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 In the Beginning…1977-1996
 A lot of hard work has gone into Hayagriva Buddhist Centre and the effort continues, but what better work is there? Hayagriva Buddhist Centre has evolved from a humble beginning, from students contacting the Dharma through Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche in India and Nepal. The first FPMT teacher I remember was Ven Konchog Domna, a resident nun at Tara House, who came to Perth around 1977. Ven Gyatso visited some years later. About 1980, after the First Dharma Celebration in India, Julie Munroe bought a property at Northcliffe as a centre but maybe because of its remoteness it never got off the ground.
In 1987, Carol Davies, Glenda Lee and myself traveled to Sydney where Lama Zopa Rinpoche was giving teachings. We put a proposal to him to start centres in Perth and Bunbury. Lama Zopa accepted the proposal and later that year traveled to Perth, where at a meeting, Rinpoche gave the name Hayagriva to the Perth Centre. Bunbury later became Hospice of Mother Tara.
We invited many different teachers to Perth, both western and Tibetan, to teach courses, and present public talks, workshops and retreats. Carol Davies was instrumental in getting things moving at the start and organizing the visits. She ruffled a few feathers on the way but got things done. She generously allowed us to use a flat above her business in Belmont, a big improvement since up till then we had hired venues for visiting teachers. We existed in her flat for about six years. In that time we very fortunate to have such teachers as Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, Ribur Rinpoche, and Tibetan and western monks and nuns. Ven.Thubten Gyatso was resident teacher for a year from 1995.
In March 1996, due to the kindness of Salim Lee, we relocated to Twickenham Road, Burswood where we were able to use office unit space, rent-free. At the same time we purchased a property in Victoria Park to house our resident teacher. English speaking Geshe Jampel Senge took up residence there in September 1996.
Greg Carr |
Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007 (Archive on Friday, July 06, 2007)
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