Report of
Dhamma Teaching
at the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.
1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001
Written by John D. Hughes Dip. App. Chem. T.T.T.C. G.D.A.I.E.
Founder and resident Dhamma Teacher Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.
Vice President World Fellowship of Buddhists
General Introduction to Our Status Position
All thought begin with some basic assumptions.
The world is passing through one of the greatest phases of human history.
A Dhamma Teacher has to be a model of adult attitudes and behavior.
As Buddha Dhamma practitioners we take a firm stand that we are not responsible to the tenets of some creative god or other for our moral direction.
Our future is recognised as the propagation of sound Buddhist values.
We take our moral directions for our behavior from the precepts of Lord Buddha and have to choose to weave these into some form of global humanism. This is because we understand the right causes and effect can be made by each of our Members and friends.
The motivation for any human activity is always multidimensional and we have no reason not to present ourselves as dealing with complexity.
We believe knowledge is transmitted by authority. Hence most of the time we take the host position of authority.
Introduction to our Goals and Values.
Perhaps some time in the future we will have the capacity and staff to produce a thousand references and footnotes on each work.
But alas, this desirable luxury is not available to us at present. There is such a pressing demand for our quantity of work but we will not slow our productivity for some ideal state. We are practical and expedient in what we deliver.
Our target audience varies somewhat, so we produce written Dhamma having a fair degree of variation in readability.
We assume our listeners are as intelligent as we are.
For example, our Flesch Grade Level for one year of our radio broadcasts ranged from 8.3 to 13.7. This is equivalent to secondary school to second year undergraduate. We have a fair amount of retention in defining the topic we write about.
Our reading level measurements are found in the appendix of this paper.
The position from which we write has been carefully looked at and has three faces, a host position, guest position and a functional position. Eighty per cent of our writing is from the host position.
We have a time constraint - each week to produce a program for the Buddhist Hour broadcast.
Clearly the students need to be careful of writing from the host position. If they don’t have that understanding of the level they are trying to write about, it is better to attribute to a Master via a quote.
We work swiftly, most papers are produced in a matter of days. However on rare occasions our Teacher might take the luxury time of two months to edit a paper.
Our Teacher is the Executive Producer of each script and generally edits to take the position of which order of knowledge (1-12) is to be expounded in the body text that week. He may rewrite, add additional material or add further references to achieve this preferred position for the paper. His assistant writers provide the attenuated arguments to fill out the dialogue of the paper.
The structure of the arguments presented will vary because of time limits of a broadcast script. Lengthy rigorous reasoning, such as seven fold logic is not provided in most cases although it may be inferred from statements made in the text. Because the body of text contains references found via ISYS searching (where 20 paragraphs may be pasted from the search result into the script) we do not print the 800 or so references we turn up on an ISYS search.
Scholars who know the specific topic will recognise our un-cited references.
For general reading we direct seekers to our John D. Hughes Collection of library references online at www.bdcu.org.au. There are about 4000 Buddha Dhamma indexed references on line at present.
We admit that very little “original work” in the Western scholarship sense is done for the average broadcast talk.
Yet bringing together dozens of good ideas in the course of one talk could be treated as a critical review or “state of the art outline”!
We seldom write references of positions we reject as being outside our universe of discourse.
We hold that as long as we display the styles in conformance with our five styles- Friendliness, Cultural Adaptability, Practicality, Professionalism and Scholarship, it serves our purposes and can be acceptable to the audience who is there to learn.
To deliver something that is both spoken on air and delivered in text on our Internet sites is a fine balance which we think we achieve most of the time. That balance is our leading edge.
We are writing for an adult audience most of who use English as a second language. We conform with the canonical literature and commentaries in fine analysis.
For these reasons we believe as a fact we fill a growing need for material that is beyond a “beginners” level, and it works.
Our Teacher is 70 years old and considering converting his age to Celsius.
