TARA INSTITUTE
Centre for Buddhist Study and Meditation
HIS HOLINESS DALAI LAMA
WELCOME TO TARA INSTITUTE
Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre in Brighton, Melbourne Australia
Welcome to everyone who aspires to gain happiness and inner peace, through the study,
meditation and practice of Mahayana Buddhism.
Our programmes suit beginners and more advanced students in the quest for a more meaningful life.
BUDDHIST TEACHINGS & PROGRAMMES
WEDNESDAYS
Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life
with Geshe Lobsang Dorjee
7, 14, 21 & 28 October at 8pm
Geshe Lobsang Dorjee will continue his teachings on Chapter 6: Patience, from Shantideva’s text, Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life.
Venerable Geshe Lobsang will teach on Shantideva’s text The Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life.
The Healing Group
With Kathi Melnic, William Liew and Kerry Whitlock
Held fortnightly on Thursdays, from 11am to 12.30pm
THURSDAYS (fortnightly) ~ 11am: 1, 15 & 29 October
Healing has a great deal to do with the mind. In each session this year the Healing Group invites us to acknowledge what is currently undermining our health and well-being, including the challenges of disturbing emotions, and while benefitting from the mutual support and shared experience of the group, examine ways to create the conditions to restore balance.
School Program
Introduction to Meditation for Students
This session is available for students to experience an Introduction to Buddhism meditation class at Tara Institute, or at your school if that is your preference. The session can follow a secular presentation of mindfulness and meditation if that is more suitable.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Build The Spaces Where
Wisdom Grows
We’re working to improve and expand our facilities so we can continue offering programs that benefit our whole community.
Your generosity supports a place where children and adults can explore kindness, resilience, and inner wellbeing.
Together, we’re building something meaningful.
Donations above $2
are tax deductible
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Friday 30 October, 8pm - Monday 2 November 7am
| Tara Institute
Retreat
Nyung Nye
Nyung nye means “abiding in the retreat.” In other words, you are retreating from negative karmas of body, speech and mind.
Doing a nyung nye means your body is abiding in retreat, your speech is abiding in retreat and your mind is abiding in retreat. The essential meaning of retreat is retreat from nonvirtuous actions of body, speech and mind. Nyung nye is an unbelievably powerful practice of purification, purifying negative karmas and downfalls, and purification is the most important thing to do all the time, especially for us beginners.
The Nyung Nye meditation practice, based on Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion, is a concentrated practice consisting of seven meditation sessions, with praises, prostrations and mantra recitations over two days. The emphasis of this practice is on developing compassion.
The eight Mahayana precepts are taken and, on the second day, additional vows of not drinking any fluids, eating or talking are observed. The benefits of engaging in this practice are inestimable. We rejoice that Geshe Lobsang Dorjee will be joining us at this Nyung Nye.
We rejoice that Geshe Lobsang Dorjee will be joining us at this Nyung Nye (to be confirmed)
To learn more about the practice click here
If you have already registered to stay please bring your own pillows; linens and quilt cover will be provided. Please note that as TI is a residence with children, a Working With Children Check (WWCC) is required for you to stay overnight on the premises. Please send copy to spc@tarainstitute.org.au.
For more information all the office on 03 9596 8900 or email spc@tarainstitute.org.au.
Build The Spaces Where
Wisdom Grows
We’re working to improve and expand our facilities so we can continue offering programs that benefit our whole community.
Your generosity supports a place where children and adults can explore kindness, resilience, and inner wellbeing.
Together, we’re building something meaningful.
Donations above $2
are tax deductible
Friday evenings, 7pm| Tara Institute
Golden Light Sutra Recitations
Join us on Fridays evenings to recite this powerful sutra for world peace and the long life of our gurus and teachers. To find out more, email spc@tarainstitute.org.au
You can also join the group commitment to ongoing daily sutra recitation at home: email the coordinator at gls@tarainstitute.org.au
Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche advised Venerable Geshe Doga’s students to offer 3000 recitations of the Golden Light Sutra and dedicate the merit to the health and long life of our precious teacher.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche recommended we do this practice to remove any obstacles to Venerable Geshe Doga’s long life.
It is especially effective if done by Venerable Geshe Doga’s own students, Rinpoche explained.
