Bliss is the correct word to "explain" this Monastery.
Do not "think" about visiting this place. Just get there.
If you don't get reservation for rooms at the Monastery right away, you can stay in Serpentine, and go to the Monastery daily. The rooms in Serpentine cost Australian $100 or more per night. The Monastery is about 7 km from the rooms. (I did not stay in either place.)
If you can't make it physically to the Monastery, but like to read books, buy a copy of the book, "Opening the door of your heart" by the abbot of the Monastery, Ajahn Brahm. (I read only 40 pages... "i" was done!) Else listen to Ajahn Brahm's talk on YouTube. (A few other books that can prep you are Robert M. Pirsig's "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance", and Steve Hagen's "Buddhism plain and simple".)
Next - the logistics to get to the Monastery.
If you can afford it, take an Uber from Armadale to the Monastery. It might cost you Australian $50 or so. (You can get from Perth to Armadale using TransPerth train.)
Cheaper alternative is to take trains. The Monastery is about 9 km away from the Serpentine train stop. Note that Serpentine does not have a train station; it's just a stop; there is nothing there except the "stop". If there are no reserved passengers, or traveling passengers in the train who need to get off, or take the train from Serpentine, the train does not stop.
There are only two trains (Australind) from Perth station to Serpentine daily. These trains runs from Perth to Bunbury. As of Jan 2019, the morning train leaves Perth station at 9:30 AM, and the evening one at 5:55 PM. (Alternative is to first get to Armadale by TransPerth, and then take these trains, at 9:56 AM, and 6:25 PM, respectively, from platform 2. It costs little over A$10 from Armadale to Serpentine and is about 30 minutes.)
The Monastery is about 9 km away from the station. If you are adventurous, you can walk from the stop to the Monastery. (It is a very pretty walk, but check the temperature and sun before walking. Western Australia has a very dry climate, so you might get dehydrated easily.) Else, call the Monastery ahead of time, and they will provide a pick up. I believe if you have a reservation, they arrange for the pick up automatically. Please check with them. (Chandan is one driver who picked me up. He is a nice guy and is from Bangladesh :-).) Uber might be an option, provided your cell phone has connection. (Mine did not.)
About the Monastery itself - what is there to explain? You have to "experience" it. Words cannot do justice to the experience. Just get there.
I will leave you with this though - if you are in the right state of mind, you will get what you are looking for, and more. Just prepare yourself, and go with humility, reverence, and absolute devotion, for the men and women here are not ordinary people - they are Divine Beings. The more you keep quiet, the more you will absorb, and you will "see". Try not to leave until you really...
Read moreDuring our visit to Bodhinyana, a serene Theravada Buddhist monastery located in Serpentine, about an hour’s drive southeast of Perth, Western Australia, we had the privilege of a memorable encounter. Established in 1983 and operated by the Buddhist Society of Western Australia, the monastery is a place of tranquility and reflection.
While exploring the grounds, we noticed one of the monks diligently sweeping the pathways. Curious, we paused to engage in conversation. With a touch of boldness, I asked him what had led him to embrace monastic life. To our surprise, he shared that he hailed from Pontypridd in Wales. Years ago, he was a successful professional, headhunted by prominent businesses, which brought him to Western Australia. Shortly after arriving, he married, but the relationship turned out to be profoundly challenging and painful. This hardship led him to question his life’s direction and ultimately inspired his decision to pursue the path of a Buddhist monk.
He spoke candidly about his daily routine, explaining that each monk is assigned specific tasks at the start of the day. On this particular day, his role was sweeping the leaves from the paths. Interestingly, he noted that even monks are not immune to occasional disagreements, but much of their time is spent in solitude, providing ample opportunity for reflection and mindfulness.
The monastery’s peaceful ambiance, enhanced by the presence of wild kangaroos, left a lasting impression. He mentioned that on Christmas Day, the monastery welcomes many visitors who bring an abundance of food, which is shared during lunch with the monks and guests—a tradition that embodies generosity and community.
He kindly invited us to join them for lunch that day, which was Boxing Day for us. Regretfully, we had to decline as we needed to return home, where our daughter was preparing dinner for us. Nonetheless, the experience left us deeply moved and inspired by the monk’s story and the serene beauty...
Read more❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Although I have never been to this Monastery, I listen to Ajahn Brahm's Dhamma talks on YouTube and it has drastically changed my life, allowed my brain neurochemistry to view, connect and make sense of life and reality, and has taught my brain, my thoughts and my mindfulness to reframe life situations, make new, different and positive connections and cope with the daily stresses of life. HIS BEST TEACHINGS BY FAR, WERE TALKS HE GAVE AROUND 2008! If you go on YouTube and search "Ajahn Brahm 2008", many of his deeply insightful talks can be found around that time period! I have so many favorites but a few I'd like to mention are:
"The Right to Believe?" https://youtu.be/z1Prm3nAvFs?si=Bsg_lrazZ5TrKx6X
"Harmony" https://youtu.be/yFY_AY2dB9s?si=il3QHMY22iBSDs5R
"Kamma without belief" https://youtu.be/gJTCZ1izujg?si=zakWjq_7XUJo262p
"The Meaning of Life - Peace of Mind" https://youtu.be/SNiS2OI-bSk?si=OsOrEFLBia1IfZy_
"Does Life Suck?" https://youtu.be/eSIEN0pZkxE?si=arI6WbCFWV9_VjQ1
These are just a few!
Please do check out "Ajahn Brahm 2008" on YouTube and many more recommendations will come up! 🙏
They've caused me to be humble, kind, compassionate, at peace with life, happy with the moment, graciously accepting of life and all it's challenges, joys and difficulties; but above all else, how to be a better human and accepting myself, others and the world around me!...
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