1.0 Our Views on Writing Buddha Dhamma
Like food and cooking, English writing styles are formed by geographical boundaries. We do not wish to inflame a Sydney/Melbourne controversy, nevertheless it is true that the image and style of Sydney television, newspapers and radio is distinct from Melbourne television, newspapers and radio. We would not be surprised if future historians refer to our writing style as the Melbourne style.
The words of Buddha Dhamma are potent. The practice of Buddha Dhamma is enduring. We are able to make merit in three distinct ways from writing Buddha Dhamma for Dana. Firstly we present it as an object of hearing consciousness, e.g. sound on radio broadcasts and Dhamma talks. We care for the words that have been written about in many Buddha Dhamma texts. In Buddha Dhamma, although some words and phrases take on special meaning, free of doubt or confusion, Buddha Dhamma is not taught by the method of the dictionary. Secondly, we provide it in proper written form so that seeing consciousness can be used. Thirdly, we place it on the Internet with hypertext to awake the mind.
We aim to continue to write in our polyglot style but stay non-provocative while making boundaries clear when they exist and need explanation within our religion.
Our Intended Audiences
We wish to write in accordance with the Dhamma to reach persons who have minds well developed from western education, but uncultivated from the viewpoint of Dhamma, and for well educated persons with Dhamma in their heart but who desire to learn to speak and write in this English language as a special language. Many persons, Devas and Devatas help guide us in developing our writing style.
A subjective assessment of our “friendly rivals” comparative work
We have respect for Monks and Nuns who choose to reside in Australia.
A Sydney style of Dhamma writing maybe evolving. Resident in Sydney, Australia for most of the time, the Venerable Pannyovarro, founder of Buddha Net at http://www.buddhanet.net.au has a written style that meets our criteria with his in-depth approach to meditation instructions. This Monk knows Pali but does not use it in his writings. The Australian Monk who spent some time in Sydney, Dr. Nick Rybush developed a similar writing style. These are subjective assessments.
Some time this year, when we get time, we will get readability rating ranges on their pieces and compare with our results.
As our Members increase their Dhamma understanding, they practice use of Pali vocabulary every year. We want our publications in multimedia to hold sound Buddha Dhamma instructions in the style of English as a second language with Pali romanised free of diacritical marks.
It makes good economic sense that our Dhamma teaching is delivered by specialist Internet sites. With more and more Internet sites, we can tailor them to different reading levels and operate under many different overseas demands. In time, our trainee broadcast scriptwriters are introduced to the needed technical level of order of knowledges terms and rigour of Buddha Dhamma methodologies and they follow our self censorship. On some websites in the future, we will increase our use of Pali canonical references on some sites, on other sites we will add Chinese and Sanskrit characters to make the Dhamma clear.
While on the topic of subjective assessments we have not seen demonstration or clarity of the existence of higher order expression in our library journals received to date in French (Vietnamese) or Italian popular writing. Whenever we try to translate them we find them lacking in rigor.
Perhaps we need more powerful translators.
In saying this, we have no intention to reflect on the intelligence or motive of Italian and French writers in general. Perhaps someone overseas could measure the reading levels on these foreign pieces so we could compare them with our recorded ranges for our literary base.
2.0 Buddha Dhamma Tradition
Irrespective of local styles, for over 2500 years, Buddha Dhamma in the Theravadin tradition has helped people understand the causes for personal happiness. Buddha Dhamma is relevant, practical and timeless in all countries.
Our resident Teacher and Founder of our Centre, John D. Hughes, made a place for persons in order to introduce a philosophy of life based on Buddha Dhamma and to encourage the prime study, practice and realisation of Buddha Dhamma within Theravadin tradition.
Our Founder’s dedication to the propagation of Buddha Dhamma has helped make our Temple the oldest Buddhist Temple in Victoria in the same location.
The Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. (BDC(U)Ltd.) is a Regional Centre of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB), and an associated Spiritual Training Centre of the World Buddhist University.
We take the high ground with objectives that include:
To promote among Members strict observance and practice of the Teachings of the Buddha;
To propagate the sublime doctrine of the Buddha.
A deep and comprehensive treatment of a variety of traditional methods are taught at our Centre.
