Year 9 Programme Visits the Great Stupa

As we walked into the gardens of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, there was an immediate sense of inclusion and peacefulness. Our tour guide was Adam, and he was incredibly knowledgeable about the different gods and shrines that we were shown. The first thing we were shown was the Hindu temple of Ganesh that was donated by a family, who lost their young child to a brain disease as a place of grieving for all. After seeing the seven-metre tall statue of Kwan Yin, we went inside the glorious stupa itself. 

We saw three massive statues almost immediately. The first one being Avalokiteshvara, also known as the thousand armed buddha manifestation, followed by Padmasambhava, or Guru Ripoche (Precious Guru). Lastly, we saw the Jade Buddha. Weighing four tonnes and 2.5 metres tall, the jade buddha is finally at rest right here in Bendigo after years of being on world tour. Unfortunately, we did not get to see the second half of the gardens, as the rain brought an end to our excursion. 

James Trotter (9 Jenkin)