Inclusive Great Stupa site open for all

MYERS Flat’s Great Stupa of Universal Compassion is full of contrasts.

On any given day – apart from Christmas Day, the only time it’s closed – you’ll find a hive of tourists and locals either exploring its multi-faith peace park, viewing the priceless artifacts within the Great Stupa itself, browsing the giftshop or having a cuppa in the StupaView Cafe.

The place becomes extra busy during its many annual events, including tomorrow afternoon’s Illumin8 Festival, next weekend’s Lumbini International Festival and the Cancer Council’s Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea on Thursday 21 May.

That said, there are plenty of areas within the grounds where you can sit in quiet reflection, backed by a soundtrack of birdlife and distant chatter.

Stay a while and engage with some of the unique landmark’s staff and many regular volunteers; it will become clear that it is a great source of pride for all involved.

“We love it,” Ellie Smith, the site’s marketing and events manager said.

“We have a lot of people that arrive and they’re quite surprised as they’ve only seen us on a map.

“Being hidden a little bit in the bush, as you come up the driveway and you see it, it’s quite a big spectacle.

“A lot of the time, they can feel the energy from the place as well.”

She said the upcoming events are important as part of a wider strategy to help people discover what’s actually there.

“We try to offer a little bit of something for everyone throughout the year,” she said. “We’re somewhere that people can bring their family to and feel like they’re in a safe environment, where they’re comfortable and they can let their kids roam around.”

Smith said while the wondrous 50-metre-high monument built to replicate the 600-year-old Great Stupa of Gyantse in Tibet is of great spiritual significance to Buddhists, the site is inclusive of all backgrounds.

“We like everyone to feel involved…You can really be of any religion, any faith or none at all,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful community space and we all work together in that respect too.”

To find out more about this month’s events and beyond, visit stupa.au/events