For those who can benefit from a Mahayana approach, we make such teachings available. Within a clear framework, our Centre has a variety of traditional Buddha Dhamma programs, including Prajna Paramitayana and Ch’an.
For decades, we have intended to introduce Pali words, (without diacritical marks), into the English language; just as sutra has become an English word (see OED).
3.0 Teachings to Raise Insight and Mindfulness and obtain balance in practice
Mindfulness of the present happenings is the main practice.
Traditionally called Vipassana, Members can view anicca (the ever-changing nature of things) and head towards path of entry of Nibbana (sotapan or better).
Venerable Lin Muni, a Cambodian Monk, has guided Vipassana at our Centre many times.
3.1 Buddha Dhamma Teaching Times
Buddha Dhamma Teachings are taught to the Public, by our resident Teacher John D. Hughes at the Centre every Monday and Friday evening starting at 7.30pm.
Private teaching occurs everyday by appointment, for Members.
3.2 Prajnaparamita Teachings
We are happy to report Master John D. Hughes teaches the Prajnaparamita Sutta on the Perfection of Wisdom Tuesday evenings starting at 7.30pm. These rare Teachings are being taught for three years and three moons concluding on Versak 2002. Those wishing to join in these unique teachings are encouraged to become Members of our Centre and those who cannot keep precepts are encouraged to leave.
3.3 Visiting Teachers Give Specialised Lineage Transmission
At times, the Centre accommodates eminent Buddhist Monks and Teachers from other Centres and overseas to conduct Dhamma talks and teachings.
3.4 Puja Transmissions
Over the last ten years, we have had Pujas conducted at the Centre by visiting Teachers, such as Francisco So who teaches in the Chinese/Tibetan traditions.
3.5 The Way of the Scholar - With Literacy Teachings
To overcome through literacy, sloth and torpor, selected Students are taught over time the methods of writing about Buddha Dhamma. They become the next generation of wordsmiths.
Members are encouraged to skill themselves attending University courses, even though the lecturers may not hold major precepts.
We are not naive enough to believe these initiatives will come from Universities.
They must come from religious leaders.
Our publishing program provides training opportunities for global private correspondence, Internet input, key articles for the Buddha Dyana Dana Review and our inhouse journal Brooking Street Bugle (comprised from members internal e-mails), and practice in writing conceptual solutions to real projects.
Faith cannot fly in the face of a lack of precepts and experience.
A literate involvement is encouraged in a world that discounts the traditional power of clean writing. It is more inclined to believe power comes from the sword rather than the pen.
Our weekly Buddhist Hour radio broadcast scripts provide a skills incubator for meeting timelines. Regular attendance is needed and a strong wish to learn. Our superior library gives research experience.
3.6 The Buddhist Hour Broadcasts from - Hillside Radio 87.6FM, 88FM and 1620AM and Our Plans for Web Radio
The Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. broadcasts a Buddha Dhamma program called the Buddhist Hour from Hillside Radio (87.6FM, 88 FM and 1620AM) at Bayswater, Victoria, every Sunday from 11am to 12noon.
3.7 Buddha Chanting
Regular chanting adds much power to our Centre.
In accordance with Theravadin tradition , we hold Morning chanting sessions on the NEW MOON, FIRST QUARTER, FULL MOON and the LAST QUARTER of every month. The local Devas and Devatas attend to share our merit.
3.8 The Way of the Garden
Health is greatest wealth. We live in a pure air place. The intense city pollution seldom reaches our Centre.
Many jobs are sedentary. Students need physical exercise. Selected Students are taught within the garden settings to do useful work and to observe how the four seasons change. This method improves their physical health and the good air reduces lung and breathing troubles.
4.0 Fundraising & Financial Responsibility as Leadership Training
We define good Students as those who wish to stabilise the continued existence of our Centre. They understand our financial programs are based on “self-help” and conduct fundraising appeals on a steady basis.
They understand that it makes good sense to help conduct fundraising and provide needed supplies. The result is that their wealth increases.
