Our Mission
To build a righteous society by promoting spiritual harmony based on Buddhist teachings and values through our organisation, Bodhi Dhamma Buddhist Association (Bendigo) Incorporated.
Our Vision
To provide a welcoming and accessible environment for young and old alike to learn and experience the cultural heritage and mindfulness that promotes a positive and well-balanced approach towards living in a multi-cultural society.
About Us
Our Mission
Our Vision
Who We Are
Our Temple…..
Bodhi Dhamma Vihara Bendigo, registered as Bodhi Dhamma Buddhist Association (Bendigo) Incorporated (BDBA), is a non-profit organisation with the aim of serving communities of all ages to discover and nurture the teachings of Buddhism and to success their lives through practicing Buddhist teachings in their own lives.
BDBA is a religious, ethnically diverse and charitable organisation committed to the development, preservation and spreading of Buddhist philosophy in Australia.
BDBA promotes peace and harmony among all living beings according to the teachings of Lord Buddha. BDBA organises a number of cultural events to share our culture and heritage with the wider community. We consider this as an alternative way of teaching our younger generation of Sri Lankan descent about the Sri Lankan Buddhist culture and values in a unique and enjoyable way. Such activities are not limited to kids but also enjoyed by adults, senior citizens and others who miss out on similar celebrations in their home country. These teachings and celebrations are open to the wider Australian community with the intent of giving them an understanding of Buddhism, Sri Lankan culture and traditions and also enable them to get a glimpse of who we are. These are important practices in the multi-cultural environment we live in to promote cultural diversity.
Bodhi Dhamma Vihara
at The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.
Location
Bendigo is located around 150 kilometers north-west of Melbourne and is the fourth largest city in the State of Victoria, Australia. Boasting a rich and prosperous heritage dating back to the gold rush of the 1850s, Bendigo remains the runner up region for producing gold in Australia and the seventh largest in the world. Bendigo has become one of the fastest-growing regional centers in Victoria.
Bodhi Dhamma Buddhist Association (Bendigo)Inc, which has proudly commenced the building of a Buddhist temple – Bodhi Dhamma Vihara at The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.
Our History….
A handful of Sri Lankan community group in Bendigo region in Victoria formed a Sri Lankan Fellowship in 2009 with a sole objective to maintain solidarity of Sri Lankans based in the region. Our members have been very close to the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo and often made offerings to monastery resident monks. This relationship and the bond between the Sri Lankan Community and Great Stupa became stronger day by day. In 2019, Chairman of Great Stupa, Mr. Ian Green, offered the Sri Lankan community a parcel of land adjoining the Great Stupa to build a temple with Sri Lankan heritage. This generous offer acknowledges the integration of diverse Buddhist traditions with shared objectives, coming together as representatives of Australian diversity. A Buddhist temple with Sri Lankan heritage was greatly missed by our Buddhist community in Bendigo and we as a community determined to use this opportunity to bring land parcel offered a memorable and religious place that is worshiped by not only the community in Bendigo but all Buddhist and non-Buddhists around the world. With the blessings of our community and religious leaders in Sri Lanka, the formation Bodhi Dhamma Buddhist Vihara Bendigo Inc. (BDBVB Inc.) took place in 2019. At the same time our temple was offered a sapling of “Sri Maha Bodhi” tree in Sri Lanka which is documented as the world oldest living tree that has a significance value to both Buddhist and non-Buddhist around the world.
Our Values
- We are motivated by the values of non-violence, compassion, kind-heartedness and responsibility, which are at the heart of Buddhism.
- We believe in every being for their limitless potential of wisdom and compassion.
- We promote Buddhist teachings of wisdom and compassion over unhealthy consumerism and exploitation of our nature.
- We believe in freedom of thought which is in the foundation of Buddhist teachings.
- We believe in the implementation of human rights, equality and individual responsibility for others, regardless of ethnicity, language, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, birth status, gender, sexual orientation or any other distinction.
- We promote the deep understanding of interconnectedness taught in Buddhism. We believe this can help transform the modern day society that often leaves people dissatisfied chasing the goals often has roots to greed, anger and prejudice.
- We believe that any form of oppression, discrimination, labour exploitation and all aspects of social and economic injustice should be transformed into openness, freedom, co-operation and peace.
Meet Committee
To become a sponsor or donate to the Vihara Temple, please view the options on our Donations Section Page, and/or contact a Committee member to discuss your donation.
- Deeptha Wickramarathne – President
- Jayantha Siriwardana – Vice President
- Mahesh Silva – Treasurer
- Manori Ayesha Perera – Secretary
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Buddima Niranga –Member
-
Gayan Fernando –Member
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Hasitha Gunasekara –Member
-
Osada Perera –Member
Meet BDBA Committee
To become a sponsor or donate to the Vihara Temple, please view the options on our Donations Section Page, and/or contact a Committee member to discuss your donation.
- Deeptha Wickramasinghe – President
- Jayantha Siriwardana – Vice President
- Mahesh Silva – Treasurer
Our Achievements
We invite you to be a part of our journey of first ever planting in Australia of the Sri Maha Bodhi sapling.(the same Bodhi tree under which Lord Buddha became enlightened).
To build a righteous society by promoting spiritual harmony based on Buddhist teachings and values through our organisation, Bodhi Dhamma Buddhist Association (Bendigo) Incorporated.
To provide a welcoming and accessible environment for young and old alike to learn and experience the cultural heritage and mindfulness that promotes a positive and well-balanced approach towards living in a multi-cultural society.