​​🍃 From the Woods to the Hood: A Symphony across Hemispheres 🎵

A daytime fundraiser of music, celebration, and community

Presenters: Venerable Ngawang Tenzin and Venerable Sanathavihari

Saturday, June 14th 2025, 1pm - 4.30pm AEST

Location: Greg Davis Stand, Drummoyne Oval (Google Maps)

Join us in Sydney for a relaxed and meaningful day supporting two Buddhist projects—one rooted in the forest, the other in the city; one in the Southern Hemisphere, the other in the Northern.

🪷 In support of:

•⁠ Venerable Ngawang Tenzin’s Gaia Forest Sanctuary – A peaceful retreat space in NSW dedicated to ecology, conservation, and meditation. A place to reconnect with nature and nourish the spirit. https://www.gaiaforest.org/tenzin/about/bio/

•⁠ Venerable Sanathavihari’s Casa de Bhavana Project – Based in North Hollywood, LA, this Spanish-speaking Buddhist centre offers deep listening, healing, and spiritual guidance in an urban setting. https://sanathavihari.com/ https://casadebhavana.com/

About the Venerables:

Venerable Ngawang Tenzin (Dr. Alex Anderson) began with an ecologist’s understanding of interdependence, but the rainforest soon led him to Buddhist meditation. Now ordained as a monk in the Sakya Tibetan tradition, he has also studied and practiced meditation under Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh at Plum Village in France, at Mountain Spring near Sydney, and in Myanmar at Pa Auk Tawya. Also ordained in the Plum Village Order of Interbeing, an engaged Buddhist approach to the bodhisattva path, his practice is informed by Theravadin, Zen, and Vajrayana methods of meditation and mindfulness, as well as Hatha Yoga, Deep Ecology, and his deep love of wild places. He currently lives In Australia, on Gumbaynggirr country on the Dorrigo Plateau, where he has a project to co-create community space for meditation, forest restoration and nature connection:

Venerable Sanathavihari is a Mexican American Theravada Buddhist monastic from Los Angeles California. He is a recent graduate from the Upaya Zen Center Chaplaincy program, has a Master degree in Counselling Psychology and has been working with the South and Southeast Asian Buddhist communities for over 9 years. He previously served 9 years in the United States Air Force in which he was deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan. He also leads Casa de Bhavana, a project to bring the Dhamma to the Spanish speaking world

👕 Dress theme: Gangstas and Sages - From the Woods to the Hood:

It’s a party—come dressed in something inspired by forest or city life, or a playful mix of both.

🌿 What’s happening:

•⁠ Buddhist Teaching/Panel Discussions

•⁠ Art auction and raffles

•⁠ Uplifting musical performances

🎂 Also celebrating:

Continuation Day – Honouring the birthdays of Metta Centre volunteers and celebrating the spirit of community.

All are welcome to this special event.

Proceeds go to support both projects.