Kate Beveridge does not consider herself a Buddhist nor does she wish to wander the globe barefoot and homeless.
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But that hasn’t stopped the Anambah organic farmer from lending her support – and land – to a movement designed to promote Buddhist values across the country.
For two weeks in July, 30 Buddhists and Buddhist sympathisers will live together in tents at the Purple Pear Farm as part of the Hunter Valley’s first Plain Buddhist Tent Village.
The brainchild of Buddhist monk Jason Chan, the concept was designed to create a fully functional but temporary village run in accordance with early Buddhist principles.
“I’m not a Buddhist, but I guess you could say I’m a Buddhist sympathiser. I’ve read books and I’ve been to see the Dalai Lama and I think the teachings are wonderful,” Ms Beveridge said.
“I’ve met Jason, he’s stayed with us, and I just really like his philosophy and I love what he’s doing.
“In many ways we have the same philosophy when it comes to simple living and not getting on the consumer bandwagon.”
Known as the walking monk, Bhante Chan wanders barefoot and homeless, with no money and little more than three robes and a bowl.
He hopes the tent village will be a mirror of ordinary life, with adults working on the organic farm according to Buddhist cooperative principles and children attending the village-home-school according to Buddhist educational principles.
The makeshift village is the first brushstroke for a bigger picture that includes the future establishment of Plain Buddhist Permaculture Villages, Plain Buddhist Permaculture Urban Cooperatives, Plain Buddhist Schools and a Plain Buddhist Micro-financial system in the Hunter Valley, Newcastle and Sydney regions.
Organisers of the tent village have also turned to crowd funding to raise $22,000 to cover expenses for the Anambah event which include a 24 foot tepee and 14 days of organic groceries.
“I think the only way for us to get back to a life that doesn’t abuse the planet, and people, is to live a lot more simply and with less resources,” Ms Beveridge said.
Bhante Chan will preface the tent village with a series of free public talks at Purple Pear Farm – 131 Anambah Road – from April 4 until May 30 from 6.15pm. The village will be held from July 4 to July 19.
For more information about the village or crowd funding for the concept email buddhist.tent.village@gmail.com.