Staying at our Monastery
There are very few places in the world dedicated to the cultivation of peace and mental clarity and compassion. We envision a place where people can come to recover joy and learn skills to face life with more awareness. We envision a beloved community.
Social Engagement
Ayya Yeshe is active teaching in India and running a charity there for people from the ‘ex untouchable’ Indian Buddhist community. She has also taught in schools, prisons, rehabilitation centres and remote regional Buddhist centres in Australia and USA.
Sangha Facility
There are only an estimated 3 Buddhist monasteries in the world where Western Tibetan Buddhist monastics are not charged. Up to 85% of them disrobe due to lack of support. We envision a community in beautiful Tasmania, Australia where Western monastics can come and receive training and do retreat as well as lay people and those interested in monastic life.
The Progressive Western Buddhist Declaration
The Mahayana Forrest tradition is a new tradition that has grown out of a fusion of Tibetan Buddhism and Theravada. We do not see ourselves as a breakaway group, but as an extension under the auspices of both of these Traditions. We emphasise a return to the early sutras (Pali Cannon), Mahayana sutras, Vinaya (with some flexibility), social justice, full ordination for women, the bodhisattva ideal, social justice, gender/ queer/ and class equality. Using the Bodhisattva ideal and many of the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism and Theravada, but with less emphasis on ritual, Gurus, Patriarchy and hierarchical ethno-centric based male dominance and highly ritualised forms of Buddhism that are heavily laden with culture (although we deeply respect the value those paths). People can still go back to Tibetan Buddhism for ordination and initiations if they wish, or Theravada.
We try to respect the beautiful and diverse manifestations Asian culture and Buddhism, whilst stripping back to the more original forms of Buddhism with less bells and whistles. The four fold Sangha (monastics and lay people sharing, not just completely lay focused teachings (what we have now in the West, but a mix).
We are doing this because Tibetan Buddhism, though filled with many wonderful teachings and some good teachers, has not given non Tibetan teachers, especially women, much of a chance or a voice. (No five famous female Western teachers do not mean there is equality) and will always prioritise Himalayan males, the Tibetan refugee cause and Tibetan Culture and the old power structures of Tibet that are an anathema in modern secular democracies that value gender equality. We are very sympathetic to the tragic loss of Tibet and Tibetan refugees. But that cannot be the central issue in our practice as Western Buddhists (anyone who identifies with progressive Western culture, no matter what their background). We still have great respect and gratitude to all the Masters who preserved these teachings, and along with aiding marginalised people around the world, we offer them our deepest gratitude.
All Mahayana Buddhists and Vajarayana Buddhists owe the Tibetans a great karmic debt and should continue to support them. But Tibetan monasteries are now well established. Monasteries for Western monastics with Western representation in the leadership are not.
We envision a progressive form of Buddhism that has the best of tradition, without the complex class structures and patriarchal baggage. Perhaps we would be the Episcopalian version of Mahayana Buddhism.
Imagine Zen without the obscurity and riddles (only some temples)…
Imagine Theravada without the inaction on critical social issues and the resistance to full ordination for women (although many Theravadins have aided these issues)..
We emphasise gender equality and are consciously trying to reverse the historical marginalisation of women in Buddhism, their lack of access to resources, to emphasize the potential of women and the spiritual power of the sacred feminine and the primordial wisdom of powerful feminine archetypes like the female bodhisattva Tara, and Dakinis – semi wrathful female wisdom beings.
If you like traditional culturally based forms of Buddhism, we respect your choice and are not trying to reduce the power of these traditions, rather to synthesize what is best in them or create space for Western women leaders in those traditions. This is responding to the zeitgeist of 50 years of Buddhism in the West and Westerners finding Buddhism in India and Tibeta as early as the 1900s, as well as Tocharian (Greeks) travelling down the silk road and taking ordination in the Axial age as well as English speaking descendants of Asian immigrants who now have English as a first language (we completely respect and honour the beauty of cultural and language diversity and preserving those practices, but feel diverse Buddhist cultural groups have well established temples to meet their needs).
Imagine accountability simplicity, community, social justice, the best of tradition without irrational gender inequality. Imagine a compassionate, thriving, four fold community. We aim for environmental justice, to aid marginalized communities, intersectional feminism that includes and welcomes men who wish to be allies and compatriots of women (because the problem is patriarchy, not men).