4.1 Teaching about Relevant Current Affairs
Before persons can “re-think” society they need to know how it operates.
To help understanding, we are Members of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria. From time to time, we are invited to put our position to Government Standing Committees drafting new legislation.
We have plenty of good useful social information from our world wide services.
4.2 Humanitarian Activities
We like our key Members to gain overseas experience with fellow leading Practitioners. We train persons towards cultural adaptability that can distinguish between generosity and stinginess and encourage the practice of dana (material assistance). We fund Buddhist orphanages in Bangladesh and India. We organise and promote exchange of missions, scholars and students of the World Fellowship of Buddhists.
5.0 The Ch’an Academy
Although his prime training is as a scientist John D. Hughes has taught the Way of the Brush for many years.
To institutionalise this teaching the Ch’an Academy was founded by John D. Hughes. It is a registered business name owned by the B.D.C.(U) Ltd The Ch’an Hall of Assembly was officially opened on 6 February 1986.
5.1 Ch’an Classes
We have a world class Calligraphy reference collection. As an ancient Buddha Dhamma practice, Ch’an trains the mind by the Way of the Brush. Ch'an (Zen) trains the mind using ink, paper, inkslab and brushes over the four seasons. Classes in Ch'an methods are conducted by the resident Ch'an Teacher, John D. Hughes, and visiting Teachers. John has empowered two senior students to teach his Ch'an methods under his guidance, on the last Sunday of each month.
5.2 Sumi-e Classes
We are happy to be associated with good co-mates.
For over ten years, Sumi-e methods are taught at the Centre by Master Andre Sollier. Classes are conducted monthly over the four seasons and each class runs from 10am to 3pm. Master Sollier selects a new theme every year for his students to learn. The theme for 2001 is the Story of Siddhartha.
Several Videos have been made of this Master and will appear on our websites this year.
6.0 Five Day Bhavana Courses
Four, Five Day Bhavana courses are held throughout the year. Courses run from 9am to 10pm each day and there is no fee for attendance. All those who attend the courses are asked to maintain at least five precepts.
The teachings given of 100 courses has been well documented over the years.
7.0 Founder’s Day
Founder's Day will be held at our Centre on 9 September, to mark the occasion of John D. Hughes' Birth Anniversary. Our Founder's dedication to the propagation of Buddha Dhamma has meant that our Temple is the oldest Buddhist Temple in Victoria in the same location.
8.0 The Five Training Paths for Bodhisattvas
We train Boddisattvas at different levels.
For those with correct Vows, we teach Bodhisattvayana training with BODY, SPEECH and MIND.
There are five progressive levels or paths that a Bodhisattva travels through during his or her training. The path of accumulation, preparation, seeing (insight), meditation and no more learning.
8.1 The Path of Accumulation
The path of accumulation has three levels. For the first accumulation or dana - our Members are taught cause and effect of how much good (kusula) deeds they must do.
Carrying water and chopping wood, building, gardening and maintenance, offering food, cleaning the Centre, recording what has been taught and providing publications of well edited texts both on paper and on our 8 websites, the student is encouraged toward the perfection of his or her dana and see it established at three levels in at least three ways.
Later DANA can be practiced in further ways..
At first, practitioners listen to the teachings without comprehending what is being taught. Over time, appreciation for the teachers good qualities is developed. On the advanced level of the path of accumulation, it is possible for practitioners to realise emptiness or create the necessary causes for clarity. It is on this path that persons make merit and start to develop wisdom.
8.2 The Path of Heat
There are four levels in the path of preparation. The first level is described as heat. As defilements are destroyed, heat appears and the practitioner begins to develop a clearer conceptual awareness of emptiness in meditation. The flurry and worry of initial practice can appear as heat on the students body. This can gradually be removed over ten years or so. The students should not “over exert” themselves during this training.
8.3 The Path of Peak
The second level is described as peak. The peak level marks a point at which the virtuous roots that have been cultivated previously will no longer decrease or be lost. Here, the regular chanting in Pali of precepts (sila) and refuge become clearer and clearer and the chanting produces immediate brightening of the mind. The perfection of sila is established at one level.
