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447 Morphett St, PO Box 10454, T: 61 8 8353 0000 |
 HistoryThe history of the Lifeflow Meditation Centre has been one of steady perserverance towards a common goal: translating the knowledge, skill and wisdom of the meditation tradition (principally two of the Buddhist traditions - see Where do the Lifeflow Meditations come from) into a form that is relevant and applicable to contemporary Australian life. The association owes its existence to the effort and dedication of the Director, Dr Graham Williams, and the many members who continue to contribute time and energy to the organization, nearly all on a voluntary basis. Dr Williams first encountered the meditation teaching when he was studying music in Paris in the early 1970s. During that time he became a student of the Canadian Namgyal Rinpoche. Rinpoche was part of the Karma Kargyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche had also trained extensively in the Burmese tradition of meditation as well, and so was able to teach across both traditions. Dr Williams spent ten years training under Namgyal Rinpoche. Upon his return to Adelaide, Dr Williams began teaching at the Elder Conservatorium at the University of Adelaide (see Dr Graham Williams – music biography). It was during this time that many of the students at the Conservatorium became interested in meditation and what it could offer. Gradually, Dr Williams began teaching meditation, organizing and running retreats and guiding people in their meditation work. As membership increased, an Incorporated Association was formed in 1981 to ensure accountable management of funds and resources. Tara Hills Retreat Centre was purchased in 1982. At the time of purchase, there was only the main house (where the Teachers now stay during retreats and courses) and a garage (which has now been completely replaced by the new Maier Dining Room – see below ). Prior to this time, all classes had been held in Adelaide, but gradually the teaching efforts focused more on retreat work and classes at Tara Hills. The retreat accommodation building was constructed in 1990 and the main teaching hall in 1992. Funds for these acquisitions and buildings were raised entirely by donations and bequests. In 1994 and 1995 we replanted trees and shrubs at the bottom boundary of the main of the property. In 2006 the Centre undertook the complete rebuilding of our kitchen shed. Thanks to a generous bequest by the late Mr Bernhard Maier, the Centre was able to construct a purpose built dining hall and kitchen. As part of the new building, a separate room was constructed to house the Centre's library, plus putting in disabled toilet facilities. The new dining room has been greatly valued by everyone who has been on retreat – it offers stunning views of surrounding Native Valley, and is a joy to use through all seasons of the year. See our page on the building of the Maier Dining Room. Kurlana Mallee Sanctuary, the association's second retreat property, is used only for advanced retreat practices. Kurlana came into being thanks to the generosity of the dairy farmer, John Thorn, who owned the cottage and surrounding mallee scrubland. He offered the unused cottage to Dr Williams for retreat practice. From these early days, the Centre's use of the property gradually increased, and it was eventually purchased in 1990. As part of the purchase, the 1000 acre mallee scrub block was converted to a Natural Heritage area, which protects the scrub from any further clearing of its native vegetation. In 1998-99 and in 2003 we completed an extensive revegetation program. This involved replanting a large area of cleared land behind and in front of the scrub with trees and bushes indigenous to the location. Our revegetation efforts have sparked the interest of neighbouring farmers, who have now begun similar Landcare projects. We have also undertaken extensive maintenance of the original farm cottage, which was one of the very first built in the area (about 1910). In the late 1990s, it became clear that the association needed to establish a teaching venue in the city to make the teaching more available to a wider range of people, and to set high ethical and practical standards for the teaching of meditation in the wider community. This move was led by John Burston, and has resulted in the formation of our successful city program (and adopting the name of The Lifeflow Meditation Centre) which now offers a range of courses from 7-week introductory courses to a five-year part-time program of study. Our City Studio was originally located in Norwood, however we reached the point where we needed a larger teaching space and in 2008 moved to our current address in the city. See details on our City Studio page. |
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meditation courses
