Melbourne River Sangha

13/03/2026

Thich Nhat Hanh disciples

Weekend Mindfulness and Health Retreat
(only small group with limited tickets)

Join the Melbourne River Sangha for a weekend retreat guided by Brother Pháp Lữ, a disciple of the Venerable Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh and senior monastic in the Plum Village tradition. This Mindfulness and Health retreat will support participants to develop inner peace and harmony while rejuvenating mind, body, and soul through a specific diet and other holistic well-being practices. Together as a flowing river, we aim to expand our awareness of the interdependence between the food we consume, our body, our mind, and the environment we live in.

For the full event details and to register, please see our Eventbrite page:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/mindfulness-health-retreat-with-br-phap-lu-disciple-of-thich-nhat-hanh-tickets-1982608757163?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios

02/03/2026

Weekend Retreat

Join the Melbourne River Sangha for a weekend retreat guided by Brother Pháp Lữ, a disciple of the Venerable Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh and senior monastic in the Plum Village tradition. This Mindfulness and Health retreat will support participants to develop inner peace and harmony while rejuvenating mind, body, and soul through a specific diet and other holistic well-being practices. Together as a flowing river, we aim to expand our awareness of the interdependence between the food we consume, our body, our mind, and the environment we live in.

For the full event details and to register, please see our Eventbrite page:

Immerse yourself in an intensive retreat combining meditation, hiking in nature, and extended time under Br Pháp Lữ's guidance

02/03/2026

Brother Pháp Lữ will share from his decades of wisdom integrating Eastern and Western medicine with Buddhist practice.

02/03/2026

Join Brother Pháp Lữ for a full day of traditional practice, including the Eight Precepts, dharma teachings, and meditation.

14/02/2026

09/02/2026

Celebrating Tết

Plum Village offers these parallel verses to mark Tết, the Lunar New Year 2026.

24/11/2025

Flooding appeal for Central Vietnam. Please help!!!

You may deposit into our Sangha bank account

Name: MELBOURNE RIVER SANGHA
BSB: 633000
Account number: 232117564
Ref: Vietnam Flood

We will receive donation till 19 Dec 2025

14/06/2025

Ending suffering and leading to liberation.

Dear Friends,
In my last dharma talk, I have mentioned the Samiddhi Sutra for true peace and happiness.

In the Samiddhi Sutta, the Buddha recited the last teaching gatha for the goddess:

“Ending desire, overcoming the three complexes, our mind is stilled, you have nothing to long for. We lay aside all affliction and sorrow, in this life and in lives to come.”

Here the Buddha refers to the cessation of craving (taṇhā), a core cause of suffering (dukkha) in the Four Noble Truths.

The three complexes—superiority, inferiority, and equality—each rooted in ego, discrimination and comparison.

The practice of attaining mental calmness (samatha) leading towards insight (vipassanā) and equanimity (upeksha). The state of non-attachment and contentment.

At this point, we can abandon afflictions and suffering and obtain liberation, transcend the cycle of rebirth (samsāra).

May all be well. 🙏❤️⛰
Brother Joyful Mountain (Hỷ Sơn)

30/05/2025

Dear Friends,

In 2010, with a few sangha friends, we chose a name for our practicing community (sangha) “Birrarung” which is aboriginal name for the Yarra River. The main river for our City of Melbourne.
We later changed it to Melbourne River Sangha to keep things simple and easy to remember but the meaning is still the same.
We chose this name because our Plum Villlage Monastery is Nhap Luu means “Stream” and Stream and River are interbeing.
Also Thay teaches us to “Go As a River” a deep teaching of practicing and living in harmony and togetherness. This teaching can be applied to our own family, the work place and community.

This is the meaning behind the name.
With gratitude.
Brother Joyful Mountain
Chân Hỷ Sơn

07/05/2025

Vesak Day

05/03/2025

Public Talk by Brother Phap Lu Tues 11 March 2025
Registration - Please Click here:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/public-talk-qa-mindfulness-and-health-with-brother-phap-lu-tickets-1270206524909?aff=oddtdtcreator

28/02/2025

A day of practice with Brother Phap Lu.
Registration now open.

Experience mindfulness practice at Tu An Monastery, Sunday March 9, 2025. Join us for guided meditation, Dharma talks, and vegetarian lunch.