We rejoice this goal was achieved in 2025 rejoice, rejoice, rejoice!
“The holy Golden Light Sutra is the king of the sutras.
It is extremely powerful and fulfils all one’s wishes,
as well as bringing peace and happiness for all sentient beings, up to enlightenment.
It is also extremely powerful for world peace, for your own protection,
and for the protection of the country and the world.”
– Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche
Self-Practice Programme
White Tara Practice
At the completion of the 3000 recitations of the Golden Light Sutra in May 2025, the students at Tara Institute requested His Holiness the Dalai Lama to advise what practice to do for the long life and good health of both His Holiness the Dalai Lama
and Venerable Geshe Doga.
Rejoice, students of Geshe Doga can now practice the following:
-
White Tara Long Life Sadhana at home or group practice days-
o The White Tara Sadhana group practice dates will be announced regularly throughout 2025 and will continue to be shared each year through 2028
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White Tara Mantra –
o Goal is 10 million mantras by July 2028
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteer Book and Gift Shop Manager
Love books, beautiful gifts, and community spirit? Tara Institute, a Tibetan Buddhist Centre in Brighton and part of the FPMT network, is looking for a warm and organised volunteer to manage our not-for-profit shop. This flexible role is perfect for someone passionate about service and meaningful impact.
Click the Job Description for more information.To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in working with Tara Institute and the FPMT to bookshop@tarainstitute.org.au. For all inquiries, please use the same email.
CENTRE UPDATES
Essential teachings by Geshe Doga
Two new books available at the TI Bookshop
If you’d like to arrange a house blessing, please reach out with your details
House Blessing Ceremony
We warmly invite you to experience a traditional house blessing, a sacred and meaningful ritual led by 2–3 Geshes from Tara institute (Tibetan Buddhist monks).
This ceremony brings spiritual clarity, harmony, and peace into your home — helping to remove obstacles and support the well-being of all who live there, both physically and mentally.
Shopping at the
TI Bookshop
The TI Bookshop stocks a range books on Buddhism, from introductory to advanced, including children’s books and books by the Dalai Lama, Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa, Geshe Doga, and our Monday night teachers. It also stocks gift items like incense, malas, singing bowls, cushions, Tibetan rugs and more. TI members enjoy a 10% discount on all purchases. End-of-year specials include Meditation for Modern Minds, Vol 3, an introduction to meditation and Buddhism by our Monday night teachers.
NOTE: Thank-you to all our wonderful hardworking bookshop volunteers!
Café Bliss: Great Coffee, Delicious Food on TI’s Doorstep
Next door to TI, Café Bliss is a great spot for a coffee, chai latte, or vegetarian meal or snack with friends. It’s open for eat-in (or take-away) breakfast, brunch, lunch and snacks. The Bliss menu is available for delivery through Uber Eats or online take-away. Bliss also offers a dinner service prior to teachings on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 5:30pm to 8:00pm, served in the TI dining room – available to all, no booking required.
For more information, visit.
Tara Institute is now a donation partner in the Victorian Container Deposit Scheme!
You can now exchange eligible drink containers for 10 cents.
Together we can make a positive difference to our community and our environment.
All eligible drink containers are worth a 10 cent refund that you can either keep, or donate to a community donation partner. If you would like to donate the refund to Tara Institute, you can use this barcode or Donation Partner ID at the refund point when you deposit your containers.
To find your nearest donation point, go to https://www.returnit.com.au/vic/recycling-locations-return-it-vic/
MEMBERSHIP & SUPPORT
This enables the Tara Institute community to support the dharma and allow us all to receive precious teachings from Venerable Geshe Doga and Geshe Lobsang
Lama Zopa said: My point here is for you to understand what we are doing and what you are helping with. This is so that you can rejoice. It really is unbelievable, incredible, what you are helping with, and this creates so much benefit for the world and for sentient beings. This actually creates the cause to liberate so many beings. This is an incredible opportunity for you to rejoice, and if you rejoice and then dedicate the merits, it is amazing.
Tara Institute is a Buddhist centre located in Melbourne, Australia. Tara Institute is a non-profit incorporated association that is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a group of over 150 meditation centres worldwide.