Tiratnadana

My name is Paul Beard and I am the Consultant Dharma Director for the Dharmadatu Buddhist Order and Sangha. I was born in 1954 to traditional working class parents in East London. I dropped out of the formal education system at the age of 14 to pursue a passion for music & theatre. I worked as a police officer in London for 30 years. As a result of a series of close encounters with the fragility of my own mortality, I took up formal meditation practice in 1978. In 1980 during a six hour period of meditation there was a realization experience which changed the way things were understood. What followed became an on-going actualization process that has been supported and encouraged by training and working within all of the main traditions of Buddhism.

By 2005 the conclusion had been reached that the Buddha-Dharma had become yet another institutionalized religion and as a result it could only offer limited benefit to those whose conditioning factors were as a result of being born, educated and living within a Westernized culture. It made sense therefore to drop the traditional, institutional and dogmatic aspects of religious Buddhism and try to communicate the Dharma from a Western secular perspective to those who are intent on the realization of clarity and peace of mind.

​In January 2006 this approach began to be introduced to a Western Australian audience. The Sangha that developed as a result, continues to grow and has provided support and a real opportunity to deepen practice for those who engage with it. Coming into contact with the Dharma in 1980 literally saved my life and has resulted in great joy and freedom. It is impossible to express in words the depth of gratitude I have for all of those who have supported this on-going journey where I now have the opportunity to witness others growing, by their own efforts along the Dharma path.

Dharmasenna

My birth name is Arthur. My very long pathway to Dharma practice clearly developed as a very young child. As with many Western people I had the usual exposure to the inherited faith of my Grandparents, but in my case the indoctrination was to no avail. As a very young school boy I could feel nothing within Methodism, so I tried out the Salvos to see if they had a different slant on things, but no joy there either. I came to understand then, as now, that an ethical path to guide human behaviours and interactions is essential for a harmonious life and that the inherent good in all people needs adequate expression through a proven path, free from indoctrination, blind faith, dogma and guilt.

​My many journeys around the globe, making contact with practitioners of many and varied paths continue to support that understanding. I initially formalised my commitment to the Dharma path under Kundawella Vangeesa Maha Thero in Sri Lanka and in 2006 re-formalised that commitment within the context of the Dharmadatu Sangha and was ordained into the Dharmadatu Buddhist Order in Sri Lanka by Paul Beard on 13th June 2014. Thirty five years of Dharma practice, many of which were spent in isolation, has shown me how important it is to find other like-minded individuals to share the journey with you. That opportunity now presents itself, with the creation of a dedicated Dharma and Meditation centre in Western Australia where people can explore a proven path in ways that are relevant to their own culture.

Katannu

My birth name is Derek. I was born in Yorkshire in Northern England and lived on a working farm throughout my childhood. Early encounters with the slaughter of animals moved me to become a vegetarian, which was almost unheard of in those days, especially for a farmers son. Consistently, throughout my life, my views on the ways of the world seemed to be at variance with the mainstream of opinion and I could never work out why that was. In 2006 my partner suggested (very strongly) that I took up meditation and I followed that suggestion by attending the centre in Mandurah that was run by Paul Beard. My immediate experience was that I had found what I had been missing all those years – the company of like-minded individuals. It was like a sense of coming home. It would be fair to say that coming into contact with the Dharma has changed significantly the direction of my life and the name that was given to me when I formalised my commitment to the Dharma path, is an accurate description of who I am now. I was ordained into the Dharmadatu Buddhist Order in Sri Lanka by Paul Beard on 13th June 2014.

Achalamayi

My birth name is Mervyn. I was born and currently live in Sri Lanka. I represent the Dharmadatu Sangha in this country. I originally worked in the field of aviation and took up meditation in the 1980’s and began devoting all my time and energies to Buddhist study and teaching meditation and the Dharma. I was associated for a considerable length of time with a Buddhist movement based in the United Kingdom and spent time going on meditation retreats there. It was my connection with this group that first brought me into contact with Paul Beard and his approach to the Dharma. I have also spent time on solitary retreats at meditation centres and forest hermitages in Sri Lanka.

