Tergar Australia
Guide to POL 1&2
at The Great Stupa
Welcome to Path of Liberation Level 1 and 2 at The Great Stupa in Bendigo, Victoria.
On behalf of everyone at Tergar Australia, we warmly welcome you to this retreat. This event has been years in the making, and is the result of hundreds of hours of work from our dedicated volunteer team.
To help make the most of your experience here, we have put together this short guide which should cover all the information you will need throughout the week.
While we have tried to cover as much information as possible, there may be things that have been left out. Should you have any questions during your stay, please reach out to any volunteers or event leads which you will be able to identify from their coloured lanyard card. You can also email us anytime at support@tergar.org.au before the start of the event.
Before you arrive
Health and Safety
The health and safety of all attendees, including Mingyur Rinpoche and our teachers is paramount to a successful event.
For the benefit of all, we ask guests not to attend events if they are unwell with temporary symptoms such as cold, flu or upset tummies. Full refunds will be offered if you need to cancel, even at the last minute if you are unwell.
We ask participants to bring an N95 mask and one COVID, flu and RSV test kit each. A limited number of masks and test kits will be available at the first aid tent.
Map
A link to the map of the Stupa can be found here. There will also be some printed copies available. Please note the locations of rest areas, meal areas, bathrooms, and the Stupa Entrance.
Schedule
A link to the daily schedule can be found here. There is also a copy printed on the back of your lanyard.
Chantbooks
We have produced a limited number of special edition printed chantbooks which will be available for 20.00 at the Stupa. If you wish to print your own (recommended, to reduce tech use during the retreat) or to load up on a digital device, you can download the material yourself using the links below.
Excerpt from Milarepa’s “Caring for the Teacher Shakya Guna”
Supporting Material
Following the event, everyone will be emailed additional PDF materials including the Ngöndro liturgies and guides to Path of Liberation levels 1 and 2.
The First Day - arrival and registration
Registration for the first day opens at 11.30am and will take place where indicated on the map, right near the Stupa Cafe.
You will be able to buy lunch either at the Stupa Cafe, or at one of two food trucks that day (Tibetan and Indian cuisines), they will be available from 11.
Our first catered meal together will be dinner that evening. You can also bring your own lunch if you wish, but only vegetarian food is allowed onsite.
We will have a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country outside at 12.30pm and would love you to join us for that.
The Stupa opens at 1pm, with the official event starting at 1.30pm.
To ensure that our volunteers do not miss out on teachings, we will close registration by 1.15pm. If you are running late, you will need to wait until a break to register with the team. We request that you do your best to arrive on time, understanding that sometimes things come up!
We have 250 odd people coming to the retreat, so we appreciate everyone’s patience as we work through the registrations. Please factor this timing into your arrival onsite.
There is plenty of car parking available at the Stupa.
In a nutshell:
11.30 Registration opens, Food available for purchase
12.00 Shuttle bus arrives
12.30 Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country outside
1.00 Stupa opens
1.15 Registration closes
1.30 Path of Liberation event begins
Things to Bring
Warm Clothes
The Great Stupa is still a work in progress and is not heated. The Bendigo climate can be very unpredictable, especially towards the end of winter. We encourage everyone to dress in layers, and bring plenty of warm clothing including blankets to wrap up in, beanie, warm socks/slippers for inside the Stupa. Please bring what you need to be comfortable, including a rain jacket or umbrella.
Water Bottle
There will be areas for refilling water around the stupa.
Reusable Coffee/Tea Cup
We have produced a limited number of special reusable cups made by Fressko featuring calligraphy from Mingyur Rinpoche. These are available for purchase for 50.00 each at our merchandise stall. We otherwise encourage you to bring your own to limit the use of disposable cups.
Torch
For late finishes such as Thursday night, you may want to bring a torch to help with wayfinding.
At the Stupa
No Shoes Inside the Stupa
Once inside the stupa, there will be an area for you to leave your shoes before entering the teaching space. We suggest bringing slippers and warm socks as the ground inside the teaching area is also going to be cold at this time of year.
Food & drinks inside the Stupa
Hot and cold drinks can be brought into the Stupa, however we request that no food is consumed within the Stupa.
Seating
We will have both cushions and seats set up for people to use. If you wish to bring your own cushion etc you are welcome to, noting that it will need to be cleared at the end of each day.
Silent Periods
This is not a silent retreat, however we do ask that once inside the stupa to please keep noise and conversation to a minimum and to not use mobile phones. If you need to use a digital device for practice texts, please ensure it is in airplane mode and be mindful of screen brightness for those nearby. For anyone wishing to remain in silence throughout the retreat, stickers will be available at registration to place on your lanyard to make others aware.