8.4 The Path of Patience (khanti)
Patience is the third level where the practitioner develops familiarity with the concept of emptiness and overcomes fear of it. The perfection of patience (khanti) is established at one level. When persons have reached this understanding, they are safe from falling into bad rebirths. The conceptual understanding of emptiness is so powerful that they gain a deep understanding of the infallibility of the law of cause and effect. Persons at this level cease to create negativities because Members withdraw volition from akusula kamma when it appears. The four foundations of mindfulness are established.
8.5 The Path of Supreme Dhamma
The fourth level is known as supreme mundane qualities or supreme Dhamma. At this level a cognised subject is no longer adhered to by the practitioner during their meditation. Subject and object appear but the meditator no longer consciously perceives or grabs on to them. Tanha (thirst for worldly experience) reduces and raga (sensuality) reduces.
8.6 The Path of Seeing
The path of preparation is a connection path and leads the practitioner to the path of seeing. We teach the path of seeing by using the seven fold analysis of Buddhist logic. At this stage, the student may live the life of a Brahmachariya to a large extent.
The path of seeing is where the practitioner directly experiences emptiness for the first time. He or she does not create any new causes to take rebirth in samsara. The path of seeing is the first of the ten spiritual grounds of the bodhisattva.
9.0 Developing Consistency
Consistency is a result of meritorious actions done in the past and in the present. We encourage our Members to become skillful at making merit because they understand the importance of looking after the teacher and the Centre.
Our merit making performance for consistency has increased by 43% for most Members over the last 12 months and is increasing each day as Members comprehend the length of time needed for practice. The great Indian master, Chandrakirti says that all kinds of accomplishments follow from diligence, consistency and enthusiasm.
Whatever practice Members do, big or small, if it is done consistently, over the course of time they find great progress within themselves. One of the examples used in Buddhist literature is that our enthusiasm should be constant, like the flow of a river. Another example compares consistency to a strong bowstring. If a bowstring is straight and strong, we can shoot the arrow further.
It is important for Members to be moderate in applying themselves to practice. The middle way is the best way. Method and means are taught like the wings of a bird that flies straight. We want empowerment towards the present Sangha.
10.0 His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche’s Australian Visit
Our Teacher John D. Hughes and many of our Members were most fortunate to attend the Teachings given by His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche on Friday 22 June 2001 at Holy Redeemer Hall in Surrey Hills. The “Shakyamuni Buddha Empowerment” was taught by His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche and translated by his student Lama Choedak.
The Rinpoche was born in 1920 C.E. this life.
The event was organised by the Jamchen Buddhist Centre which is located at 19 Austin Street, Balwyn, Vic, 3103. Approximately 300 laypersons were present for the Shakyamuni Buddha Empowerment which was one of the Teachings given by His Eminence on this visit.
Our Teacher recommended Members attend this great event and give Dana.
Twenty of our Members received blessings during this visit.
His Eminence is a pre-eminent Tibetan Buddhist master, a teacher to some of the greatest Tibetan spiritual leaders of our time, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness Sakya Trizin. He is a fully accomplished yogi and lineage holder.
This is his 18th rebirth as a Trichen Rinpoche.
His Eminence arrived in Melbourne on Thursday 21 June 2001. During his Melbourne visit, he gave three Dhamma Teachings from 22 to the 25 June 2001. These were held at Holy Redeemer Hall, corner Mont Albert Rd & York St, Surrey Hills, Victoria, 3127.
11.0 Use of Off Site Vipassana Retreat
We conserve our facilities and specialised resources and do not try to become a general store promising all things to all persons. Where needed, we use the publicly available resources of other Centres. Two of our Members attended a Ten Day Vipassana Retreat at the Vipassana Centre in Woori Yallock from 30 June 2001 to 10 July 2001.
Earlier this year, another Member undertook this retreat. We praise this facility where practice in the style of U Ba Kim is possible.