Tergar Volunteer Guide
YMR Australia Tour 2026

Intention and Aspiration

May our daily work benefit our practice,
And may our practice benefit our work.
May we, as colleagues and friends,
Hold each other in deep kindness and compassion,
As we come together to serve others.
May we continue to grow in wisdom,
As we develop knowledge and skillful ways
To manifest Tergar’s vision.

Thank you for volunteering to support Tergar Australia. Your dedication and enthusiasm plays a crucial role in making all our events a success. We hope that you will find your role in the events both fulfilling and joyful!

Introduction

Welcome to the Tergar community, where compassion meets action! As a volunteer, you play a vital role in bringing our mission to life and embodying the values that define us.Tergar Meditation Community envisions a world in which people of all cultures and faiths realize their potential to flourish as individuals and live in harmony with others.

Our Mission and Values

The Tergar Meditation Community teaches practices that cultivate awareness,compassion, and wisdom, and supports a diverse, international community of practitioners at all levels of commitment and experience.

Tergar's values are the foundation of our community. We embrace:

Motivation: Our motivation is to care for all beings and the world we share.

Friendship: We nurture friendship and trust as the foundation of community.

Respect: We recognize one another’s basic goodness, compassion and wisdom.

Inclusion: We support one another by creating an environment in which people of all backgrounds and social identities feel welcome and valued.

Responsibility: We hold ourselves, our organization, and our community to the highest standards of integrity, transparency and accountability.

Balance: We balance innovation, strategic focus, and care for ourselves and one another, to maintain a healthy, sustainable organization.

Our Path

In Tergar, there are no “dharma police” — no one watching over your shoulder to make sure you’re meditating the “right” way, sitting for the “correct” amount of time, or following every teaching perfectly. Our community is built on friendship and respect, not a rigid attitude that holds tightly to rules, and this applies not only to our personal practice but also to how we move through the shrine room or practice space together. Each person is trusted to find their own pace on the path, in an atmosphere of warmth rather than watchfulness. Mingyur Rinpoche has often reminded students that awareness itself is naturally kind, and that practice is meant to bring more ease into our lives, not more pressure or self-judgment. So whether you’re a longtime practitioner or brand new to meditation, please know there’s no need to perform or get it “right” here — just show up as you are, with curiosity and an open heart, among friends, and let the practice unfold naturally.

Volunteering

Volunteering is an opportunity for us to give back for teachings that have the capacity to transform our lives. Mingyur Rinpoche calls it “The circle of virtue”. It is a time where we can find great joy in collaborating with others in helping these teachings to take root in Australia. Something we can all rejoice in!

As a volunteer we will be greeting the public. Many of these people may be connecting with Tergar and Mingyur Rinpoche for the first time. To them we will appear as “Tergar”, even if we are very new to the Tergar Meditation Community. For this reason it is important that we use this opportunity to: practice being aware of our actions and reactions - knowing that all actions have effects; embodying our roles in a way that reflects the Tergar Vision Mission and Values, bringing joy to ourselves and others, and helps to create a friendly container for the teachings to land in.

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche (YMR) Tour in Australia 2026

Being in the presence of Mingyur Rinpoche can affect people in different ways, and this can sometimes feel intense. To assist ourselves and others, we try to stay grounded and balanced in ourselves and in what we are doing. Applying our practice of awareness can support us. When we notice stress, big feelings or even irritations arising, let’s try to respond from a state of spaciousness. Taking the time we need.

Should we be in a role where we are around Mingyur Rinpoche or are simply greeting him, it is quite natural that we will do so with respect. Some people may slightly bow forward with joined palms (anjali mudra). Others may not be comfortable with this, and a handshake is also fine. There is no need for full prostrations or overt forms of devotion. Rinpoche wants us to be comfortable when we are around him.

If we are escorting Rinpoche or have a task that puts us in close proximity with him, then dressing respectfully, as you would for a special occasion, is appropriate.

YMR Australia Tour 2026 Organisation Chart

The Tour 2026 Organisation Chart shows how the tour organisation is structured — who leads each team, who reports to whom, and how the different areas connect to one another. It's designed to help you quickly understand who is who: if you're not sure who to go to with a question, which team someone belongs to, or how a particular role fits into the bigger picture, the chart gives you a clear visual reference. Take a few minutes to look it over so you feel confident knowing who's who and where to turn for support as you get started.

