Bundanoon Temple

 I am a deeply spiritual person, but I am certainly not a religious person.  With that in mind one of my most memorable stays was at the Buddhist Temple just out of Bundanoon in New South Wales.

Bundanoon the town is on a side road approximately 30 kilometres from the Hume Highway roughly 120 kilometres from Sydney. 

(10 miles = 16 kilometres)

I heard about this particular temple from a friend.  I was aware of other temples up the coast but this place was ideal for my plans to head to Melbourne, Victoria. 

It turned out to be ideal for more reasons than one.  When I phoned there to find out what was required of me to stay there I was very pleasantly surprised.  The monk I spoke with told me they only had a few requirements of anyone staying there.  To stay at the temple no payment was required, but donations were gratefully accepted.  No smoking, drinking alcohol, no drugs, no sexual behaviour and no harming anything there especially living things. Meat products of any kind are not permitted in the Temple. The last requirement was to attend the meditation in the evening that lasts about 45 minutes.

Personally I found none of these requirements to be a challenge so I packed up my gear and headed off for the temple.  The turnoff to Bundanoon is clearly marked and was easy to find.  The drive to Bundanoon itself only took a short time and I found myself in a very typical sleepy country town.  As it was close to 5:00 pm I felt I should feed myself before I went out to the temple as I wasn’t sure what time their meal time was, plus I felt it was wrong to arrive needing food. 

After consuming some take away food I headed in the direction of the Temple.  I only had rough directions and a sense of adventure.  It was relatively easy to find and I drove into the neat grounds of this wonderful place not sure what to expect or what I should do once I got there.

I drove up the driveway and parked my car just off the side next to the other cars.  I still remember the feeling I had when I first got out of my car.  I wasn’t sure where I should go, and as no one was in sight I felt hesitation at walking around the place in case I went somewhere I shouldn’t.  Within a few minutes a priest walked up to me from around the corner of the building.  Once I explained my purpose for being there he explained the rules to me and showed me where I could sleep for the night.

The men’s accommodation was a large shed that was insulated and had some couches and a lot of floor space.  It obviously was a multi purpose area.  After setting up a bed on one of the couches (it was very comfortable) I explored the grounds.  The view from this place is magnificent.  The main building overlooks a valley and trees.  It was a truly awe inspiring view and the peaceful feeling here was just what I needed.  I sat on a seat and just soaked up the atmosphere in the peaceful setting that this temple is in.

I noticed that everyone here had the same peaceful look in their eyes, visitors included.  There were a few people staying there at the same time as myself, but the total number would have been less than ten not including the Buddhist Priests and Nuns.

I had only been there a short time admiring the view when they served up their evening meal. I was offered dinner but declined as I had already eaten.  I felt good about my decision to not impose on them until I saw the food and smelt the aroma of the wonderfully prepared Thai dishes.  I must say that the Buddhist Nuns excelled themselves and that the food (I ate the next day) was better than restaurant quality.  It had obviously been prepared with a lot of love and patience and experience.

Meditation that evening was just bliss.  After the meditation most headed to their sleeping quarters for the night as the day starts early here.  I shared the men’s quarters with another man who was from Sydney.  He was contemplating becoming a Buddhist monk and was staying there for a few weeks. 

I slept really well that night and the next morning I rose with the sunrise.  The shower facilities were wonderful and the water heated by a wood heater.  Breakfast was a wonderful meal of Thai food that was a delight to eat.  Some of the guests went on a single file walk of a few kilometres with one of the priests leading the way.  I wasn’t up to a walk that morning so I stayed behind and talked with one of the other monks.  This particular monk was a master of Tai-Chi and showed me some basic moves.

Unfortunately I had not allowed enough time to stay there and had to leave that day. I realize then that I should have allowed more time to stay there.  I haven’t had the opportunity to go back there since, but it is very definitely on my list of places to return to.

Sunnataram Forest Monastery Inc
Lot 13 Teudts Road BUNDANOON N S W 2578

Postal Address P.O. Box 67, BUNDANOON, NSW 2578

Phone (02) 4884 4262

Fax (02) 4884 4496
EMail Sunnata@pbq.com.au
URL http://watthai.net/sunnata/
ABBOT Ven.Phra Mana Viriyarampo

For listings of other Buddhist Temples within Australia please go to http://www.buddhistcouncil.org/BudOrg.htm