of life education and support to interested people.
And now the 'wheel of life' has again brought me back to HMT in Bunbury - this time as resident nun of the centre. It always gives me great pleasure to be actively involved with the centre and its students and to repay in some small way the great benefits I have derived over the years of involvement.
All these activities have been a great
joy to me’’.
joy to me’’.
Venerable Losang Chodron
Based on the principles of love and compassion, Hospice of Mother Tara exists to provide on-going support for the practice of Buddhist Teachings and to assist those who are experiencing pain or
illness by providing holistic care and an atmosphere of calm.
illness by providing holistic care and an atmosphere of calm.
Venerable Losang Chodron
Venerable Chodron with Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Clare Isitt from FPMT International Office, in Bendigo 2011
"I had no doubt in my mind that I had found what I had been unconsciously seeking for many years and had a strong wish to spend the remainder of my life practising and studying the Buddha’s teachings”
