Monday 11th to Sunday 17th February

With the Tibetan Buddhist monks from Sera Mey Monastery in South India

Join us at the Crystal Castle as we welcome the monks from Sera Mey Monastery for the creation of the Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala.

“The Medicine Buddha is the Buddha of healing. He heals not only physical sickness but also mental sickness like anger, pride and jealousy. The mandala is an ancient art form of Tibetan Buddhism and is a sacred form of art used by Tibetan monks & artists, & is translated as ‘circle of harmony. It is a palace, and all of the patterns in the mandala have symbolism and meaning.” Geshe Ngawang Gedun, Sera Mey Monastery in southern India.

Join the monks each day at 10.30am for chanting and meditation to invoke the divine energy of the Medicine Buddha, who resides within the mandala itself. The mandala is, as such, a divine palace of residence.

The monks request the Medicine Buddha's blessings for healing for all beings; for the people who come to see it; for the local community and for the region; for our country and for the world.

Daily Program Monday 11th to Saturday 16th
10.30 - 11am ~ Meditation and chanting
11am – 3.30pm ~ Medicine Buddha sand mandala creation
3.30pm to 4.30pm ~ Dedication prayers

Sunday 17th February
10.30 - 11am ~ Meditation and chanting
11am – 3.30pm ~ Medicine Buddha sand mandala creation
3.30pm ~ Dissolution ceremony of the sand mandala

After the sand mandala is finished you are invited to join the monks and collectively pray for peace and harmony in the world.

Click here for more information.

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"Build it and they will come"

And come they did as almost 1,500 people filled the Crystal Castle’s amphitheatre for the grand opening of our extraordinary Kalachakra World Peace Stupa. The date was October 27th 2012, determined auspicious by our spiritual guide for the project, Gen Lama of the Gyuto monks of Tibet, and amazingly, exactly 365 days from the day that construction started.

'The sight of so many people filling, for the first time ever, the amphitheatre that we built 8 years ago, was truly amazing.” said Naren. “It seemed as if it had been waiting for this event. It was such a joy to see everyone placing their hands on mother earth as the Arakwals welcomed us all to country.”

It was a rich event, a colourful and peaceful day of ceremony, song and Tibetan butter tea, always overseen by the impressive blue and gold structure of the Stupa itself. Elyjah McCleod was our fabulous MC and there was honouring of the amazing input from so many different people, including hundreds within the local community, who have supported and co-created this wonderful project. The Gyuto Monks, as always, brought their joyful peace and depth of spirit, not to mention their amazing harmonic chanting, and the Kings’ daughter, Ayla, moved many to tears with her beautiful acapella rendition of John Lennon's Imagine.

‘The Kalachakra Stupa is very significant - wherever we build or construct them, these Stupas will bring peace, help in avoiding natural disasters and bring harmony and peace among the people” said Mr Sonam Dagpo, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama's representative in Australia as he officially opened the monument. “For Buddhist believers this is a place of pilgrimage, but for the non-believers this is piece of Buddhist architecture to look around and a very good place to have inspiration, peace, and happiness.”

Once the ceremonies were complete people waited in lines to take their turn to walk around the Stupa and spin the beautiful brass prayer wheels, each containing thousands of handwritten prayers to add wings to their peaceful intent.

Sono read out the dedication plaque : “This Stupa is dedicated to love and peace for all beings, to freedom for the Tibetan people and to their sacrifice in the name of peace. The hopes, dreams and commitment of the community have motivated and nurtured the creation of this sacred structure, designed to last for over 1,000 years. May Peace Prevail”.

On Sunday night over 200 people returned for the Full Moon Fire Puja, and the stupa was lit up for the first time, under the full moon, with the yak butter stupa sculpture dissolving in flames over several hours. It was a truly magical night of completion.

Thank you so much to everyone who came and shared your love and goodwill, and if you weren’t able to be there in person, you can get a taste of the magic in this great video created by Sharon Shostak from our local paper the Echo –

Kalachakra World Peace Stupa Opens

There are also lots of photos on facebook now – come and “like” the Crystal Castle and see this colourful, historic day.

http://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalCastleByronBay

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Free Entry for all, all day.

Please assemble in the giant Buddha’s amphitheatre by 11.15am NSW time.

Bring a hat, cushion to sit on, wear sunscreen and an umbrella if it is wet.

Limited free bus transport from Mullumbimby High School carpark.

Departures 9.15am, 9.45am, 10.15am, 10.45am and 11.15am

Buses will return to Mullumbimby from 3.15pm onwards.

