Ever wanted to take action for Tibet but don’t know where to start? Australia Tibet Council works alongside the local Tibetan community to promote the human rights and democratic freedoms of the Tibetan people and encourage a peaceful and lasting solution to the Tibetan situation. Whether you have one minute or one hour to spare a day, there are many simple but effective things you can do to help. This workshop will be an opportunity to meet others who care about Tibet and will introduce participants to some of the ways we can all help create a better future for the Tibetan people.
Workshops
Calming One’s Mind Meditation
Join the monks from Tashi Lhunpo for a special meditation experience. Practicing meditation which calms the mind involves the elimination of inner and outer distractions and overcoming of afflictive emotions. In a state of calmness the mind is capable of achieving equanimity, peace and clarity and with practice the potential for these capacities is limitless. This session will offer a general understanding of effective meditation and methods to create a mind which is stable, calm and alertly clear.
Healing Sounds Workshop
Join Michael Askill and participate in a sound healing workshop using his extensive collection of Himalayan singing bowls and Chinese gongs. Michael has spent the past twenty–five years quietly but effectively carving a niche for himself as performer, composer, musical director and recording artist. In 2001 he was the Musical Director of a special concert for HH Dalai Lama held in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.
Tibetan Ritual Dance Workshop
Cham or sacred dance is a feature of many Tibetan festivals. This ancient dance possesses many levels of meaning and is seen as a practice for purification and overcoming negative obstacles. It is said the great religious master Padmasambhava first performed the dance to purify the ground for the building of Samye monastery. Accompanied by monks using traditional Tibetan instruments, the Cham dancer performs solemn movements passed on in oral instruction from master to student.The dance is like a “meditation in action”. Each gesture has significance, creating a sacred space where the dancer concentrates on specific centers and chakras throughout the performance.
Tibetan Painting Workshop
Come spend time with master painter Karma Phuntsok and learn some simple techniques of Tibetan Painting. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The art of Karma Phuntsok is a unique and dynamic expression of contemporary Buddhist Art. The startling beauty and richness which graces his work is influenced by his diverse life experiences: from a childhood in Tibet under Chinese oppression to life as a refugee in India; his love life in the Australian Bush, and the veneration with which he holds His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Internationally acclaimed, Karma’s work is scattered throughout the world, in private collections and galleries, and in Australia at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Queensland Art Gallery.
Create your own Buddha with Karma’s assistance.
No experience required.   Simple, step by step process.
Leave with a finished Buddha, ready to hang on your wall.
Materials for Students:
Required:    A3 Stretched canvas (16×20 inches)
Paint Brushes      (1, 2,3)
Pencil         (1 soft, 1 hard)
Drawing Paper   (A4 x 1)
Acrylic Paint      (red, blue, yellow, white, green, black, orange)
Optional:   Right triangles      (2 recommended)
T-square or Ruler
Compass
Tracing Paper (A4 x 1)
Mantra Healing Workshop
Mantras are energy-based sounds, which produce vibrations in the Universe. “Mantra” is derived from two Sanskrit words. Man for Mind and Tra for “to protect or to free fromâ€. Saying any word produces an actual physical vibration. When we know what the effect of that vibration is, then the word may come to have meaning associated with the effect of saying that vibration or word.
Sand Mandala Workshop
Participants in these workshops learn about the meaning and history of the sand mandala. The Tashi Lhunpo Monks will share their knowledge of the traditional techniques using the small metal funnel known as the chak phur to create designs with coloured sand, allowing everyone to experience the beauty and challenges of the art form.