After much head-scratching and assistance from the volunteers and users at phpbb.com our forum is now back in business. Please alert Clive or myself if you notice any strange or buggy behaviour on our forum (or any part of our site for that matter) as soon as you notice it as this will help us to fix problems as soon as they arise.

For those of you who've not visited our forum yet, now is a good time as we already have over 160 members and numerous interesting discussion threads. Enjoy!

Malevolent hackers have used a security flaw in the software that runs our forum ( phpBB ) to disable our popular web forum. We're currently looking into the problem and hope to bring the forum back as soon as possible.

This year's Vesak Day celebrations will be held at Dhammaloka on 22nd May. There will be the usual all day program, culminating with circumambulation of the shrine in the evening.

On Monday 23rd May there will be an 8 Precept Practice Day of meditation and teachings being led by Ajahn Sister Vayama.

A more detailed program of events will be posted in May.

Novice ordination for Ho Wei Loong and Simon Blanchard will be held at Dhammaloka on Sunday 3rd April at 12.30pm. All are welcome to attend.

Ajahn Nyanadhammo, abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat in Thailand, along with Ven. Mohshe (an English speaking Thai monk) will be visiting us from 3rd to 10th April and 22nd to 24th April.

SBS Television will be filming the April 21st visit to Bodhinyana Monastery by the Benedictine monks of New Norcia, for the program "The Quest for Meaning" so stayed tuned for that future episode.

In early April Sister Nirodha and Anagarika Adeline will attend Tan Ajahn Dtun's retreat in Melbourne.

Ajahn Vayama will be teaching at Dhammaloka from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th April. There will be a Youth Group meeting at 5pm on Sunday 17th.

Dhammasara will be closed to visitors from Saturday 16th, reopening for dana on Saturday 23rd. The monastery is also closed every Tuesday.

1. Thursday 21st April: Next tour to Bodhinyana Monastery for anyone who hasn't been before and who would like to learn how to offer food to the monks. Leave Kelmscott at 9am, return for 1pm. Bookings essential. Last one booked out. Call Danny 9496 0204 or Rachel 9390 1188.
2. Tuesday 26th April: Next "Beginners Chat Room", 6pm - 7pm, next to main meditation room. Bring all your questions on meditation, the Buddhist society, the monks and nuns, etc,
3. Monday 23rd May: Advance notice: Vesak Day celebration meditating under the full moon.

Please call 9390 1188 if you have enquiries.

After a couple of years of invaluable service to the Sangha and Buddhist community in Perth, our friendly caretaker Scott has decided to move on. So we are now looking for a Buddhist man keeping the 5 precepts to perform the duties of caretaker looking after the reception and vihara at Dhammaloka, looking after the monks when they are visiting the centre and other duties related to the centre. The position is a live-in position and free accommodation is provided onsite at Dhammaloka as well as other benefits associated with the position. It is expected that the position will resume from sometime around the beginning of May.

If you think you might qualify for this position, are interesting in living in a Buddhist environment in Perth, and would like to find out more about the position of co-caretaker please contact Sol to find out more.

Two new talks have been added to the BSWA website; Ajahn Brahmavamso's talk from last week called "Essence Of Pilgrimage" and Ajahn Sister Vayama's talk "Believing Is Seeing". Ajahn Brahm's talk is a reflection upon his recent pilgrimage to the Buddhist holy sites in India and what the experience means him. Ajahn Sister Vayama's talk looks into how the mind creates delusion and how 'beliefs' define the meaning objects in the world have for us.

All our mp3 talks can be downloaded from the "Talks page".

I am just back from Pilgrimage to India and have lots to catch up on. To start with we have Ajahn Sr Vayama's last talk "Dealing with our Thinking" which is now available for download from the "talks section".

There are also two new sutta study talks added to the "Sutta Study section".

There is also a new video talk added to our new "experimental" media section.

there will be more to come so check back again soon.

We are resuming the Beginners' Chat Forum on Friday afternoons from 5 pm
until 6 pm beginning Friday 25th March at Dhammaloka Centre. It will be led
and moderated by Albert Mah. You may have been reading Dhamma books and
listening to Dhamma talks and would like to find out more. This forum will
cater for new Buddhists like you who would like to ask questions, discuss
Dhamma with your peer group and explore Dhamma topics in some detail with
the help of your leader.

Enquiries to Albert Mah on 94505751 or 0417 957 369.

1. Next "Beginners Chat Room" - Tuesday 22nd March, 6pm start. Bring any
questions you want to ask about meditation, the monks or nuns, the
monasteries, the Buddhist Society or even Buddhism. In the room next to the
main meditation room. All welcome.

2. It is the group's 18th birthday on 5th April 2005. We are having a
birthday party and a chocolate cake social after the normal meditation
evening, until 9.50 pm. We hope to have a special guest as teacher. All are
welcome. Numbers limited to 60, so please come early.

Please call if you have enquiries. Rachel Green, (outgoing co-ordinator)
9390 1188.

The theme for the 2nd Australian Youth Buddhist Conference will be Illuminating the Path. The Conference will be examining the fundamental principles of the Buddha's teaching and applying them to various aspects of life. It will also be addressing issues which affect the youth of today, giving the delegates a different way to approach their own lives and also those around them. The sessions will be conducted by renowned Buddhist speakers and include topics such as Mental Imbalance, A Smile Before Death, Haunted by Guilt, The Big Issue and The "Destructive" Pain Killers.

Date: Friday, 15th - Sunday, 17th July 2005
Venue: St George Girls High School, Victoria Street, Kogarah in Syndey
Time: 8:45am registration
Cost (includes vegetarian lunch, morning & afternoon tea): $20 (for one day), $35 (for three days) with an early bird discount of $25 (for 3days) if paying by 15th June.
Registration can be made via post or through our website http://illuminate.mitra.org.au

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free email illuminate@mitra.org.au. The organisers are also looking for support to help run the conference - if you would like to support the event in any way, please contact the sponsorship manager, Vi Phan (vp@student.usyd.edu.au or 0415 188 486).