Clear belongings at the end of each day
The Stupa will be cleaned every day - please do not leave any belongings in your seat area. There will be a place for larger items to be kept to at the back of the Stupa but we are trying to keep this to a minimum.
Opening and closing time
The Stupa will open 30 minutes before the start of each day - so 1pm on Monday, and 8.30am Tuesday - Friday. It will close promptly after the teachings finish each day.
Blessing Table
A blessing table will be set up before the White Tara and Dorje Drölo empowerments. Feel free to bring any small personal items that you wished to have blessed by Mingyur Rinpoche then.
Around the Stupa site
Here is a map of the Stupa site.
Tea & Coffee We will have a basic tea and coffee station within the Stupa for you to help yourself to during the day. You can also purchase drinks including barista coffee at the Stupa Cafe, and at the coffee van when onsite (between 8 - 9am Tues- Thurs).
Rest places There will be some breakout spaces for you to have rest and reflection time. These include a chill out room within the Stupa, the Gompa at the Atisha Centre, rest tents near the catering tent and within the Stupa Cafe. These are all quiet spaces.
Shops Both the Stupa Shop and the Lama’s Dharma shop at the Atisha Centre will be open during the retreat and stock a variety of dharma items, books, clothing and ordinary things you may have forgotten! The Stupa shop is open 9am - 5pm and the Atisha Lama’s Dharma shop is open 11am - 4pm.
Toilets Please only use the toilets at the Stupa site. The toilets at Atisha are for those in accommodation only, due to septic system limits.
Device Connections Please note that there is no public wifi at the Stupa site. There is reasonable mobile phone service. It is possible this will get challenged with a large number of people using it.
Beyond the Stupa site Please note that there is bushland beyond the limits of the Stupa and Atisha centre grounds shown on the map. Walking beyond these areas may be beautiful but you do so at your own risk.
Tergar Australia Code of Conduct
All staff and volunteers for Tergar Australia abide by a code of conduct. If you wish to review this code or to raise any concerns or complaints, details can be found by reading the document which can be found here.
Emergency Contacts & Procedures
Life-Threatening Emergencies (Fire, Medical, Police): Call 000 immediately. The nearest major hospital is Bendigo Health (100 Barnard Street).
On-Site First Aid: Locate a Great Stupa staff member or volunteer. First aid kits and trained personnel are on site during opening hours and will be available for half an hour per day at lunchtime at the First aide tent (which is in the rest tent areas, from 1.30 - 2pm.
Non-Emergency Police (Bendigo): Call (03) 5433 3333 or the Victorian Police Assistance Line at 131 444.
General Health Advice: Call Nurse-on-Call at 1300 606 024 for professional, non-emergency health advice 24/7.
Mental health assistance: https://bendigohealth.org.au/mentalhealthTriageServices/
Virtual Emergency Department: https://vved.au The Virtual Emergency Department allows you to access care for non-life threatening emergencies from anywhere in Victoria. No referral needed. Free service staffed by emergency physicians, GP’s and paediatricians
Shuttle bus between the Stupa and Bendigo
We have arranged a shuttle bus for people without a car who need to use it.
Bookings for the bus are here.
The bus will leave from Sidney Myer Place in Bendigo, stop at Eaglehawk Town Hall and then to the Stupa. And reverse on the way back.
We have set out timing below, trying to allow for traffic as best we can.
Bendigo > Stupa times as follows:
Monday
By 11.15am arrive at Sidney Myer Place
11.20am sharp depart
11.45am depart Eaglehawk Town Hall
12pm arrive Great Stupa
Tuesday - Friday
By 7.45 am arrive at Sidney Myer Place
7.50am sharp depart
8.15 am depart Eaglehawk Town hall
8.30am arrive Great Stupa
Stupa > Bendigo times as follows
(please note that these timings may be dependant on actual dinner timing as well as finish times of the empowerments, but we will ensure that you are aware of any changes and can get on the bus):
Monday - Wednesday
6.30pm get to bus
6.45pm sharp depart Great Stupa
7pm arrive Eaglehawk Town Hall
7.20pm arrive Sidney Myer Place
Thursday
10 pm get to bus
10.10pm sharp depart Great Stupa
10.20pm arrive Eaglehawk Town Hall
10.35 arrive Sidney Myer Place
Friday
4.30pm get to bus
4.45pm sharp depart Great Stupa
5pm arrive Eaglehawk Town Hall
5.20pm arrive Sidney Myer Place