serving the faith communities of the Goulburn Valley
You are invited to decorate the Community Christmas Tree of Remembrance with messages written on cards to family members, friends and pets who have died to include them in the spirit of Christmas. For Christmas 2019, the Community Christmas Trees are located at the Eastbank Centre Foyer, Shepparton Library and Mooroopna Library.
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Greater Shepparton City Council proudly presents the overwhelmingly popular local Christmas family tradition, Carols by Candlelight at Queens Gardens on Sunday 22nd of December, 2019, at 6:30pm – to 9:30pm
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Shepparton Sikhs are joining celebrations all across the world for the 550th birthday of the first guru – Guru Nanak – which runs throughout the month of November. An open day at Shepparton’s Sikh Temple will take place on Wednesday 11 December 2019 at 7.00pm. The Shepparton Sikh community welcomes all visitors.
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The Victorian Government is supporting Victoria’s Sikh communities as they kick off celebrations for the 550th birthday anniversary of Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak during 2019. The Sikh Community of Shepparton, along with the Guru Nanak Sikh Society of Shepparton invite you to an open house on the evening of Wednesday, 11 December 2019
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Practiced by more than 25 million people worldwide, Sikhism has deeper roots in modern Pakistan than India-but ever since the two countries were partitioned by Great Britain in 1947, the tempestuous relationship between the two nations has made it difficult for Sikhs from India to visit holy sites in Pakistan, and vice versa.
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Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo calls for an end to the inferior status of Buddhist nuns, and of Buddhist women generally.
Gender inequality is difficult to rationalize in a tradition that supposedly proclaims enlightenment for all. When questioned by his faithful attendant Ananda, the Buddha assured him that women have equal potential to achieve the fruits of the path, including liberation, the ultimate realisation. This definitive statement should have been sufficient to clear the path for women’s equality, but social realities rarely match theoretical ideals.
They say to give your heart to the Lord, but there is another higher power involved in the heart health of Shepparton’s Greek Orthodox Church, thanks to the National Australia Bank.
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The Scanlon Foundation conducts an annual 90-question report to assess Australian community attitudes to migration over time. On the whole, Australians feel better about themselves than news bulletins might suggest.Positive attitudes towards immigration have continued to predominate. Most respondents agreed that “multiculturalism has been good for Australia”. Respondents have been equally divided on the question “Do you think the government is too harsh in its treatment of asylum seekers?”. Australians are most likely to feel uneasy about Muslim immigrants than other faith groups. Concern about the environment and climate change has almost doubled – the largest annual increase since the survey began.
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BANGKOK (AP) — She made him wait for her while she chatted with Thailand’s king and queen. She chided him for only visiting Bangkok and not the “real Thailand.” And she got a chuckle out of “Jorge” when she took her time translating his off-the-cuff Spanish for local priests and nuns to understand.
Sister Ana Rosa Sivori has taken something of a star turn during her second cousin’s visit to Thailand, assuming an unprecedented role for a woman as papal whisperer and translator, who doesn’t seem fazed that her charge is Pope Francis.
There’s a question that’s being debated a lot these days—do we as Buddhists have a moral duty to quit Facebook or is it possible to practice right conduct in the middle of a fake news feed?
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The World Premiere of Kristallnacht Cantata, a stunning and imaginative orchestral and choral piece commemorating events surrounding Kristallnacht, the chilling precursor to the Holocaust. Two men, one German Jewish, one Australian Aboriginal, from vastly different backgrounds, form a bond of kinship and courage that distance and culture cannot divide. The premiere takes place at Temple Beth Israel, St Kilda, on the evening of 8 December 2019
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Greater Shepparton Women’s Charter Alliance Advisory Committee in collaboration with Shepparton Library, will host a view and chat event focussed on Gender Rights and Related Issues at the Shepparton Library on the Evening of Friday, 29 November.
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Bendigo’s Sikh community has unveiled a golden Ik Onkar statue at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion Peace Park.
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For a modern Buddhist practitioner, the developed story and figure of the Buddha is a bit like a venerated piece of antique furniture, with a fine patina on it from centuries of handling by previous generations. We are also adding our own fingerprints to it. But trying to dig back to the “bare facts” of the Buddha’s life can be like stripping the patina off a fine antique—something many people would be wary of doing, since it might be disrespectful to the original. However, perhaps it is necessary, as the “antique” Buddha needs restoring, and doing so may reveal the various decorations that have been added over the centuries.
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The Australian society has changed significantly since cemeteries in Victoria were planned and designed 150 years ago. But there haven’t been any major redevelopment or review of the community’s changing requirements for what happens to our bodies when we die. Here, the migrant community’s preference for cremation is having an effect.
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Whether it’s for the sake of animal welfare, reducing your carbon footprint or health reasons, becoming vegetarian is an admirable decision. However, if you’re just starting out, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. (We are not advocating a vegetarian diet for any spiritual nor religious reason; it simply makes sense to be vegetarian you can reduce your carbon footprint considerably if you do this…)
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At 11am on 11 November 1918 the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare. This is commemorated every year in Australia with Remembrance Day events at cenotaphs in every village, town and city. Remembrance Day is a significant memorial in the life of Australia as a nation. The photo on the right is The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France.
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The Jewish people have tikkun olam, repair of our broken world. Tikkun olam is a Jewish concept defined by acts of kindness performed to perfect or repair the world. The phrase is found in the Mishnah, a body of classical rabbinic teachings.
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The goal of Shin Buddhism’s central practice, nembutsu, is not to attain buddhahood for ourselves, but to express gratitude for all we have received.
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A new publication, The Sustainability Book offers online texts and resources about the Sustainable Development Goals for use by congregations, gatherings, and individuals.
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