Buddha Dhyana Dana Review Vol. 12 No. 2
Editorial
In the month of June 2002, The Australasian Buddhist Convention Conference was held in Victoria, Australia convened by The Buddhist Foundation (Vic) Australia.
Details of the conference’s keynote speakers are found in this Review.
The expenditure of the cost of the convention was $56,000
Australian dollars; income was $43,000 Australian dollars.
The Buddhist Foundation (Vic) Australia, at 130 Station Street,
Fairfield, Victoria 3078 is headed by Dr Ranjith Hettiarachi.
They have produced two video tapes, Volume 1 (Tape 1): 2 hours,
52 minutes; Volume 2(Tape 2): 2 hours, 47 minutes. Both tapes
can be ordered by email at: email address: buddhist.foundation.melb@bigpond.com.au.
The footage contains highlights of the valuable teachings held at
the convention as listed :
Tape 1, Volume 1: Opening Ceremony
Convener Dr Ranjith Hettiarachi
Governer-General Dr P Hollingworth
Keynote Address
Chairperson Dr Ananda Guruge
Special Address
Venerable Sri Dhammananda, delivered by Venerable Mahinda
Sense Restraint
Venerable Maha Samai Navamal
Conference Theme
Venerable Dhamma Vihari
Buddhist Meditation
Venerable Pannyavaro
Panel Session 1
Virtue Sense Restrain and a Peaceful Mind Buddhist Meditation
Venerable Pannyavaro
Tape 2, Volume 2: Impermanence
Lama Choedak Rinpoche
New Research
Professor Richard Gombrich
Loving Kindness
Venerable Mahinda
Panel Session 2
Venerable Pannyavaro, Mahinda, Lama Choedak, Professor Gombrich
Concentration and Insight
Venerable Rakhita, Pannyavaro & Mahinda
Wisdom
Venerable Dhammavihari
Closing Ceremony
Dr R Hettiarachi, Dr Ananda Guruge
The average thinking pattern of the world is gross and mundane
that leads to a decline in society that affects the security of the
individual, the community and the larger social organisation of
the world.
The antidote is, parental care of children who have the capacity to
do so; next comes respectful behaviour to one’s religious clergy in
society; respect for one’s communal groups is upheld as a virtue
for strengthening social solidarity.
Support of one’s own and other’s temples is a method for
practicing generosity and our good example encourages others to
behave as we do.
As more good translations appear in English which is more
removed from the Victorian Era, modern readers who are not
scholars will feel more comfortable with the texts because they do
not use words that belong to The King James version of the
Christian Bible.
The great foreign scholars that appeared at the Australasian
Buddhist Convention could quote the English meaning of the Pali
texts in a very succinct manner. Their great skill in
communicating with the English language to the multicultural
audience at the convention is praiseworthy.
Our generation must make efforts to produce the next generation
of such English speaking Monks who are also meditation
teachers. Dr R Hettiarachi has raised the following points in this
area:
Growing interest in Buddhist teachings, particularly the Western
world;
Increasing demands to access good teachers and teachings in
meditation based Buddhist practice;
Scarcity of teachers, adequately trained in imparting instructions
in such practice;
Difficulties in gaining access to Buddhist teachings and suitable
teachers;
Tendency of trained meditation teachers to reside in remote
locations / monasteries, seeking seclusion for their own spiritual
development;
Difficulty for Buddhist Organisations, Institutions and places of
worship world-wide to obtain services of teachers.
Inability of most Sangha teachers to provide the required services
satisfactorily to Buddhists of all traditions and cultures, due to
lack of training in meditation based practise and proficiency in
the English Language;
Lack of adequate resources to select and train eligible Monks as
meditation teachers;
Absence of a well coordinated, internationally applicable
infrastructure and systems to perform the previously stated
functions (selection and training);
Inadequate efforts by world Buddhist establishments and
hierarchy to train monks in the said Buddhist practice;
Absence of a registry to access, channel and harness the services
of available trained monks in teaching the said Buddhist practice;
The paramount importance of availing trained Sangha for
teaching said Buddhist practice, as “The Way Forward”;
Dr R. Hettiarachi is working on a globally operable scholarship
scheme to provide trained Sangha for placements as Meditation
Teachers in various locations globally, particularly in the West.
We look forward to his final proposals in due course.
Although in Australia, Buddhist culture is yet to permeate the
nation’s thinking. We are a post Christian, rationalistic, secular
society with some scientific culture.
Money is nearly universally believed to be able to ‘fix-up’ all
known problems, in spite of the power of evidence to the contrary.
In Australia, we have spent a vast amount of money on drug
counselling and alcohol related problems. But, each year, more
young people turn to substance and alcohol abuse.
Because of our consumerist culture we must avoid turning the
Buddha Dhamma into a commodity. It is true the Buddha
Dhamma can solve our individual problems if we were to keep sila
and practise.
Entry fees were charged to attend the Australian Buddhist
Convention conference, on the advice of a Buddhist Monk, mainly
to keep discursive, unteachable elements in society from
attending. This strategy worked and the respect for the various
Buddha Dhamma Teachers was praiseworthy.
Every Member of the congregation at the Convention ought to live
the new insights they gathered over the two days of teachings and
by this way enrich Australian society.
This, then, is the real outcome event that follows from the proper
exposition of the Buddha Dhamma by many experienced holy
practitioners who are able to expound the Buddha Dhamma with
great clarity to the assembled congregation.
We look forward to future conventions sponsored by the Buddhist
Foundation (Vic) Australia.
May all practitioners learn to be well and happy everywhere.
Anita M. and John D. Hughes
Editors.
Our Reference: Lan2 I:\bddred2