The Progressive Wester Buddhist Declaration
The Mahayana Forrest tradition is a new tradition that has grown out of a fusion of Tibetan Buddhism and Theravada. We do not see ourselves as a breakaway group, but as an extension under the auspices of both of these Traditions. We emphasise a return to the early sutras (Pali Cannon), Mahayana sutras, Vinaya (with some flexibility), social justice, full ordination for women, the bodhisattva ideal, social justice, gender/ queer/ and class equality. Using the Bodhisattva ideal and many of the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism and Theravada, but with less emphasis on ritual, Gurus, Patriarchy and hierarchical ethno-centric based male dominance and highly ritualised forms of Buddhism that are heavily laden with culture (although we deeply respect the value those paths). People can still go back to Tibetan Buddhism for ordination and initiations if they wish, or Theravada.
We try to respect the beautiful and diverse manifestations Asian culture and Buddhism, whilst stripping back to the more original forms of Buddhism with less bells and whistles. The four fold Sangha (monastics and lay people sharing, not just completely lay focused teachings (what we have now in the West, but a mix).
We are doing this because Tibetan Buddhism, though filled with many wonderful teachings and some good teachers, has not given non Tibetan teachers, especially women, much of a chance or a voice. (No five famous female Western teachers do not mean there is equality) and will always prioritise Himalayan males, the Tibetan refugee cause and Tibetan Culture and the old power structures of Tibet that are an anathema in modern secular democracies that value gender equality. We are very sympathetic to the tragic
loss of Tibet and Tibetan refugees. But that cannot be the central issue in our practice as Western Buddhists (anyone who identifies with progressive Western culture, no matter what their background). We still have great respect and gratitude to all the Masters who preserved these teachings, and along with aiding marginalised people around the world, we offer them our deepest gratitude. All Mahayana Buddhists and Vajarayana Buddhists owe the Tibetans a great karmic debt and should continue to support them. But Tibetan monasteries are now well established. Monasteries for Western monastics with Western representation in the leadership are not.
We envision a progressive form of Buddhism that has the best of tradition, without the complex class structures and patriarchal baggage. Perhaps we would be the Episcopalian version of Mahayana Buddhism.
Imagine Zen without the obscurity and riddles (only some temples)…
Imagine Theravada without the inaction on critical social issues and the resistance to full ordination for women (although many Theravadins have aided these issues)..
We emphasise gender equality and are consciously trying to reverse the historical marginalisation of women in Buddhism, their lack of access to resources, to emphasize the potential of women and the spiritual power of the sacred feminine and the primordial wisdom of powerful feminine archetypes like the female bodhisattva Tara, and Dakinis – semi wrathful female wisdom beings.
If you like traditional culturally based forms of Buddhism, we respect your choice and are not trying to reduce the power of these traditions, rather to synthesize what is best in them or create space for Western women leaders in those traditions. This is responding to the zeitgeist of 50 years of Buddhism in the West and Westerners finding Buddhism in India and Tibeta as early as the 1900s, as well as Tocharian (Greeks) travelling down the silk road and taking ordination in the Axial age as well as English speaking descendants of Asian immigrants who now have English as a first language (we completely respect and honour the beauty of cultural and language diversity and preserving those practices, but feel diverse Buddhist cultural groups have well established temples to meet their needs).
Imagine accountability simplicity, community, social justice, the best of tradition without irrational gender inequality. Imagine a compassionate, thriving, four fold community. We aim for environmental justice, to aid marginalized communities, intersectional feminism that includes and welcomes men who wish to be allies and compatriots of women (because the problem is patriarchy, not men).
Staying at our Monastery
There are very few places in the world dedicated to the cultivation of peace and mental clarity and compassion. We envision a place where people can come to recover joy and learn skills to face life with more awareness. We envision a beloved community.
Social Engagement
Ayya Yeshe is active teaching in India and running a charity there for people from the ‘ex untouchable’ Indian Buddhist community. She has also taught in schools, prisons, rehabilitation centres and remote regional Buddhist centres in Australia and USA.
Sangha Facility
There are only an estimated 3 Buddhist monasteries in the world where Western Tibetan Buddhist monastics are not charged. Up to 85% of them disrobe due to lack of support. We envision a community in beautiful Tasmania, Australia where Western monastics can come and receive training and do retreat as well as lay people and those interested in monastic life.
