Dhamma Amphitheatre

Dhamma Amphitheatre outdoor exhibition, displaying 60 sandstone carved panels from 2nd Cent. BC with 3D world map showing the ancient connection of Silk Road from Egypt, Mesopotamia, China and India, and how these ancient civilizations and their wisdom influence Buddhist art and lifestyle in the modern world. Talks will only be conducted to groups of interested people. Please contact the monastery for bookings.

 

 

World Map in 3 D

Built in concrete the size of a basketball court, covering the four great civilizations of the ancient world, Egypt, India, Mesopotamia and Yellow River of China. The map shows links of trade travel and exchange of religions, philosophy, cultures and ideas following the famous Silk Road. The map features the four holy Buddhist sites of the ancient India; Lumbini (Birth), Bodh Gaya (Enligthenment), Sarnath (First Sermon) and Kushinara (Passing Away) and the spread of Buddhsim to the other parts of the world. The interesting fact is the birth place of the very first Buddha image carved by the Greek artists who were the descendent of Alexander the Great's army in Northwest of India the area called Gandhara and Bactria (Pakistan & Afganistan).

 

Asoka Pillar

Gratitude to King Asoka who spread Dhamma from India to many parts of the world in 3rd Cent. BC. The pillar was specially carved in Thailand and inscribed in Australia. This sand stone pillar represents the original Asoka pillar (now displayed in Sarnath Museum). The pillar was blessed by International monks and nuns of Theravada, Mahayana and Tibetan schools in 2008.  Mr. Sujan R. Chinoy, the Consul General of India,Sydney presided over the official openning ceremony.

Stone Sculpture (Life of the Buddha)

Depicting 60 replicas from Sanchi Stupa and other ancient Buddhist stupas in India dating from 2nd Cent. BC and showing the development of art and ideas from the simple Buddhist icons to the creation of the Buddha image in Hellenistic style.

Dhamma Gardens

Walk in the beautiful flower and fruit garden and listen to the monks' Dhamma talk, like

Aristotle's style of walking and teaching in the garden of Lyceum, Athens.

Stone Henge and Spinning Ball

Astrology and Buddhist cycle of birth and death from prehistoric time till the present. The main use of this water feature is to explain the complexity of Dependent Origination (Paticcasamupada) which is the heart of the Buddha's Enlightenment.

Egypt and Greece Exhibition

See the spiritual awakening from the pyramid age of Egypt to the rise of Greek philosophers.

Suvarnabhumi: The Golden Land Exhibition

How Buddhism came to Thailand, Vietname and Southeast Asia from the time of King Asoka in 3rd Cent. BC.

Silk Road (future project)

The great exchange of trade, culture and wisdom from East to West.

Star Gates

The five aggregates (body, feeling, memory, thought and consciousness)  that can be food for Vipassana Wisdom.

The monastery would like to thank and rejoice with Khun Jade and Khun Kob who kindly donated many hundreds timber railway sleepers to us. We have made many outdoor benches and furniture around the monastery.

We also like to thank to Steve Jones, the previous owner of Bundanoon sandstone who kindly donated many hundreds tones of beautiful sandstone to the build 'Stonehenge' and Dhamma Amphitheatre.