The Gyuto Monks Program

This year's program features daily half hour chanting meditations (better than a coffee!), talks on happiness and mental health, meditation workshops and many opportunities to just hang out with the monks. 

Children are particularly drawn to the monks. Every day at 10:15am, a Monks, Meditation and Morning Tea session is held for kids, allowing them to interact on an informal basis with these wonderfully compassionate and wise teachers. At 11am each day, a hugely entertaining Craft for Kids workshop will be held, enabling children to understand the basics of mindfulness at a level they can easily appreciate. Kids will practice Tibetan art and craft activities during the daily sessions and take home what they make.

From 3-5pm each day, Personal Pujas and Cleansing Ceremonies offer the opportunity for individuals to sit with a monk and have them chant a special puja (prayer sessions / offerings) just for them. Buddhists believe these ancient cleansing ceremonies can help counter the impact of negative actions accrued in this life – or past lives. Intensely personal, these ceremonies provide some insight into the power of the monk's practices. 

In addition there will be five public talks over the fortnight – -Who Am I' (Thursday 14 April), -Ageing Without Fear' (Saturday 16 April), -Making Life Count' (Sunday 17 April), -Surrender Control' (Thursday 21 April), and -Living Consciously, Dying Well' (Saturday 23 April). All will be held at 2:30pm at the Bondi Pavilion.