Chan Academy



A u s t r a l i a


Welcome to Founder’s Day Celebration
9 September 2006


Written by Evelin C. Halls, B.A.
President, Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.

Welcome to the most Venerable Members of the Sangha, to our Abbot Mrs. Anita Carter and Mr. Frank Carter, Honoured Guests, Directors, Members and Friends of the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd., welcome to the Chief Deva of our Temple an his Heavenly Retinue.

Today is our 28th Annual Founder’s Day Celebration. We are happy to see Members and Friends in the Dhamma here on this auspicious day.

Our Founder Master John D. Hughes set up this temple according to his vow "that the Dhamma be taught". Our Centre exists for persons to learn, practise and teach the Buddha Dhamma.

John Hughes said that the mandala of our Centre has 24 parts, just like the heart chakra. We want to continue the mandala that our Teacher has set up.

Here are the 24 parts of our Centre’s mandala, with some brief examples of what we do:


1. Buildings
We are building our new meditation hall, the John D. Hughes Dhamma Cetiya. It will be finished in December 2006.

2. Members
Our members are our most precious resource.

3. Company Structure
We hold monthly general meetings and operate under the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's Company Code in accordance with our Articles of Association and Memorandum of Association.

4. Fundraising and Dana
The 1000 Buddhas Offering project invites persons to become a founding benefactor of the new John D. Hughes Dhamma Cetiya meditation hall and library.

5. Theravada Teachings

6. Mahayana Teachings

7. Vajrayana Teachings

8. Chan (Zen) Teachings
We offer Chan and Sumi-e classes.

9. Bhavana Courses
We currently run our Spring Bhavana course titled “What the Buddha taught”.

10. Pujas
We hold pujas on most public holidays.

11. The Five Styles
These are the cultivation of friendliness, practicality, professionalism, cultural adaptability and scholarship.

12. Library
The John D. Hughes Collection provides a Heritage Multilingual Reference Library for Buddha Dhamma Scholars and Practitioners.

13. Images and Artifacts
We have a large collection of rare Buddhist images and artifacts.

14. Publications
Our new publication is the Brooking Street Bulletin, in print and on our website www.bsbonline.com/bulletin. We also have started a new volume of the Buddha Dhyana Dana Review Online, Volume 16 No. 2.

15. Digitisation
We are currently preserving audio cassette tape recordings of Buddha Dhamma teachings as it is urgent. We have also launched the World Buddhist Radio program and website at www.worldbuddhistradio.org.

16. Local Activities
We will hold our first fete at the Dandenong Ranges Cultural Communities Centre (DRCCC) on November 11, 2006.

17. National Activities
We are networking with other Buddha Dhamma organisations.

18. International Activities

Members attended the World Fellowship of Buddhists 23rd General Conference in April 2006 at the Fo Guang Shan Monastery, Taiwan.

19. Protection
For example, we teach to keep Five Precepts at least at all times, and to respect our Teachers.

20. Offerings
We encourage students to offer flowers, water, light, incense and food, for example.

21. Celebrations
Happy Founder’s Day!

22. Merit making opportunities
Every member can probably tell you that our Centre is like a goldmine for persons who want to increase their merits; we always have something to do. Saturday is Members Day and we usually have a big day of merit making!

23. Projects
One of our many projects is to build a Buddhist nursing home; it will be called “Bodhi Care”.

24. Mind to mind transmission
This is for advanced students.


These are the 24 parts of the mandala of our Centre and there would be many more examples of what these parts consist of. It is my sincere wish that we keep the system intact that our Teacher has set in place that the Dhamma be taught here for at least 500 years.

Our number one priority this year is to build the John D. Hughes Dhamma Cetiya by December 2006. The launch of our 1000 Buddhas Offerings will bless many beings with the installation of 1000 Buddha images within the new hall, and through sponsorship we shall fund the completion of the new meditation hall and library.

In the Dhammapada it says: “The best of all paths is the Eightfold Path. The best of all truths are the Four Noble Truths. Non-attachment is the best of all states. The best of all men is the Seeing One (the Buddha).”
(Maggavagga – The Path, Verse 273).

I would like to thank everyone for coming here today and wish you a Happy Founder’s Day!

May you be well and happy.




References

The Dhammapada, http://www.serve.com/cmtan/Dhammapada/path.html, accessed 31 August 2006


Our file reference: Founder’s Day Welcome 2006.doc

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