Awareness hermitage

solitude - tranquility - joy

Awareness Hermitage is envisioned as a place to connect with the inner tranquility and joy that is the true nature of all beings. As a place of solitude and meditation, the hermitage will be a refuge for those seeking to awaken their deepest inner qualities. Non-sectarian and welcoming to all irrespective of religious affiliation, the hermitage will provide an annual public program of Buddhist teachings as well as secular retreats of varying lengths focused on wisdom and compassion for the modern world. Awareness Hermitage will also be a carbon farm. A carbon farm is a landscape managed to capture and store carbon in trees and other plants while restoring ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity, and safeguarding the health and resilience of the natural environment for future generations. In time, Awareness Hermitage will provide eco retreat huts at low cost for practitioners wanting to undertake self-supported solitary retreats. Awareness Hermitage will alsoinclude a dedicated nature refuge where birds and other wildlife will be protected and allowed to thrive.

The location for Awareness Hermitage will be the stunning Dorrigo Plateau, in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales. The highest point on the plateau is an elevation of 1,437 metres. The township of Dorrigo sits at 731 metres. This gives the region a cool, temperate climate. The plateau is the home to the world heritage listed Dorrigo National Park. Dorrigo plateau sits above the hinterland of the Mid North Coast, approximately an hour from Coffs Harbour and its beautiful beaches. Coffs Harbour has a domestic airport and train station, both connecting the region to Sydney and Brisbane. The hermitage will be created and governed as a compassionate not-for-profit organisation established to bring environmental and spiritual benefits to current and future generations, and to advance Buddhism in Australia.

Image: Dorrigo Plateau

The creation of Awareness Hermitage will happen in phases:

  1. Fundraising (ongoing until completion)
  2. Purchasing an appropriate property
  3. Surveying and drawing up plans for the hermitage and acquiring development approvals
  4. Creating conservation plan for and establishing the nature preserve
  5. Establishing the carbon farm
  6. Building eco retreat huts for short, medium and long term retreatants

We are now fundraising to make our vision of the Pristine Awareness Hermitage a reality. The first step is to buy land. If you would like to help make Awareness Hermitage a reality by lending your expertise or giving your time please get in touch by clicking the contact button below.

We also gratefully welcome donations of any amount towards the creation of the hermitage. Your donations will go solely to buying land for the retreat center. Please note that though we are not a profit-making entity donations to us are not currently tax deductible. Donations to religious organisations in Australia are generally not tax deductible unless they provide a benevolent service (feeding the poor etc.). Sadly, creating a retreat centre is not seen as a benevolent service by the Australian Tax Office.

View the gallery below for more images of the Dorrigo Plateau (note: the images go the right way up when you click on them)

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