The Shamatha and Vipassana Retreat led by Ayyas Jitindriyā and Jayasāra was a wonderful success. The retreat was full of beautiful Dharma teachings, guided and walking meditations. Participants came from nearly every state to be part of this special retreat. The Ayyas taught on the foundations of meditation, the five precepts as a guide to a happy and ethical life: using the contemplations on the Khandhas or five aggregates, as a method to arise wisdom in our minds. 

We thank the Ayyas for their precious teachings and warm presence, to all the attendees who were so sincere in their practice and learning, and our hard-working group of volunteering sangha. We look forward to next year’s retreat.

The Field - Mike Kelly
Poem by an attendee of the Shamatha and Vipassana Retreat

There can be no greater exhilaration nor grander ecstasy than frolicking in the field of quiet joy found where the innate sacredness of life meets the knowing that none of the particulars ever mattered.

That life exists – the very process of creation – is a miracle beyond the imagination of a mind. To understand creation is to see into the heart of things and realise that all things are of the heart.

From this place, every act, every expression, is meaningful and sacred simply because it is. Life is life and because it is life, it is love. And because it is love, it is worthy.

And yet, whatever arises shall also pass. Each experience will change as the seasons do and evolve as we have. Holding on will every time prove fruitless as we clutch for solidity in a flowing river. The passage of time has no equal and is yet conquered simply by simple folks who care not for nought but the now.

Right here. Right Now. See, that’s the ticket, my friends. Enjoy the comings and goings with all your heart though pay their seductive baying no heed. They are only coming to go. Remain firmly here, present to the miracles just waiting to astound you.

When you finally land yourself in this knowing; when you learn to bathe unfazed by temptation nor repulsion in the shimmering flow of creation, you might find yourself in the field an old poet named Rumi wrote of hundreds of years ago. 

A field beyond time where right and wrong have been long forgotten.

And here we are.

Kamalashila Tibetan Buddhist Centre hosted Ven Rinchen, on her first visit to the centre from Cairns. She conducted two wonderful workshops – Death and Dying, and Mindfulness Meditation.

On the Saturday, Ven Rinchen led us on a journey of discovery about our own thoughts and feelings of dying, workshopping ways to have us look at this often-unspoken subject in our western culture with a new and almost joyful approach. Then on Sunday Venerable taught and guided us in mindfulness meditation, based on The Four Foundations of Mindfulness. 

It was a rich weekend of dharma, full of learning and laughter. Ven Rinchen’s knowledge on these subjects was very inspiring, and she has a direct way of imparting this to others. She made many new friends with her warm and open teachings. We thank Ven Rinchen sincerely for offering these two workshops to the south coast community. Thank you to all the lovely people who attended and shared in this very special weekend.

After this successful weekend came a rare and well-earned day off for Khenpo la and Ven Rinchen, serving the sentient beings tirelessly. We thank Ven Rinchen from the bottom of our hearts for giving such a wonderful two days of workshops and teachings to our local south coast community; we sincerely wish that she returns to Kamalashila soon.

“Thank you so much for facilitating the Death and Dying workshop with Venerable Rinchen recently. She is a special teacher. The warmth and welcome from everyone at KTBC were heartfelt. We hope to participate in more events in the future.”
~ Wendy and Wyn 

“A thank you to the KTBC team for organising the Death & Dying Saturday Workshop – it was so informative, covering just about every aspect of death for me to think about. I was privileged to be in the presence of a dying friend whose daughter so kindly shared the time and space with her mum with me (she passed away three weeks ago), so Rinchen’s guidance was timely, and it really deepened my understanding of death.”
~ Chiaki

“Thank you for hosting this wonderful weekend.”
~ Zena

Khenpo la taught for the nine days on The Nine Stages of Shamatha Meditation and The Parting from the Four Attachments. An incredible retreat of precious Dharma teachings. Thank you so much Khenpo la and all our wonderful participants and volunteers for making this such a special annual event for everyone to truly benefit from.

