BSV 2025 Vesak Celebration | SOS

BSV 2025 Vesak Celebration at Sanctuary of Stillness

The BSV committee invites you to celebrate Vesak Day with us to commemorate the Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment, and Final Passing (Parinibbana). This year’s event will be held at the Sanctuary of Stillness Retreat Centre.

Date: Sunday, 11 May 2025
Location: 107 Beaches Lane, Newbury 3458
Time: 9.00 am – 2.00 pm (AEST)

• 9.00am Morning activities for guests when they arrive:
  Bathing of a Baby Buddha-to-Be Statue and/ or Offering of Flowers. Participants could choose either, if they wish.
  There will also be a ‘wishing tree’ in the front verandah for those who would like to write a message for their mothers.
• 9.30am – Welcome Address by President, Housekeeping & Announcements
• 9.40am – Taking of the 3 refuges and 5 precepts led by Ajahn Nissarano
• 9:50am – Dhamma Talk: “The Buddha and His Mothers” given by Ayya Upekkha
• 10.15am – Offering of Gifts and Dedication of Merit & Blessing Chant with a water sprinkling blessing
• 10.25am – Rice pindapata – offering of rice to monastics, followed by them taking their food
• 11:00am – Communal Lunch
• 1:00pm –  Novice Monk Ordination Ceremony – Witness a layperson’s (anagarika or trainee) ordination as a novice monk
• 1.30 pm – Chanting of Blessing for the Newly Ordained Novice Monk & Everyone
• 1.45pm – Offering of Gifts to the Newly Ordained Novice Monk & the distributing of pirit thread bracelets.
• 2.00pm – End of Celebration

Offering food
Please bring ready-to-eat food to share with the monastics and the lay community. No food preparation and reheating available. We kindly request that you deliver your food offering at the Drop Off point upon arrival (no later than 10:00am). This will greatly assist with lunch preparation.

Bus Service
A bus has been arranged to transport attendees to the Vesak Celebration at SOS.  The cost of each ticket has been fully covered through a grant from Multicultural Affairs Victoria, a proud sponsor of the event.

Note: Each registration is for one ticket only. To request two tickets, please register separately. The invoice number will serve as the ticket number.
Last day to secure a seat is Sun, 04 May 2025, 5 pm (if seats are still available). Book your seat HERE

Meeting Point:
The bus will depart from the Buddhaloka Centre (71 Darling Road, Malvern East) by 7.20 am SHARP.  Please plan to be at the Centre by 7.15 am.  The bus will leave the Retreat Centre at 2.30pm to return to the Buddhaloka Centre.

Enquiries : office@bsv.net.au OR events@bsv.net.au

Parking
There is a dedicated parking area at the SOS Retreat Centre.  Volunteers will be there to guide attendees with parking and food drop off.

Weather
You are encouraged to check the weather at Newbury before leaving home and bring suitable clothes (eg: jacket, hat/beanie). The weather in Newbury is usually 5 degrees cooler than in Melbourne.

Morning Session

Afternoon Session

Please email events@bsv.net.au if you have any queries.