Australia
Chan Academy is a registered trading name of the
Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.
33 Brooking St, Upwey, Victoria, Australia, 3158.
A.C.N. 005 701 806 A.B.N. 42 611 496 488
e-mail: wbu@bdcu.org.au
website: http://www.bdcu.org.au
Chan Academy
Australia
Chan Academy is a registered trading name of the
Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.
33 Brooking St, Upwey, Victoria, Australia, 3158.
A.C.N. 005 701 806 A.B.N. 42 611 496 488
e-mail: wbu@bdcu.org.au
website: http://www.bdcu.org.au
Winter Five Day Bhavana Course
6 June 2003 to 10 June 2003:
“How we can renew our will to practice:
The Way of the Garden”
We think in terms of four seasons.
Last Sunday 1 June 2003 marked the beginning of the Winter season in Australia.
Each season, we ought to renew our practice.
Today we are going to talk more about how to renew our practice.
From 6 June 2003 to 10 June 2003 we are offering our Winter Five Day Bhavana Course. Our main practice for this course is "The Way of the Garden".
The garden is the repository of the four seasons, the natural factors of change. Our Chan Garden is a rather grand Teaching aide and because of this function. The calligraphy on the four gates refers to it as a “Heavenly Buddha Dhamma Garden”.
Within the boundaries of our heavenly garden, human beings learn the first fundamental of life, that all things change. Change means unsatisfactoriness (in Pali - dukkha). Most beings wish to slow down this natural deterioration caused by change. The modern world of physics shows disorder increases with time because we measure time in the direction in which disorder increases.
Our heavenly garden is designed to calm and delight many beings. By being able to see the four seasons from within our Centre, we maintain a healthy working environment. Seeing the garden, and the changes, that the seasons bring, ensures our Members do not suffer from fatigue and lifelessness, which can occur when 'boxed' in a traditional workspace. Most new plants are given to us as gifts.
Where possible, the good things handed down to us by our forebears, such as, for example, our garden structure ought to be preserved. Some of our trees are estimated to be 200 years old.
This garden attracts much wildlife including many possums, birds and insects. One earlier student of our Centre reported an annual bird count of over 120 different species of local birds that visited our garden over the four seasons. She was an English bird watcher.
The water ponds we built here have saved the lives of many birds during drought and bushfires. Our fruit trees and local berry bushes also provide food for the birds.
In addition, we offer nutritious birdseed to itinerant birds every day. We have a built a vast aviary without bars. We pay no parrot tax, nor owl levy. Our tactics are affordable because birdseed is donated or grow on our trees and shrubs.
As the argon spectral band sets in the West, the birds settle down for their evening rest and so do we because we, like them, have not gone beyond circadian rhythms.
The “Way of the Garden” is the “Way of Action”. Some persons lack the skills needed in knowing what to add to the soil and how. They must learn by reading suitable garden books.
The Way of the Garden is difficult to understand and may be compared to bringing one hundred water brooks under one bridge.
The ecosystem at our Centre is complex.
The pH of the soil is controlled for allowing optimum growth of many different plants.
Native ferns like clay have a soil of pH 1.
Dull minds cannot recreate beautiful gardens or concentrate on practice of the Chan Way of the Garden.
The Way of the Garden also helps us understand such matters as the two other fundamental properties of human existence, namely, unsatisfactoriness (Pali - dukkha) and the lack of a permanent self (Pali - anatta). The short time available does not permit us to elaborate on the other methods whereby these two fundamental aspects of human existence can be known, each for himself or herself.
Suffice to say, insights from the Way the Garden can extend to wisdom concerning all three fundamental properties of material existence. Direct knowing of these three properties leads to path entry (Pali - nibbana).
Even partially understanding the ecosystem and four seasons opens up a whole new world of perception: a world where we see a droplet of water as it is; a droplet of water in Summer, a droplet of mist in Autumn, a droplet of frost in Winter and a droplet of dew in Spring. We can see phase changes of water.
Plants and our bodies run off water solutions of salt and minerals. Many persons need to drink more water to be healthy. We estimate 40% of Australians start to dehydrate every day. In summer hot days, we recommend one litre per hour for vigorous outside activity.
