Dharmachakra Wheel and Deer Set: Gateway to the Buddha's Teachings
We invite you to sponsor the Dharmachakra Wheel and Deer Set that will grace the exterior of the Sakya Temple of Peace, positioned prominently above the entrance doors. This magnificent 4-foot high traditional ornament, currently being gilded in gold in Nepal, will serve as a welcoming beacon to all who visit our temple.
The Dharmachakra, or Wheel of Dharma, represents the Buddha's first teaching at Deer Park in Sarnath, where he set in motion the wheel of Dharma by delivering the Four Noble Truths. The wheel's eight spokes symbolize the Noble Eightfold Path, the Buddha's practical guidance for achieving liberation from suffering.
On either side of the Wheel Of Dharma are a buck and doe, recreating the historic setting of the Buddha's first sermon. These gentle creatures hold profound symbolic significance in Buddhist tradition. The deer in Sarnath were unafraid of humans, representing the fearlessness that comes from dwelling in a sanctuary of peace and compassion. Their presence recalls how beings naturally gather when the dharma is taught, drawn by its inherent truth and liberating qualities.
Sponsoring or contributing towards the $6,000 Dharmachakra Wheel and Deer Set helps establish the Sakya Temple of Peace as an authentic center for Buddhist study and practice in Australia. By supporting this traditional ornament, you connect our temple to a spiritual lineage stretching back to the Buddha's first teachings.
The Sakya Temple of Peace is currently being built in Kambah, Canberra. This will be a new Tibetan Buddhist temple in the nation's capital and a beacon of peace, kindness and understanding for Australia and the world.
We are so close to realising this dream, but we need your help!
To complete the project on time in only six months by September 2025, we need to raise $500,000 by 31 May 2025.
Scroll down to see all the items below that you can sponsor, ranging from $20 for a Stupa brick to $50,000 for the centrepiece 5.5ft Sakyamuni Buddha Statue. You can sponsor a whole item, or make a contribution towards one or more of them.
All donations are tax deductible in Australia.
Sponsorship of these items will contribute towards our overall goal of raising $500,000. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to opening the doors of this sacred space as scheduled.
If 1,000 people donated just $500 each, we will reach the goal!
Could you be one of these people for this final push to bring the temple to life?
You can also make a general donation by clicking on the Donate Here button above.
Don't want to donate online?
You can make a deposit directly into our bank account. If there is a particular item you wish to sponsor, please email president@sakya.com.au with the details and we will update the Fundrazr tally manually. The bank account details are:
Account name: SBF
BSB: 633-000
Account number: 130 960 883
Thank you for being part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
