Dhamma In Darwin

I have just returned from four days in Darwin in the far north of Australia where I had gone for the funeral of Upail Ranasinghe. Upali was both a longtime friend and one of the driving forces behind getting the Buddhist Society of Northern Territory established. Because of him, what was a large block of barren land is now a collection of buildings (hall, kutis, shrine room and stupa) set in botanical gardens-like grounds. Nicest of all, two Tibetan monks, a Burmese monk and a Vietnamese nun all live together in harmony, each catering to their respective communities and participating together in joint activities. Large crowds attended Upali's funeral and after it was over I had a few restful days meditating and meeting friends.