Lead Roles, responsibilities and contact details are located at the end of this document.

Communication

Pre-event communication is happening through the Tergar Slack Channels or via email.

During the events, we aim to communicate via WhatsApp on your phone. Please ensure you have Whatsapp downloaded on your phone. WhatsApp Teams will be organized by Leads at least a week before the events.

If you have any questions or encounter challenges, don't hesitate to reach out to your team Lead in the first instance. Alternatively, you can direct your concerns to the Volunteer Lead Ani Zangmo.

For serious or major issues, please contact the Tour Lead Jeremy, Operations Lead Heidi or a Tergar Australia Board member (directly, or by email infor@tergar.org.au). Contact details for key personnel are listed at the end of this document.

We are committed to a happy, safe and secure work environment. Therefore Tergar Australia has taken out insurances for your safety. Public Liability Insurance protects Tergar and volunteers against claims of personal injury or property if a volunteer damages someone else's property or causes an injury. Volunteer insurance protects you if you get hurt or cause damage while helping out. Please contact Jo, Jeremy or Heidi if you are involved in a serious incident.

Volunteers room

Know that the Leads of each work group have put a lot of effort into understanding the different tasks and matching volunteers appropriately. We are endeavouring to ensure that the workload is shared and manageable. We have over 60 volunteers who are contributing to these events and we appreciate what each of you bring to the roles.

In appreciation, there will be a dedicated volunteer space at each of the venues for you to take a break, refresh, spend some quiet time, or have a snack.

Your own belongings

We will not have access to locked storage for belongings, so please take care of your own valuables. It will be possible to put bags etc behind the counter, but you need to understand it is a public environment and we cannot ensure the security of your valuables, so anything left in the volunteers rooms or public area is at your own risk.

Food and refreshments

The Capitol in Melbourne is surrounded by great local cafes for food and refreshments to access during the breaks.

Catering in Bendigo at The Stupa grounds commences at the evening meal on Monday 31 August. Please remember to bring lunch on Monday 31 August if you are rostered early that day. Lunch and dinner will be provided on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with lunch on Friday.

Make sure you take breaks and refreshments when you need to, and please remember to bring your own water bottles.

Volunteers are rostered on short shifts, either in pairs or more. This is to ensure you can attend to your refreshment needs when required. If you need anything or are stuck on a table and need anything at all please WhatsApp the Lead of your team and they will aim to respond asap. We will ensure those rostered on during meals times get a meal.

Health and Safety

We take your safety seriously. Each site has emergency procedures, and occupation, health and first aid processes at both sites. Volunteers and attendees will receive briefings on these procedures prior to the events. Please contact your Lead in the first instance should you have concerns.

Medical Guidelines

It is important to do everything we can to keep ourselves, Mingyur Rinpoche, and fellow sangha members well.

A medical guideline has been developed so that participants at the 5-day retreat have clarity regarding procedures and expectations in the case of acute medical illness. Tergar Australia holds a duty of care for all participants at these events.

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.

We are asking each attendee to bring an N95 mask as well as one COVID, flu and RSV test kit

If you are unwell, please notify your Lead immediately to discuss options.

Hand sanitiser and masks are available at FOH and throughout event venues. We ask that you use hand sanitiser frequently, particularly if you are near Rinpoche, handling food or ritual items.

In Bendigo, there is a dedicated Medical/first aid space, with a volunteer medical/first aid practitioner rostered at specified times. If you notice a guest who seems unwell — coughing, sniffling, or just not looking themselves — please refer to your Lead in the first instance.

If your lead is unavailable, please immediately contact Renata, Zangmo, Jo, Heidi or Jeremy.

If you find yourself needing to take some immediate urgent action with an unwell participant, please approach them gently and with warmth: “Hi there, I just wanted to check in — how are you feeling today?” Let them know that, out of care for the whole sangha, anyone who is unwell isn’t able to attend the event in person, and offer them a mask if they’d like one and point them to the Medical/First Aid space. Keep your tone soft and non-judgmental throughout, so no one feels excluded or embarrassed, only cared for, in the spirit of metta that this event represents.