“I really enjoyed the 2025 Shamatha Retreat for so many reasons. Firstly, of course, was the quality of teachings and guided meditations from Khenpo as well as the harmony that pervaded the group. The peaceful surroundings and facilities helped immensely in quieting the mind and the restaurant quality food and service in the dining area topped off an awesome experience. Thanks so much to all involved, as I would highly recommend others wanting to deepen their practice to attend.”
~ Andrew C.

“Thank you so much for organising these retreats. To learn the dharma from Khenpo la is a precious gift indeed. I am changed from the retreat for the better I believe. I have a greater understanding of bodhicitta and its importance for my meditation. Connecting my mind’s worries to realising that so many sentient beings suffering having those exact same worries. It helped me to understand the suffering and gain compassion for us all. Before, my mediation dedication was focused just on me!”
~ Emma

We had another amazing Karma Yoga Spring Retreat with so much being accomplished, including the planting of all the new trees and shrubs in the garden and replacing the south side pathway of the gompa. A huge thank you to everyone who came and devoted their time and efforts. Another big thank you to all our sponsors of the plants and soil. Your generosity is truly inspiring. We hope everyone can visit the centre soon to see all these new upgrades.

“An amazing weekend of teachings with Venerable Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe. The Public Talk on the Friday night gave insight into how the ancient wisdom teachings of the Buddha can help us in these challenging modern times. This was a fantastic base for the weekend teachings, allowing the time to go through ‘The 37 Aspects of Mind Training’ to help shape our way of living a more balanced, compassionate life. 

“These profound teachings, when applied mindfully daily, can transform a stressful life into a more peaceful one, even in the midst of chaos. We may not be able to change the world around us but with diligent practice we can train and change our mind.

“At the completion of the teachings a beautiful, joyful offering dance was performed, as a thank you to Khenpo la, from the local Dzogchen Community. A beautiful way to finish an inspiring weekend.”

​~ Ven Rinchen

Drogmi Buddhist Institute sangha gathered both in Croydon, Sydney and on Zoom in the Tara Gompa at Kamalashila on a beautiful sunny spring weekend to receive the precious teachings on Medicine Buddha practice from Khenpo la. 

Khenpo la guided us through the preliminaries, the main practice, and then gave detailed teachings on the qualities and individual wishes of the Eight Medicine Buddhas. Khenpo la also led us through this practice several times to familiarise us with the practice alongside the teachings, making the weekend incredibly helpful in enhancing and growth within our practice. 

Thank you Khenpo la for your infinite kindness and wisdom, and to everyone who helped make this weekend a wonderful success.

Birthday celebrations for our Glorious Precious Root Guru His Holiness the 41st Kyabgon Sakya Gongma Trinchen Rinpoche on 7 September was such a joyous time, falling on the second day of the September Family Retreat, as well as Father’s Day and a full moon day, from all at Kamalashila Tibetan Buddhist Centre! 

We continually pay our deep respects to His Holiness, without whom, we would never have the great blessing of Khenpo la and Kamalashila Tibetan Buddhist Centre, changing the lives of so many, bringing peace and clarity. Thank you, Your Holiness – we pray for your good health and long life. 

Kamalashila Tibetan Buddhist Centre’s Spring Family Retreat was such a delight. With warm hearts, the families entered a gentle weekend of meditation and learning with Khenpo la and Zara.

“I am grateful for coming to this place and spending time with old friends and new friends” ~ Kit, 7

“I want to be a Buddha” ~ Ocea, 5

“The meditation made me feel calm” ~ Harry

“Can I offer this flower to the Buddha?” ~ Charlotte

“I really appreciated the opportunity to reconnect with nature… and my daughter” ~ Mel (mum)

“I haven’t thought much into gratitude before, but I am starting to appreciate how important it is to our happiness” ~ Leigh (dad)

“The imagery of the sand settling in the water really helped me understand what to do in my meditations” ~ Natasha (mum)

“I valued the games and activities – they helped me connect and have fun with our family” ~ Peter (dad)

Thank you to all the families who joined us this weekend – for your questions, your insights and your open hearts and minds. We are looking forward to our next one already, in Autumn 2026.