ABOUT US
Mahamudra Centre for Universal Unity is situated on 8 acres in the inspirational setting of Colville Valley, Coromandel Peninsula. Surrounded by native bush, farm land and the lovely hills of the Coromandel range, our ambience is conducive to peace, calm and spiritual practice.
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Mahamudra Centre is a charitable trust in New Zealand and affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) – an international organisation in the Gelugpa tradition which has over 150 centres, hospices and projects worldwide.
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Mahayana (Sanskrit for “Great Vehicle”) is one of two main existing branches of Buddhism (the other being Theravada) and a term used in the classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice.
OUR HISTORY
Back in the early 1980s, Colville locals Roy Fraser and Sally Barraud saw the opportunity to build a beautiful retreat centre in the Coromandel Peninsula. They envisioned bringing Tibetan Buddhist teachers of meditation to help others develop their minds in order to find true happiness.
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Following the advice of their teacher, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who is the Spiritual Director of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), they bought a local farmhouse and land. With the help of many kind volunteers and community members, they began transforming it into the amazing peaceful refuge it is now.
Mahamudra Centre for Universal Unity welcomes anyone who is searching for inner peace, and provides many retreats, public talks, courses, prayers and other activities to provide the tools to develop a happy and positive mind.
What We Offer
Mahamudra Centre offers a peaceful and supportive environment for retreat. We provide spacious, light-filled retreat cabins for solitary practice, along with logistical support to help you focus fully on your experience.
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Our secluded and beautiful Gompa is available for meditation and other spiritual practices, offering a quiet space for reflection and inner work. The Stupa, surrounded by an easy-to-navigate walkway, invites gentle, relaxing circumambulation, and a dedicated meditation room is located beneath it.
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The grounds are open and thoughtfully tended, creating a welcoming and serene setting. We also have a well-stocked Dharma Library and a small shop offering books, malas, altar cloths, and more.
Other FPMT Centres in New Zealand
Mahamudra Centre is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). The FPMT is an organization devoted to preserving and spreading Mahayana Buddhism worldwide by creating opportunities to listen, reflect, meditate, practice and actualize the unmistaken teachings of the Buddha and based on that experience spreading the Dharma to sentient beings.
Other FPMT Centres in New Zealand:
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