Special event: A Mind Lab Workshop

Bringing Buddhism into your life: A practical approach

Presenters: Ven. Battaramulle Amadassana Thero (online), Ven. Dharana Dassa Thero (in person), Anagārika Mithun Mahawaththage Don (in person), Angārikā Sumudu Weththasinghe (online), Anagārikā Naduni Gamage (online)

When: Sat 28 January | 1.00 pm – 7.00 pm AEDT

Location: In person at Metta Centre (Bankstown) or Online (Zoom link below)

Cost: By Donation

Join us for a special Mind Lab workshop where you will hear from international speakers, participate in discussion and guided meditation, to explore a unique, practical approach to bring Buddhism into our lives. Life is full of surprises, some good and some could be better. Unpleasant surprises can sometimes be an anchor which pulls you down in the ocean of life rather than letting you sail gracefully on it. How do we break free from these anchors? How do we use Buddhist principles to seek solutions for these pressing life issues? A powerful approach to solve these problems is to understand the workings of the mind and by applying the teachings of the Buddha into day-to-day situations which cause us distress. This workshop will introduce a perspective to examine illusions of the mind and how to see through them. A guided Vipassana meditation session will help you dive deep into your mental processes and identify the root cause for your problems. Through numerous practical examples you will learn the most simplistic way of applying the Buddhist principles in your everyday life. The programme also includes a Q&A session which will provide you with the opportunity to listen to firsthand accounts of our female and male Angarika communities who reside at the forest monastery practicing the Dhamma regularly. A special session will be conducted by Ven. Battaramulle Amadassana Thero, who will share what it is like to be a monk and also how the entire monastic community have dedicated their life towards spreading compassion to all beings.

Program outline:

13.00 -13.30 – Start

13:30 – 15:00 – Practical Application of the Dhamma (Ven. Dassa thero)

15:00 – 15:30 – Vipassana Meditation

15:30 – 15:50 – Break (inc. refreshments)

15:50 – 17:30 – Life as an Anagarika (panel discussion inc. Q&A)

17:30 – 18:30 – Life as a Buddhist monk (Ven. Amadassana Thero)

18:30 – 19:00 – Conclusion

About the main speakers:

Ven. Dharana Dassa Thero, aka Dassa Thero, is a young and charismatic Buddhist monk. Having grown up in a loving family of two sisters, from a very young age Dassa thero demonstrated an endearing sense of compassion and loving kindness towards all who crossed his path. Educated in a prestigious British Grammar School, very soon he developed a keen acumen for examining virtually every aspect of life, both physical and spiritual. His curiosity and unquenchable thirst to understand the “truths” about life and its purpose were fore signs of a future not even he could imagine. His life took a turn off the beaten path when he met a teacher who was prepared to show him the absolute Truths, and under his guidance Dassa Thero ventured into the depths of the Buddha’s Philosophy. Five years on, he celebrates his journey as a higher-ordained Buddhist monk, by sharing his discoveries with a growing audience of avid listeners who tune in to his talks regularly from across the globe. Today, Dassa Thero is a sought-after speaker among teenagers from countries including Canada, Australia, UK and USA who seek his guidance to tackle issues affecting them. He has helped children of all ages and young adults overcome challenges such as stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, addictions and more. His innate ability to deliver life-changing talks by intertwining the timeless truths of Dharma with inspirational stories and modern-day examples – all based in the foundations of science, helps apply the Buddhist teachings into our lives effortlessly. Dassa Thero’s unwavering goal is to realise the Ultimate Truth of Unconditional Happiness. Enroute to achieving that goal he wishes to spread the seeds of happiness and peace to all mankind.

Ven. Amadassana Thero, having lived much of his lay life in the UK, working in London City as a Solutions Architect for the Royal Bank of Scotland, Ven. Amadassana Thero lived a life reflective of the many successful, affluent and ambitious people that surrounded him. Yet, it was through his innate curiosity for the world that both he and his wife found the truth, the true purpose of their life, the path that would lead them to Enlightenment. And it was from this, that both of them made the life changing choice to leave behind their worldly comforts, material successes, wealth and marriage to part ways and set off on a transformational journey in search of an unshakeable happiness.

Years later, now as a higher ordained monk Venerable Amadassana Thero has an incredible compassion and kindness for the many people of this world and it’s through this humbling sense of generosity that he delivers thought provoking and life changing talks to the wider community regardless of their age, culture, or other differences. It is through these talks that he provides inspirational advice and practical guidance on the application of Buddhist philosophy into our day-to-day lives in order to reach the universally sought-after goal of happiness. Ven. Amadassana Thero is also much looked up to as a teacher and leader as he provides invaluable mentorship and instruction to over 100 monks, and an equal number of male and female Anagārikas of the monastic community at the Jethavanarama Forest Monastery (https://www.jethavanaramaviharaya.org/en & https://www.youtube.com/@jethavanarama_eng), who dedicate their lives to spreading compassion and kindness to all beings. His impeccable creativity and leadership skills have been crucial in the process of establishing and managing many social service initiatives delivered by the monastery’s foundation (vimukthifoundation.org) such as the Youth Academy, Children’s Home and the proposed Drug Rehabilitation Centre and International Buddhist School.

Hybrid event: Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive session with the main speaker who will be attending in person at the Metta Centre (Bankstown), and other speakers by video. You are welcome to join the session in person at the Metta Centre or online by clicking on this link to access the session: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83506489824?pwd=cmpNQ1ljSmFVYURLWVN1dWllYUN1dz09 Alternatively, you can dial in from your telephone (call charges apply): +61 2 8015 6011 | Meeting ID: 835 0648 9824| Passcode: 718905