Exploring the Middle Way

Speaker: Bhante Mettāvihārī (in person)

Monday 28 July | 7.00-8.30pm AESTLocation: In person at Western Sydney University (74 Rickard Rd, Bankstown City Campus), Room 1.4.34 on level 4 or Online (Zoom link below)Cost: Free

Bhante will share his understanding of the Buddha’s teaching on the “Middle Way” of practice.

About the Presenter: Ven. Mettāvihārī grew up in Melbourne, Australia. He was raised in a Christian family, but from a very young age he had recurring fantasies of living as a monk and was always attracted to the teachings of Buddhism.

He received bachelor’s degrees in psychology and English before beginning a career teaching English as a Second Language at a language institute in Sydney and a university in South Korea. His five years in Korea was a wonderful experience and he often visited Buddhist monasteries there with his students. He returned to Australia and completed a master’s degree in linguistics/TESOL and then worked in educational development in universities in Sydney for several years.

After that he returned to Melbourne to support his ailing father. It was in these years that his latent yearnings grew into an overriding aspiration to live a spiritual life and he started spending more and more time at monasteries, including Newbury Monastery in Victoria, where he met some monks from Bodhinyana. He was ordained as a novice monk by Ajahn Brahm in 2021. It felt like he had been waiting his whole life to find his calling, and he loves being a monk. Every day, Bhante Mettāvihārī tries to live up to his name, which means “abiding in loving-kindness”.

Hybrid event: Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive session in person at the Metta Centre or online by clicking on this link to access the session: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83506489824?pwd=cmpNQ1ljSmFVYURLWVN1dWllYUN1dz09 Alternatively, you can dial in from your telephone (call charges apply): +61 2 8015 6011 | Meeting ID: 835 0648 9824| Passcode: 718905

If you are feeling unwell, please consider staying at home and joining online instead.