 

Special Announcement

Butter Lamp Offering Ceremony Sunday Evening At 7pm

The Crystal Castle and the Café will remain open from 5pm to 8.30pm, (it's Free Entry from 5 pm).

Come anytime and enjoy the Full Moon Fire Puja with Giant Butter Lamp Offering, the final ceremony with the monks for the stupa opening.

Please gather at the Discovery Room at 7pm for the procession to the stupa. 

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Kalachakra World Peace Stupa

Consecration Ceremonies

Thursday 18th – Sunday 28th October 2012

After two years of physical and spiritual effort and many years of hopes and dreams, the Kalachakra World Peace Stupa will finally be completed in a huge Blessing Ceremony.

As usual there will be much to do to prepare for this momentous occasion and the monks will be in residence for 10 days preparing and putting the finishing touches to their great work.

The Stupa Opening Ceremony will be held on Saturday October 27th.

The Ceremony and will begin at 11:30am lead by HH the 14th Dalai Lama’s representative in Australia, Mr Sonam Dagpo.

The Gyuto Monks and and members from the local Arakwal family will assist in the rituals which will include a Welcome to Country ceremony, a procession to the stupa, chanting by the monks and blessing of the land.

This will be a truly auspicious event, not to be missed!

Free Entry all day to the Crystal Castle for everyone.

All guests are welcome to participate in the ceremony at any point throughout the day. Please bring a blanket or cushion to sit on during the ceremony.

The monks will offer a daily public program from Thursday 18th, including special preparations for the completion of the stupa.

Click here for more details

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Kalachakra World Peace Stupa Update

August has seen another important stage of the World Peace Stupa come to fruition. It has been a time of consecration ceremonies and the final sculpting on the Stupa itself followed by painting in rich blue and gold.

The Long Life Ceremony “Tsewang” for the sponsors of the Kalachakra World Peace Stupa and the whole community was the close for the monks August visit with over 600 people attending.

The culmination of two years of physical and spiritual effort, many years of hopes and dreams, the Kalachakra World Peace Stupa will finally be completed in October during a huge Blessing Ceremony. As usual there will be much to do to prepare for this momentous occasion and the monks will be in residence again for 10 days prior preparing and putting the finishing touches to their great work.

Thursday 18th - Sunday 28th October

Consecration Ceremonies For The Completion Of The Stupa

October is a time to fill and consecrate the statues destined for the benefactors of the Prayer Wheels to be placed around the Stupa. The monks will perform all the traditional rites associated with filling, sealing and consecrating the Buddha statues.

It is also a process of honouring the concept of community and inviting their participation and involvement. Calling in all the Buddhas to a state of ‘Auspicious Co-incidence’, the aim will be to create a Buddhaverse, a universe of Buddhas through the blessing of 1000 Buddhas known as ‘Sangye Tong Ku’.

In the Discovery Room at the Castle, much chanting will take place, the monks will paint, that is, gild, the faces of the Buddha statues, many large torma statues will be created, coloured thread will be woven to connect the sacred objects and all will be gathered together for transportation to the Stupa area where the ceremony is to be conducted.

Meanwhile Crystal Castle principal sponsors will guide the ritual attendant to the energy points of the whole property by buggy and he will duly identify them with the sacred Memory Mirror – these areas will ultimately be revisited by the monks during the Blessing Ceremony and prayers chanted, sacred saffron water sprayed in the key areas and grains of rice thrown, symbolizing prosperity and long life.

All of Byron and surrounding areas will be dedicated as a Buddhafield as the monks, in yellow hats circumambulating the stupa conduct the ultimate dedication of this great monument to World Peace on Saturday October 27.

Stay tuned for more details !

Did you know… The World Peace Kalachakra stupa being built at Crystal Castle is not only the first in the southern hemisphere, but it is also the most readily accessible in the western world….

Learn more about the Peace Project

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Don’t miss out on the...

Long Life “Tsewang” Ceremony

at the Crystal Castle for the sponsors of the Kalachakra World Peace Stupa and the whole community!

This Sunday, 12th August

FREE ENTRY up till 11:30am for all!

There is also a unique opportunity for your own Buddha statues and altar at home to become connected and a part of the large altar of peace being created for Byron and the region. By calling in all the Buddhas to a state of ‘Auspicious Co-incidence’ the aim will be to create a “Buddhaverse”; a universe of Buddhas through the blessing of 1000 Buddhas known as ‘Sangye Tong Ku’.