The Way of the Garden is difficult to understand and may be compared to bringing one hundred brooks under one bridge. The bridge represents the wisdom mind that understands that the process of re-creating the garden is not just a mere folly but an active training ground for developing the human qualities of loving kindness, compassion, patience, generosity and trust.
Excavating to the right level to bring a hundred brooks together under the one bridge is an exercise in patience because no sooner have we damned one brook than it overflows its banks, fed by the other brooks. It was not the brook itself that overflowed but the watershed from the other brooks.
Chan implies meditation and action that does not overflow.
Wise persons use this method to remove antisocial attitudes such as the culture of poverty and the culture of ill health. When this training is successful the student understands that the Centre’s garden is a Chan garden and many benefits can be derived from working on it, in sometimes rigorous conditions.
At our Centre, the Chan Teachers use many Buddhist methods to drive the students sane.
However, we will only teach those who have requested to be taught. We hope we earn your trust sufficient for you to request to be taught by us. Unwholesome minds cannot build beautiful gardens because of the outpourings of the overflow of mental defilements make discord, not harmony.
We desire to make the will for more causes for the long time preservation of this suitable Dhamma environment for the practice of Chan by building trust between involved people.
Patience is the virtue that builds a foundation of tolerance.
Patience is advised when any afflictions arise, internally or externally, of body, speech or mind.
Remember that Temples are places where the Buddha Dhamma is taught. It is a special place where persons can learn and practice Buddha Dhamma. Great merits can be achieved by maintaining Temples in an appropriate manner with no killing.
We have will to be a satta-deva-manussanam Temple for humans and Devas and Devatas.
When confidence in the Buddha Dhamma is evident, there will be the will to maintain our Temple in accordance with 18 characteristics taught by the Buddha and our Temple will remain a suitable location.
We have a perfect Temple – we will keep it that way.
We need persons to help us with the will to maintain our Temple.
If you wish to come to our Five Day Bhavana Course, or if you would like to help us in any of our Temple activities please contact us at the Centre on 9754 3334.
We need persons to do some gardening.
We are happy that our Teacher, John D. Hughes, will come home next Tuesday after being in hospital. One of John's students, Alex Serrano, has written a poem dedicated to John. It reads as follows:
The human is an actor -
with his enthusiasm,
and energy,
he vitalises his organisation.
With his actions, he
invigorates his peers.
With his inspiration
he purposefully contributes.
In effect,
this is merely the work of his
personality, applied to task.
By Alex Serrano, 30 May 2003.
Members should study this wisdom poem.
May confidence in maintaining and will to help a suitable Temple and Chan Garden arise in you.
May suitable persons get the will to agree to help our Temple continue.
May you develop your will to be well and happy.
May all beings develop the will to be well and happy.
This paper was written and edited by John Hughes, Evelin Halls, Pennie White and Frank Carter.
References
Buddhist Hour radio script 132, 11 March 2001: "Developing the Perfection of Patience", http://www.bdcublessings.net.au/radio132.html
Buddhist Hour radio script 197, 11 November 2001: "Misunderstanding the Four Seasons", http://www.bdcublessigs.net.au/radio197.html
Buddhist Hour Radio Script 252, 24 November 2002: "The importance of maintaining sustainable Temples", http://www.bdcublessigs.net.au/radio252.html
Fitzallen, Melva, 1992. “Understanding the Four Seasons; Understanding Ch’an”, Buddha Dhyana Dana Review, Volume 2 No. 3, September 1992, pp. 4-8, Melbourne: Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.
Hughes, John D. Dip.App.Chem.T.T.T.C. G.D.A.I.E., Nicolas S. Prescott. BSc (Hons). M.B.A. and Julie M.O'Donnell. “Comment on Three Years and Three Moons Teaching of Prajnaparamita at the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.”, June 1995.
Hughes, John D., Dip.App.Chem.T.T.T.C. G.D.A.I.E., 1990, “Opening Speech: The Way of the Brush and the Way of the Garden”, 4 Februray 1990.
SangPil, Park, 2001 “The Three Universal Characteristics” Lotus Lantern Vol.3 No. 1 Autumn 2545 B.E., pp. 16-18, Korean Buddhist Chogye Order, Korea.