Remember to stretch regularly, take some deep breaths in the magnificent environment, stay hydrated and look after each other.

Emergency Procedures

The Capitol 113 Swanston Street, Melbourne Enter via Capitol Arcade, opposite Melbourne Town Hall

In an emergency - Ring 000, then call Campus Security on +61 3 9925 3333

Emergency evacuation - What to do

Alarm tones

• Beep, beep, beep: Prepare to evacuate

• Whoop, whoop, whoop: Evacuate immediately

Evacuation steps

• Follow instructions from Fire Wardens, Security, or

Emergency Services

• Follow the green exit signs to your nearest safe exit -

never use lifts or escalators.

• If a door doesn't open, press the white Emergency

Door Release.

• Go to your nearest assembly point and keep pathways clear.

• If you need assistance, alert a warden or security +61 3 9925 3333

The evacuation assembly point is opposite the The Capitol in Swanston Street in front of the State Library

The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion25 Sandhurst Town Road, Myers Flat (near Bendigo)

For on-site emergencies at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion (25 Sandhurst Town Road, Myers Flat), notify staff or volunteers immediately. For life-threatening emergencies, call 000. For non-emergencies, contact Bendigo Police at (03) 5433 3333 or the Stupa office at (03) 5446 7568.

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 Tergar Medical Lead Renata.
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.
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
In the event of an alarm or bushfire threat, visitors must cease all activities, follow the directions of the Emergency Response Team, and proceed to the designated Emergency Assembly Area.

Answers to frequently asked questions:

Q:Can I take photos or videos?

A: No recording of Rinpoche’s teachings can be taken, i.e. video or audio. Photos are OK, but please be mindful of other participants.

Q:Can I leave things in the volunteers room?

A: No, please take everything with you.

Q:Can I get a meeting with Rinpoche?

A: As a volunteer, there will be an opportunity for you to have a meal with Rinpoche, at the Community Event on Thursday evening 27 August. Information about the Community Event location and time will be communicated to you closer to the time.

A: There will also be an opportunity to have a face to face interview with Edwin or Myoshin (Tergar Instructors) about your practice. Information about location and times will be communicated to you during the events.

Q: What is the meaning of the white scarves?

A:To offer a kata (white scarf) to Rinpoche, is to make an offering to him. This is symbolic of making a karmic connection with you as the kata will most likely be offered back to you.

Q:I’m new to meditating, what books or classes are available?

A: Mingyur Rinpoche’s books Joy of Living, Joyful Wisdom and In Love With the World can all be helpful. There is an introduction to meditation offered onjoy.tergar.org for free. If you are interested in learning the essentials of meditation, there is an online course at the same website. It is broken down into 3 courses with bite size chunks. It takes approximately 18 months to do the full program although you can go through it at your own speed. It offers video teachings from Mingyur Rinpoche, guided meditations, a forum to ask questions or share your experience and the opportunity to talk with a guide about your practice.

An alternative to this is to do an in person online 8 week course for each level that will be offered through Tergar Australia. See Tergar Australia website for details, tergar.org.au

Q:How can I get involved?

A: Tergar Australia is a friendly, vibrant and engaged group with people from all walks of life and all levels of experience. We are also fortunate to be supported by two Tergar Instructors and co-founders of Tergar International, Edwin and Myoshin Kelley who reside in NSW and travel regularly around the country to support our community.

We offer a variety of regular hybrid and online-only groups for varying levels of experience and interest, both secular and non-secular. We also hold in person events throughout the year across all of Australia, including residential and non-residential retreats, as well as organising Mingyur Rinpoche’s teaching visits to Australia. These events provide an opportunity to deepen both our practice and our connection. Visit www.tergar.org.au for details.

Tergar International is involved in the development of programs and curriculum material for the teachings of Mingyur Rinpoche as well as supporting Tergar Meditation Communities and groups around the world. It has developed a very successful AAM Program, (Anytime, Anywhere Meditation) that can be taught to all types of people in different settings, and now regularly runs the Meditation Teacher Training Program to offer these programs. Tergar International continues to work on ongoing programs that support people on the path at any stage in the journey.

