On my way out of Byron Bay, I stopped by Crystal Castle for a few hours of mediation & exploring. Castle Castle, situated 20 minutes inland from Byron Bay, is said to be, “a sacred escape; it offers a unique place to “Enrich your Spirit”. Walk the ancient labyrinth, discover the gardens and rainforest, and wander the famous Buddha Walk. Lined with rose quartz and hand carved statues behold the awe inspiring presence of the blessing Buddha”.
I did The Rainforest Walk, which is 1 km long and is lined by trees planted by the community (pictured above) I also spent some time on the labyrinth, also known as ‘a walk of spiritual reflection’, These can be found in India, Arizona, Java, Peru, Iceland, Crete, Egypt and Europe and they are designed for the same purpose; “as a form of meditative inquiry, an entrance into sacred time and space to seek insight or inspiration”.
It takes approximately 20 minutes to get to the centre and the aim is to rid yourself of any thoughts or distractions along the way. Walking the labyrinth can be extraordinarily healing.
The stupa, (only part of it pictured above), is a sacred monument built by the Tibetan Buddhists to represent the process of enlightenment. Pictured above are two of the forty brass prayer wheels which were handmade in Nepal over 350 years by one family. Each prayer wheel contains 130,000 ‘Om mani Padme Hum‘ mantras which the Tibetans believe when a prayer wheel is turned, the prayers inside are released into the universe for the benefit of all. I turned all forty twice for something a little more 😉
And the last of the experiences was The Buddha Walk, where I looked at & read about the Ganesh, the Lakshmi, the Avalokiteshvara & of course the Buddha. Learning about each of the statues, especially the Buddha really fired up a desire to learn more. Taken from the Buddha walk, “Buddhism is a path of spiritual development and practice that leads the enquirer to insight into the true nature of life. The basic principles are straightforward and practical, nothing is seen as fixed or permanent, actions have consequences (karma) and change is possible. Buddhism offers practical methods such as meditation that enable people to transform their experience, to be fully responsible for their lives and to develop the qualities of wisdom, kindness and compassion”.
You can’t physically walk away from Crystal Castle without changing & shifting internally. There’s so many great things you can take away from Buddhism and apply to your own life without making your life all about Buddhism. It was the perfect thing to do before my drive back to Brisbane, at the end of my holiday. I would also recommend spending some time at the end in the Lotus Cafe, overlooking the Byron hills. Even if you don’t buy anything to eat, it’s a great spot to sit, look out and gather your thoughts. I of course, had to treat myself to something sweet!
Crystal Castle is open daily from 10am to 5pm (except Christmas) and you can find out more about the place & how to get there by following THIS link.
Anna Ventures 