​I have had the privilege during my time as a meditation teacher of teaching meditation to a former President of my country, to insurgents in rehabilitation camps, trainees in a project of the U.N. Association of Sri Lanka, and to foreigners in tourist hotels. I am also a free-lance writer. My work has been published in Sri Lankan newspapers and I have been on the editorials of two Sri Lankan English journals. I have also written the memoirs of a colourful, eminent Sri Lankan personality. My current writing is aimed at the redemption of Buddhist values in a land which has strayed far away from them. I continue to teach meditation. I was ordained into the Dharmadatu Buddhist Order in Sri Lanka by Paul Beard on 13th June 2014.

Karunadana

​My birth name is Mandy. I was born in Singapore but have lived in Australia since the age of 6. It would be fair to say that for most of my life I have lived with depressed thoughts and at times I have trawled the deepest levels of despair. For years nobody seemed able to help me to understand what was going on and I had been given so many labels by the medical profession that I eventually settled on the diagnosis that I was a complete fruit loop. I began to pursue an alternative solution to the problem in 2006 and attended the first ever class run by Paul Beard in Mandurah. He taught me to meditate and although I struggled at first his persistent, kindly encouragement meant that I now have an effective tool to help me with living a happier existence and it is a vital part of my daily practice.

​I followed that up with attending his Dharma classes on a regular basis as it became clear to me that there was a significant link between meditation and adopting a particular lifestyle based on sound ethical advice. His acceptance of me without judgement gave me the opportunity to realise that I was OK to be who I was. It was OK to be and think differently from anyone else. I later formalised my commitment to the Dharma path within the Dharmadatu Sangha. Although my new family commitments mean I do not attend as regularly as I would like, my practice is now clearly defined and on-going with the support of the sangha

Yasomati

​My Birth name is Jacqueline. I was born and grew up in Perth, Western Australia. I taught for 20 years as a primary teacher in mainly country locations, before re-training in the field of Building Design and Drafting and I now design Supermarkets. The stressful nature of teaching had encouraged me to look for ways to control my stressed thoughts and relax so I attended meditation classes in Mandurah with a visiting Monk. I wanted to follow up on this but for many years found no Buddhist activities in the Mandurah area. I was initially drawn towards the Tibetan tradition in 1994 as I had found the Tibetan book of living and dying very helpful during the dying process of my father, but found the culturally specific language off putting.

​In 2009 I read an ad for the Mandurah Buddhist Centre in the local paper and began attending the Dharma and Meditation classes regularly. I found there a straight forward way to understand the Buddha’s teachings in relation to my life, free of the cultural trappings and religious overtones that Buddhism had previously held for me. Engaging with the Dharma within a Western context has given me the skills necessary to follow a path towards a happier and more peaceful life. I formalized that commitment with the Dharmadatu Sangha on the 16th May 2011.

Jnanalila

​My birth name is Chris. I was born in Manchester, UK and moved to Perth in 1990 with family. A large part of growing up was spent in the Mandurah area and my family still reside there. I have been involved with the Dharmadatu Sangha since April 2012 and had my Tiratnamitra Ceremony that November. I took up Buddhist meditation and Dharma practice for several reasons: I have always gravitated towards this way of thinking and approaching the world, I am getting older, encountered a few bumps and life required a few changes, and I would like to further develop any primary loving-compassion towards others and myself.

​Currently I reside in Perth and engage with the Sangha mostly remotely, meditating and undertaking weekly Dharma readings by myself. I do try to travel to the Sangha on a fortnightly basis or as often as life allows. It is important to keep my presence within the Sangha to effectively practice and give those motivational bumps occasionally. Plus, I tend to give everyone a giggle, hence the name.

