MELBOURNE CENTRE
Buddhism Diamond Way Melbourne meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.50 pm for meditation at 67 Brickwood Street, Brighton (closest train station, Elsternwick).
The evening programme in general consists of:
- A ten minute talk
- A 20-30 minute meditation
- Either a reading, a video of teachings or a 2nd meditation (fortnightly)
- Informal get together!
The centre opens at 7.30pm with the 'formal' programme beginning at 7.50pm with a ten minute talk, then at 8pm we have a guided meditation, with a finish time of around 8.30 to 8.45pm.
We welcome newcomers! We suggest you call ahead so that someone can be available to welcome you and give you some useful introductory information.
On the first Sunday of each month we meet at 10am at the centre for Ngondro practice.
Buddhist teachings and meditation courses are held regularly throughout the year. These are held at the Melbourne Centre or at our Venus Bay Retreat Centre (just 2 1/2 hours from Melbourne’s CBD).
As a group we also share numerous social activities.
For more information (and directions) about the Melbourne Diamond Way Buddhism Centre please call Roman Kouzmenko +61 419 369364 or email: melbourne@diamondway-center.org
Images from recent teachings, weekends away and more.
Click on images for larger versions.
See the Calendar of events for upcoming Melbourne activities.
Melbourne Diamond Way Centre Q&A
What will happen when I arrive at the Sydney Diamond Way Centre for the first time?
Do I have to sit cross-legged on the floor?
How do I get to the Melbourne Diamond Way Centre?
Do I have to pay anything to come along for a meditation?
Is there a joining fee?
If I go once, do I need to go every week?
What will happen when I arrive at the Melbourne Diamond Way Centre for the first time?
The Melbourne Diamond Way Centre is run with a fairly informal approach. It’s built on friendship and the motivation to help ourselves and others using the methods taught by the Buddha.
On meditation nights people start arriving at the Centre from 7.30 p.m. onward. The evening programme begins at 7.50pm. On your first night, please try to arrive no later than 7.40pm. This gives you time for a small introduction before the meditation begins.
An experienced member of the group will let you know what you can expect for the evening and answer any questions you have about Diamond Way Buddhism or the Melbourne Diamond Way Centre.
The focus of the evening is always the main meditation. This is guided by one of the Centre members and lasts from 20 to 30 minutes. During your introduction you will receive details of what to expect during the meditation time. You don’t need to bring along anything special along for it. We have cushions to sit on and chairs.
For ten minutes before the main meditation there is some kind of Buddhist teaching scheduled (fortnightly)—see the Melbourne Diamond Way Centre Programme for details (located on the notice board in the entrance hallway.
Ngondro (NON-dro) Practice sessions are where the Melbourne Diamond Way Centre members participate in the Four Foundational Practices of the Karma Kagyu Lineage. These are for more experienced Diamond Way practitioners.
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Do I have to sit cross-legged on the floor?
No. All meditations at the Melbourne Diamond Way Centre are sitting meditations, but mats, cushions and chairs are all provided. The most important requirement in terms of posture is a straight back. If you’re more comfortable kneeling or sitting on a chair, that’s fine. It’s only your mind that needs to get enlightened, not your knees.
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How do I get to the Melbourne Diamond Way
Centre?
The Melbourne Diamond Way Centre is located close to the Elsternwick train station Sandringham line). It is a five to ten minute walk from the train station.
Click on map for enlargement
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Do I have to pay anything to come along for a meditation?
No. If you start to come along regularly we encourage you to put in something for tea and coffee. There’s a donation box where you can make an anonymous contribution if you care to. It is entirely up to you.
If you want to buy Buddhist books or meditation booklets from the Centre you will have to pay for those. You don’t need them for the meditation - everything you need is provided on the night. There is also a Centre library, where regular members can borrow dharma books free of charge.
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Is there any joining fee?
No. Karma Kagyu Diamond Way Centres run entirely on idealism and the energy and work of volunteers. Some long time members elect to pay a yearly subscription that gives them discounts on courses and dharma lectures.
The money from these subscriptions goes toward bringing out travelling dharma teachers, organising meditation courses, and so on. Subscriptions are entirely voluntary, and all meditations, lectures and dharma events are open to subscribers and non-subscribers alike.
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If I go once, do I have to attend every
week?
No. Come as often or as little as you want. When you first come along, you should view the Melbourne Diamond Way Centre is a place to learn something about Buddhism in general and about the Karma Kagyu Diamond Way style of Buddhism in particular.
Check out the people there. Find out if the Diamond Way teachings feel like they’re something that’s useful to you.
If you do enjoy going to the Centre, its still up to you to decide how much you want to take from the vast ocean of Buddha’s teachings. Because we focus on lay Buddhism - the practice of Buddhism by people who are engaged in normal life - it’s entirely usual that Centre members have times when they spend more energy on having families, building careers, and maintaining important relationships, and less energy on Centre activities. Lay Buddhism is about using Buddhist teachings to enrich your normal life - not exclude it.
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