Mingyur Rinpoche has many projects that he oversees, including supporting people in the Himalayan region These initiatives provide education and empower locals for sustainable change and social well being for the Himalayan region. You can find out about all the projects athttps://www.tergarcharity.org/

Q:How is Tergar Australia organised?

A: Tergar Australia is a volunteer nonprofit organization. Tergar Australia operates as a registered Australian Public Company and charity and is registered with the Australian The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. It is part of the larger international Tergar Meditation Community supporting individuals, practice groups, and meditation communities around the world in learning to live with awareness, compassion, and wisdom.

Q: How are my donations handled?

A: Tergar Australia currently has the status of a registered religious charity in Australia, however has not yet been endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient by the ATO. In other words, donations made to TergarAU cannot be claimed as a tax deduction.

A: Special Purpose Donations made by attendees on the Tour will be distributed as per the donor's wishes.

A: Profits from the Tour will be distributed evenly across the following 3 organisations:

The Yongey Foundation (supporting Mingyur Rinpoche’s charitable Projects)
Tergar International
Tergar Australia

A: Tergar Australia has strict money handling procedures and responsible leads, which ensures compliance with Tergar Australia’s rules of incorporation and Tergar International’s compliance requirements.

Tour Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities

Program Leads

Myoshin Kelley 0493 793 538

Edwin Kelley 0487 267 400

Hold the teaching program content and structure across the tour, working with Mingyur Rinpoche on the shape of each event and stepping in to lead Q&A, practice sessions, and any teaching where Rinpoche is not directly leading. Provides the bridge between the program content and the operational delivery managed by the Operations Lead.

Tour Lead

Jeremy Wortsman 0405 648 917

Holds overall accountability for the success of the 2026 tour, with a remit that spans strategic direction, the public-facing interface, the digital and operational infrastructure that the tour runs on, and the senior relationships that holds it all together. Sets strategic direction, agrees the budget with the Tergar Australia Board, and acts as the primary point of contact between Tergar Australia, Tergar International, and Mingyur Rinpoche’s office.

Beyond the strategic level, the Tour Lead carries a substantial hands-on remit: design and creative across tour materials, the digital infrastructure (event listings, registration, IT and customer service systems), the leadership meeting cadence and documentation, and the management of external enquiries directed to Rinpoche (interview requests, invitations to additional events, media).

Tour Operations Lead

Heid Williams 0405 323 474

Owns the operational delivery of the tour end to end. The role covers all operational aspects of the tour rather than only what takes place at the events themselves. The Operations Lead is the connective tissue between the functional leads and the Tour Lead, and the senior operational person on the floor during events. They own the master showflows, run pre-event briefings, and approve major event design choices brought up by area leads (staging, flowers, signage, vendor selection).

The following work areas report to Operations Lead:

Health & Safety Lead
Volunteer Lead
Lama Care Lead
Saturday Night Community Event Lead
FOH Lead (both venues)
BOH Leads (each venue)
Shrine Leads (Bendigo).

Finance Health & Safety Lead

Jo Murphy 0418 829 023

Two related responsibilities held together because both involve compliance, procedure, and protecting Tergar Australia from risk. Jo also handles visa arrangements for Mingyur Rinpoche and his attendants for the duration of the tour, working with Rinpoche’s office and the relevant Australian authorities.

The role is responsible for the Tour Budget and monitoring, as well as ensuring procedures are in place for managing incoming and outgoing monies for the tour, adhering to Tergar Australia’s Venue and Event Money Management procedure. This procedure identifies the authorities in place, how cash and card monies are handled, and what records of expenditure, receipt and reconciliation are kept. The role will ensure the document is read and carried out by all staff involved in money handling associated with the 2026 Australian Tour.