Mudita

My birth name is Julia. I was born and raised in South London. I met Paul at the age of 13 when he was performing in a band. We married at 19 and have a son and daughter from that relationship and another daughter who we adopted age 13. I am a qualified Chef and spent the majority of my working life in the catering industry, including my own catering company. I formalised my commitment to the Dharma path in 2001 at a Triratna Buddhist Centre in Croydon UK where Paul was working.

​Although I had for years considered myself aligned to Buddhism, much of that was in relation to supporting Paul’s journey throughout the Buddhist traditions whilst my priority was focused on the home and the children. Making that commitment meant I was now in a position to develop my own practice. I began working in a wholefood shop alongside other female Buddhists on a ‘needs met’ basis which provided a real challenge both to my practice of the Dharma and to the concept of just ‘giving what you can and taking what you need’. This type of work is known as Team Based Right Livelihood and operates in accordance with Buddhist ethical principles.

​In 2006 I moved with Paul to Western Australia and began to support his Dharma work here. Leaving my friends and family, especially my 7 grandchildren was difficult, but thankfully one daughter and two grandchildren have moved here also and now live on our doorstep. I am currently the treasurer of the registered charity Dharmadatu Sangha Inc and also the catering co-ordinator for retreats that we run.

Taradeva

My birth name is Barbara. I was born in South Africa and grew up in Rhodesia or, as it is now known, Zimbabwe. I married at age 20 and had a son and daughter in Zimbabwe in 1979 and 1981. Thankfully, we were accepted to immigrate to Australia in 1985 and arrived in Perth with very little to show for 30 + years of hard work. However, we were very grateful to have a secure home where our children could grow up safe and healthy and get a good education. I had been seeking my spiritual identity since my early 20’s, and continued my quest here in the land of plenty. When my children left school, my husband and I separated and I started in earnest to investigate meditation and philosophy and this naturally led to an introduction to the Dharma. At last, I had found a sensible philosophy for life, which transcends all religious beliefs and dogmas and gives me tools to deal with any eventuality.

​Life has become very simple since I joined the Dharmadatu Sangha. I still have questions and struggle with some aspects of Buddhism, but as the Dharma says, “If it serves you, use it, if not, discard it”. I have the freedom to make my own choices, and to take responsibility for who I am. The best way to world peace is for each person to make a stand and be a shining example of peace and love. The Dharma provides the tools for me be the best person that I can be, and my highest wish is to live my life in such a way that others will ask me what my secret is and then say “I’ll have what she’s having”.

Paraga

My birth name is Craig. I was born in Elizabeth Vale, South Australia. My father was in the army and moved my mother, little brother and myself to Perth when I was four years old and I have been here ever since. I have a wife and two beautiful children all of which provide both joy and challenges! My work also proves challenging as it has taken me away from home over the years, sometimes for over a month at a time. As time went on the stress of both work and family life began to stack up and I found myself in a very dark place. Couple this with years of drug and alcohol use I was in a very fragile state indeed! So I began researching various new age ideologies and like a lot of ‘seekers’ eventually came across Buddhism. It seemed like a subject worth exploring so I began looking into it and found the Dharmadatu Sangha operating out of a room adjoining our local yoga studio here in Mandurah.

​After a few emails between Paul Beard and myself I mustered the motivation and courage to go down and have a look. What I found was a serene learning environment for both meditation and the Dharma, all presented by an experienced teacher in a western context. This was a couple of years ago now and although there are still bumps in the road, the Dharma has provided me with a sense of ‘home’, especially when times get tough. My practice is a work in progress and is constantly tested by both my own actions and outside entities. Meditation has helped me immensely to clear away negativity and gain clarity in my day to day life. I am and will be forever grateful for the support offered by the sangha and the Dharma path set out by the Buddha all those years ago.

