About the Society
The Buddhist Society of Australia was established on 9 September 2024 and is a charity registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
We are an unincorporated association based in Sydney, governed by a committee of volunteers. Everyone who helps run the Society gives their time freely.
Our purpose
Our rules set out the purpose we exist to serve:
The Buddhist Society of Australia aims to promote the teachings of Buddha, provide support for Buddhist practitioners, and contribute to the well-being of the community through charitable activities aligned with Buddhist values.
Our vision
A compassionate and mindful society where the teachings of Buddha are accessible to all who seek them, and where community wellbeing is enhanced through meditation, Dharma education, and charitable service.
What we do
We hold meditation sessions online three evenings a week, open to anyone who would like to join. In our first year we met on campus at the University of Sydney and the University of Technology Sydney.
- Meditation sessions introduce Buddhist meditation techniques, and we practise them together. They are designed for beginners as well as experienced practitioners.
- Dharma discussions explore the teachings of the Buddha in an open, conversational way.
- Gatherings bring people together for chanting, reflection and sharing the teachings.
- Retreats. In our first year, members of the Society took part in a meditation retreat in Melbourne, for a longer period of practice.
Open to all
We are not tied to one school of Buddhism. People from every Buddhist tradition are welcome, and so are people with no background in Buddhism at all.
How the Society is run
The Society is governed by its rules and by a committee of management. The committee members are the Society’s responsible persons under the ACNC’s rules, and they make sure the Society is well managed and pursues its charitable purpose. They are all volunteers, and the Society has no paid staff.
Our financial year ends on 30 June. Each year we report to the ACNC, and our rules, annual report and financial report are published on our record on the ACNC Charity Register.
Becoming a member
Anyone who supports the purposes of the Society and agrees to be bound by its rules can apply to become a member. You can tell us you would like to join on our Get in touch page.
Looking ahead
Our first annual report sets out what we hope to do next: continue and expand our meditation sessions and Dharma discussions, hold regular weekly and monthly gatherings, organise community events open to the wider public, and develop educational resources on Buddhist teachings. You can follow what we are doing in our News.
Registration details
- Legal name
- Buddhist Society of Australia
- ABN
- 35 892 665 974
- Official website
- buddhistsocietiesofaustralia.org
- Structure
- Unincorporated association
- Based in
- Sydney, NSW
- Sessions held
- Online
- Registered charity since
- 9 September 2024
- Financial year ends
- 30 June
- info@
buddhistsocietiesofaustralia.org
Looking for a different organisation?
buddhistsocietiesofaustralia.org is the official website of Buddhist Society of Australia, ABN 35 892 665 974, the charity registered with the ACNC under that ABN. We are a separate organisation from Buddhist Society of Australia Inc, which is based in Victoria, and we are not connected with it. If that is the organisation you were looking for, you can find it on its own ACNC record.
Gifts
The Society is not a deductible gift recipient, so gifts to us are not tax-deductible.