The Finance lead is assisted by Kate Archdeacon 0412029334 Dan Martin 0405747621 who are available to assist, trouble shoot and undertake end of day reconciliation for FOH donation and merch desks, and empowerment and refuge ceremonies

The Health & Safety lead is responsible for making sure the venues stay safe for everyone. This includes checking that emergency procedures are communicated to all, that any hazards are spotted and dealt with quickly, and that first aid volunteers are identified, and first aid supplies are stocked and accessible,

Volunteers Lead

Ani Zangmo 0468 424 877

Holds the overall volunteer experience at a macro level: recruitment, the master pool, fit, induction, and welfare. A significant change from 2023: rostering, role-specific briefings, area WhatsApp groups, and detailed area training are all run by the relevant area leads (FOH, BOH, Lama Care, Ritual Leads). The Volunteer Lead steps in on rostering only when an area lead cannot fill a gap from within their pool.

Zangmo will be available on the tour for assistance to volunteers if they need.
Update: Due to Zangmo being unwell. Emily Redward (0432 061 116) will looking after volunteer wellbeing in Melbourne and Sharon Wells (0419 508 619) in Bendigo.

Medical Team Lead

Renata Kukuruzovic

Looks after medical guidelines. At the Bendigo retreat there will be seven medical volunteers. The medical lead is Dr Renata (Paediatrician), Dr Cheryl- GP, Suzan and Nick- First Aiders, Alice, Anna and Annie- Nurses. All the medical volunteers will be wearing specific lanyards which identify their role. They can be contacted directly in person as needed, or by contacting Zangmo or any Team Lead.

Lama Care Lead

Rod McCrea 0410 064 179

Myoshin Kelley (Lama Care advisor) 0493 793 538

Looks after Mingyur Rinpoche and his attendant Lama Tashi for the duration of the tour. The role requires care, discretion, attention to detail, and an understanding of the Vajrayana context.

The following roles support & report to the Lama Lead:

Escort coordinator
Rinpoche’s Steward
Housekeeping
Event shopping
Green room attendants
Meals Co-ordinator
Water and Tea Service on stage (YMR's party, E & M)

Ritual Team Leads

Ani Zangmo 0468 424 877

Edwin Kelley 0487 267 400

A Bendigo-only role with no Melbourne equivalent, the Ritual Leads own the ritual and shrine functions for the Path of Liberation retreat, the White Tara and Dorje Drolo Empowerments and the Refuge Ceremony at the Great Stupa. The role requires deep familiarity with Vajrayana shrine and ritual protocol, including shrine setup specific to Path of Liberation and to the empowerment, daily offerings, refuge ceremony arrangements, and the respectful handling of ritual implements.

The following teams report to the Ritual Leads:

shrine team
refuge team
empowerment team
umdze team

Front of House (FOH) Lead - Melbourne & Bendigo

Frances Nolan 0413 417 820

A single role spanning both venues, owning the audience experience across the full tour. In Melbourne this covers the four Capitol Theatre events (Friday public talk, Saturday and Sunday weekend workshop, Sunday family hour). In Bendigo it covers the five-day Path of Liberation retreat at the Great Stupa and the free White Tara Empowerment and Refuge Ceremony on Thursday September 3, and Dorje Drolo Empowerment on Friday September 4.

FOH has direct responsibility for recruiting, briefing, rostering, and training the FOH team at both venues. FOH covers everything customer-facing up to the point of entering the hall: registration, information desk, donation and merchandise desk.

The following work areas report to FOH lead:

Registration / Ticketing Desk
Tergar Information Desk
Donation & Merchandise Desk (A Finance Team member will be available to assist)

Back of House (BOH) Leads

Steph Rizzo 0407 848 963 (Melbourne)

Owns everything that happens on stage, in the hall, and behind the scenes at the Capitol Theatre. BOH Lead has direct responsibility for stage planning, sourcing, and team management, stage furniture, props, microphones, ushers in the hall, and the working relationship with the theatre’s technical team.

Denise Cauchi 0424 084 211 (Bendigo)

Owns BOH function across the five-day Path of Liberation retreat and the White Tara Empowerment and Refuge Ceremony at the Great Stupa. Scope is narrower than the Melbourne BOH role: stage and hall only. The shrine, empowerment, and refuge teams in Bendigo sit under the Ritual Leads (Zangmo and Edwin), not under BOH.

Coordination with Lama Care and with the Ritual Leads is closer in Bendigo than in Melbourne given the retreat setting and the ritual nature of the empowerment.

The following work areas report to BOH leads: