Panditarama Sydney Meditation Centre (PSMC) is a non-profit organization, dedicated to sharing the teachings of the Buddha, providing meditation retreats, and supporting the spiritual growth of our community. Our work is made possible entirely through the generosity of devotees, Dhamma friends, and supporters.
By donating, you help maintain and grow a place of peace, learning, and mindfulness in Sydney—a sanctuary for all who seek the Dhamma.
Monastics in the Theravāda lineage follow the Vinaya, the original code of discipline established by the Buddha. Among its guidelines is the prohibition against handling or possessing money. For this reason, all financial matters of the centre are overseen by a lay stewardship group and a charitable trust established solely to support the monastic community and maintain the centre’s operations.
Trustees and volunteers undertake this responsibility as an expression of their faith in the Triple Gem—Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. Their role ensures that monks and visiting meditators have a safe, supportive environment in which to practise.
Your contribution helps PSMC:
Every donation, no matter the size, directly supports these initiatives and helps keep the centre open and welcoming for all.
We gratefully accept donations via:
Account Name: Panditarama Sydney Meditation Centre
Leaving a legacy gift is a meaningful way to support the long-term sustainability of Panditarama Sydney Meditation Centre. By including the Centre in your will, you help ensure that the Dhamma continues to flourish and that future generations can benefit from meditation, learning, and spiritual guidance.
A bequest—large or small—creates a lasting contribution to the development, maintenance, and growth of the Centre. Your generosity will help preserve the Buddha’s teachings, support monastic life, and provide a peaceful sanctuary for all who seek the path of mindfulness and wisdom.
If you would like more information about leaving a gift in your will, please contact us. We are grateful for your kindness, foresight, and continued support of the Centre’s mission.
If you are able to contribute materials, effort – volunteer your skills (e.g. construction, project management), or help with fundraising — please reach out.
PSMC is currently expanding its facilities, including:
Donations toward these projects help create long-term spaces for meditation, learning, and community activities. By contributing, you become part of building lasting monuments to the Dhamma and Buddha Sasana in Sydney.
Your support allows PSMC to continue offering:
Your generosity ensures that PSMC remains a vibrant centre of spiritual learning and practice. Every donation, whether large or small, helps spread the Dhamma and bring peace and mindfulness to more people.
Make a difference today. Support PSMC and the practice of Vipassana Meditation in Sydney.
We greatly appreciate and welcome your kind generosity to help support the continuous development of the centre.
© 2026 PSMC. All rights reserved.
At the age of 80, the Buddha sensed his life was nearing its end. He continued teaching until his final moments, offering guidance to his disciples on maintaining harmony and staying committed to the path.
The Buddha passed away peacefully in Kushinagar, entering Parinibbana—the final liberation from the cycle of birth and death. His teachings, preserved for over 2,500 years, have since spread throughout the world and remain a source of wisdom and transformation today.
The Buddha’s life demonstrates that profound inner peace and liberation are attainable through understanding, ethical living, and mindfulness.
For the next 45 years, the Buddha travelled widely across northern India, sharing his teachings with anyone eager to learn—monks, nuns, farmers, royalty, merchants, and people from all walks of life. His teachings emphasised wisdom, moral conduct, mindfulness, compassion, and the potential for every being to awaken.
He established monastic communities, guided thousands of followers, and offered practical teachings that continue to resonate today. The Buddha taught in a simple and accessible manner, focusing on understanding the mind, cultivating virtue, and realising inner peace.
Soon after his enlightenment, the Buddha travelled to Sarnath, where he delivered his first discourse to five former companions. This teaching, known as the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, introduced the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. With this, the Sangha—the community of monks—was born, marking the beginning of the spread of the Dhamma.
Siddhartha eventually settled beneath a fig tree in Bodh Gaya, vowing not to rise until he discovered the truth. After a long night of deep meditation, he awakened to a complete understanding of reality, the nature of suffering, and the path to liberation.
At this moment, Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha—“The Awakened One.”
At 29, Siddhartha made a courageous and transformative decision. Leaving behind his royal life, his family, and all worldly luxuries, he embraced the life of a seeker. This departure, known as the Great Renunciation, was the beginning of his spiritual journey.
He travelled across northern India studying with respected teachers and practising intense forms of meditation and asceticism. Though he mastered these methods, they did not bring the liberation he sought. Realising that extreme self-denial was not the answer, he abandoned harsh austerities and turned toward a balanced approach—a path later called the Middle Way.
Although Siddhartha grew up sheltered, a series of life-changing encounters expanded his understanding of the human condition. While visiting the city beyond the palace walls, he saw an elderly person, a sick person, a corpse, and finally a serene wandering monk. These four sights deeply affected him. They revealed the inescapable truths of aging, illness, and death—and showed him that a spiritual path might offer liberation from suffering.
These moments awakened a profound inner questioning that could not be silenced:
What is the cause of suffering, and is there a path to true peace?
Siddhartha Gautama, who would later become the Buddha, was born around 563 BCE in Lumbini, a region that is now part of Nepal. He was born into the royal Shakya clan to King Suddhodana and Queen Maya. Tradition describes his birth as peaceful and auspicious. After his mother’s passing one week later, Siddhartha was lovingly raised by his aunt, Queen Mahapajapati.
Growing up in the city of Kapilavatthu, Siddhartha enjoyed a privileged and protected life. His father, wishing to shield him from the hardships and uncertainties of the world, ensured he received the finest education, martial training, and a life surrounded by comfort. At the age of sixteen, Siddhartha married Princess Yasodhara, and together they had a son named Rahula.