Dharmasraddha

My birth name is Anette. I have lived in Bouvard, Mandurah for the past 5 years. I am a Palliative Care Nurse and I also do voluntary work with a charity to support the homeless and those in need in my local area. My first introduction to Buddhism was within a Tibetan group who were based in Fremantle. Although I initially found it helpful and informative I struggled at times with the esoteric side of things and the need to have faith and believe in what I was being taught which did not sit comfortably with me. When I came across the Dharmadatu Buddhist Order and Sangha, the approach was the complete opposite and I was being encouraged to test and challenge everything that I was being taught and that refreshing difference, together with meeting some very inspirational people there, led to my joining the Sangha in 2014.

​The Buddha-Dharma is now an inherent part of my life. This secular approach has led me to a practice which now helps me as a person to be happy and able to cope with life’s challenges with the support of others on the path. The paid and voluntary works that I do are very strong expressions of my daily practice and support my wish to be of benefit to others.

Vimukta

My birth name is Brent. I was born in Huntington, Indiana and am currently living in Altoona, Pennsylvania U.S.A . I have had a hard life to put it mildly. I have two beautiful daughters; one is living here at home with me and the other is married now and has a daughter of her own. I have struggled with drug addiction for a good part of it which caused me much mental and physical turmoil. I found Buddhism in prison over 10 years ago and it literally saved my life and provided a change in direction for me.

​I came across the Buddha-Dharma communication of Paul Beard that provides the context of the Dharmadatu Buddhist Order and Sangha via their web site and found the material that was presented from a Western secular perspective made sense to me. Being a practitioner in isolation is very difficult. Now I have something practical to apply in my everyday life and I am now, at last, connected with others who are there to support each other despite being separated by physical distance. I became a member of the Dharmadatu Sangha on November 18th 2015 and whilst the Sangha gathered to conduct the ceremony in Australia, my daughter and I had followed its format at the shrine in my house. This has been another major turning point for me and one that I am very happy about and I am grateful for being given the opportunity to become part of this Sangha.

Abhayagita

My birth name is Susan. I grew up in Wellington, New Zealand and moved to Australia in 1974. After several failed marriages and many failed relationships, plus bad financial decisions, I found myself in a very dark place leading up to 2013. For most of my life I had suffered from intermittent depression, insomnia, anxiety and anger. These things I know had a huge bearing on my perceived failure in life, and my lack of self-worth. Having a background in natural medicine, I spent much energy, time and money trying to fix myself with almost anything I could find that promised a solution but to no avail.

​In December 2014 I arrived in WA where I have family and moved to Mandurah, with a determination to find a solution to these problems. I literally stumbled upon The Dharmadatu Centre and began attending meditation classes there. Within a couple of weeks, I began to experience a significant positive change and began a daily meditation practice. I noticed that the centre also offered a discussion evening on what was described as a practical and secular approach to the Buddha’s teachings and was curious to see if this was something else that would help to facilitate the change I was seeking and it certainly did. I formalised my commitment to the Dharma path in November 2015 and haven’t looked back. I can say that the changes I experience within myself are the joyful changes I have wanted and needed for a very long time, and I will be eternally grateful to The Dharmadatu Buddhist Order and Sangha for being the catalyst for this change in direction.

Bodhidasa

My birth name is Troy. I was born in Subiaco and now live in Mandurah where I have spent most of my life to date. As a child, through my adolescent years, as an adult and becoming a young father, I always struggled with anger and was continually questioning my purpose and place in the world. I considered that I was an overly emotional person and not knowing how to deal with my thoughts and resultant emotional reactions, resulted in suffering, unhelpful choices and failed relationships. Through the years I dabbled on and off with meditation, took an interest in a number of religions and tried seeking others of like mind, but never found anything that showed me direction, without an institutionalized or dogmatic belief system approach, or paths that only taught you what to think and not how to think.