First, the statues need to be cleansed; then the monks will perform all the traditional rites associated with filling, sealing and consecrating the Buddha statues. After the cleansing this week, take them home again for the 6 week drying period, then bring them back during the October monks program for them to be filled with rolled mantras (prayers) and sealed; thereby consecrating your statues which will then sit in your home or on your altar to become part of the great peace altar of the Byron region.

We invite you to bring your personal Buddha statues with you this Sunday (or prior if you can’t make it) to begin the process. You’re welcome to bring any type of Buddha, however it does need to be hollow for the traditional rites of mantra filling to be completed. If you don’t have one, or you would like a traditional style Tibetan Buddha (traditionally Tibetan Buddhas have a pure gold face), we have some stunning statues available for purchase in our Gallery.

 

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At the end of March the stupa was filled with all the precious items and sealed. At that point, the monks had completed the sculpting on the top half of the stupa. They are returning to the Crystal Castle on Friday 3rd August to do their program, while continuing the sculpting and painting of the bottom half of the stupa.

 

The Gyuto Monks Of Tibet Return To Crystal Castle

Towards Completion Of The Kalachakra World Peace Stupa

'Penultimate Stage'

Friday 3rd August – Sunday 12th August -  Pure Peace – Acceptance Of Difference

CONSECRATION CEREMONIES: Over 10 days, the monks will institute the necessary steps to help the Stupa last for 1000 years bringing peace to the Byron Shire. It will be a time for the final sculpting to be completed on the Stupa itself followed by the painting in rich blue and gold.

It is a time of preparation, of readying the environment for the Stupa and for the community to come together in a pure sense, empty of all animosity dedicating the whole area as a suitable area in which to house the stupa.

The monks will conduct the requisite preparations by cutting and rolling Mantras, washing and scenting statues, cutting and grinding juniper, crushing incense and gathering ingredients such as herbs, spices, gold, silver and precious metals.

Some will be sculpting on the stupa while others will be working with the community in the Discovery Room preparing the necessary ceremonial materials for encasement in statues as a prelude to the major blessing consecration of the stupa and community’s Buddha statues in October.

During the preparations the monks will conduct a daily program of:

Friday 3rd - Sunday 12th
10.30 - 11.00 Morning Meditation
11.00 - 12.00 Culture for Kids
12.00 - 1.00 Meditation Series ‘Finding Pure Peace’
By request Personal Pujas may be arranged throughout the days.

Friday 3rd – Monday 6th Special events with Gen Lama Thupten Phuntsok  

2.00 - 3.00 Public Talk Series ‘ Acceptance Of Difference
Friday 3rd - Identity ‘ I am Unique’
Saturday 4th - Generational Resistance
Sunday 5th - Embracing Connectivity
Monday 6th - Same Same but Different

Sunday 5th 3.15 – 4.15 Jab Khru Ceremony
A powerful ceremony for effecting change in one’s life. By appt. & offering.
 

Sunday August 12th

Free Entry for all up to 11.30am

Long Life Ceremony “Tsewang” 11.30am - 2pm

A Long Life offering ceremony ‘Tsewang’ for sponsors of the Kalachakra Stupa and the whole community will be held, with everyone attending traditionally invited to dress in their finest clothes as per Tibetan tradition.

 

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The Final Stage

Consecration Ceremonies For Completion Of The Stupa

Thursday October 18th –Sunday 28th

The culmination of two years of physical and spiritual effort and many years of hopes and dreams, the Kalachakra World Peace Stupa will finally be completed in a huge Blessing Ceremony. As usual there will be much to do to prepare for this momentous occasion and the monks will be in residence for 10 days preparing and putting the finishing touches to their great work.

October is a time to fill and consecrate the statues destined for the benefactors of the Prayer Wheels to be placed around the Stupa. The monks will perform all the traditional rites associated with filling, sealing and consecrating the Buddha statues.

It is also a process of honouring the concept of community and inviting their participation and involvement. Calling in all the Buddhas to a state of ‘Auspicious Co-incidence’, the aim will be to create a Buddhaverse, a universe of Buddhas through the blessing of 1000 Buddhas know as ‘Sangye Tong Ku’.

Thursday October 25 - Consecration Ceremony The community are invited to bring their statues to be blessed, either physically or metaphorically in this special consecration ceremony.

Stay tuned for more details !

Saturday October 27 All of Byron and surrounding areas will be dedicated as a Buddhafield as the monks, in yellow hats circumambulating the stupa conduct the ultimate dedication of this great monument to World Peace on Saturday October 27.

Learn more about the World Peace Stupa

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