​My life over the past few years has improved significantly, finding a greater level of peace within myself, settling with a loving, supportive relationship and a return to regular meditation. However, there still seemed to be a vital component missing and that was finding something where I as an individual fitted in with others. In 2015 I discovered the Dharmadatu Buddhist Meditation Centre. The secular Western approach to Buddhism, the non rule-bound ethical approach to life, without the need to “believe in anything” was exactly what I had been searching for. With the introduction into my life of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, I had found the missing link. I formalized my commitment to the Dharma path within the context of the Dharmadatu Buddhist Order in February 2016 and hope that I too will be in a position to give something back to others who are seeking to live with greater awareness of compassion to themselves, others and the environment.

Mokshadana

My birth name is Philip. I was born in and lived most of my life in Sydney. My family and I have moved to WA about twenty six years ago. About four years ago my wife decided that I was becoming a grumpy old man and enrolled me in a meditation course in Perth. This was my first experience with meditation and I really enjoyed it and found it very beneficial. I found it difficult to find a place to continue with my meditation practice until I found a Buddhist facility. I went to the weekly meetings for some months, but it was a fair distance from home, so I hunted around and found one closer.  That’s when I really got into Buddhism. The teacher was very down to earth and although he taught from the Theravada perspective, he did bring to his teachings his own western style which was very light and humorous at times.  To take my practice a little deeper I went to a retreat in Thailand at a Monastery and I was hooked.  Never being one to shy away I shaved my head and eyebrows and I took samanera novitiate ordination. It was a profound experience.

​When I returned home I continued my practice but began to notice how the cultural aspects of religious Buddhism seemed to be becoming a hindrance.  I began searching for a form of Buddhism that would be of more relevance and benefit to me as an Australian and I knew that I had found my new home when I made contact with the Dharmadatu Buddhist Order and Sangha. I formalized my commitment to the Dharma path within that context and have requested to undergo training to join the Order. I will shortly be providing an opportunity for others to engage with Meditation and Dharma in my home town of Carnarvon as part of that training.

Yauvanachitta

My birth name is Candice. I was born in Perth and raised in the wheat-belt of Western Australia. As a young girl I enjoyed the fresh air, peace and tranquility the country provided, but this was often overshadowed by a tense, stressful home life. Consequently I grew up to be an easy going person but a true worrier, with hidden anxieties and low self worth. I moved to beautiful Mandurah with my family when I was 11 years old and have since lived here most of the time. When I finished school I really felt like I was lost and was unsure what to do with my life. I knew deep within my self that I wanted to help others. Eventually I decided to study teaching. I am now a full time school teacher and mother to two gorgeous young boys who have endless energy and enthusiasm.

​I found the Dharmadatu Buddhist Order and Sangha thanks to my husband Troy, in 2015. I attend meditation classes and discussion evenings as often as my busy schedule permits, and always leave with a sense of peace and feeling of expansiveness. I have been meditating at home every day for over a year now and my direct experience is that meditation has truly helped me become less critical of myself. My response to stress has completely changed and instead of reacting negatively, I am learning to practice awareness and try to just be in the moment. This has really helped me to live my life with less drama and angst. I have come to realize that conditioning has been the cause of so many of my worries and the big aha’ moment for me was to learn that it does not serve me to blame external conditions, but rather just let go. I am committed to learning more of the Dharma and have decided to join the Sangha to share, learn and grow with other like-minded people. This is my commitment to myself.

Pariksadharma

My birth name is Scott. I grew up in Melbourne and moved to Mandurah with my wife in 2010. THree years later our daughter arrived and although it appeared we were ‘living the dream,’ I would often become frustrated over the littlest of things and affect the people around me. This led to my first meditation class at the Mandurah Meditation and Dharma Centre. I became a regular and experienced a change almost instantly. I then developed an interest in the Dharma as a way to ring this change to the forefront of my everyday life. The Dharmadatu secular western approach to communicating the Buddha’s teachings is something I can relate to. Through testing, trying and constantly questioning the Dharma I recently decided to formally commit myself to the Dharma journey within the context of the Dharmadatu Buddhist Order and Sangha.