NAMO TASSA
BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMA SAMBUDDHASSA

'THE BUDDHIST HOUR'

RADIO BROADCAST

KNOX FM 87.6

Sundays 11:00am to 12:00pm

Knox FM Radio Broadcast for 17 September 2000

Today’s Program is called: How there is connectivity between past and present Temples (because of leisure time).

The text of this script is available on our website www.bdcublessings.one.net.au.

The Bau Sen Buddha Ru Yi Temple Official Foundation Day and Dedication Ceremony was held at its City Centre Location at 322 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, on Tuesday afternoon 12 September 2000.

A tribute to those who made this event possible was given by John D. Hughes Dip. App. Chem. T.T.T.C. GDAIE, WFB Vice President, Founder, Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.

For some time, several of his students helped the Abbot of the Temple, Master K. S. Lin set up his new Temple.

The opening ceremony was held in the early afternoon and attended by many politicians.

Because this was during normal work hours on a week day most persons who are employees could not attend the opening.

Why should any boss who is not a follower of Buddha Dhamma agree that one of his or her workers should forego work to attend the opening?

True Buddha Dhamma followers hold precepts so they cannot tell a lie and take phony sick leave.

Because such rare events as Temple openings occur from time to time, our Teacher encourages his students to consider how they can work and yet have some freedom to attend and help at such important events.

Our Teacher suggests one method is that students work for a decade or so to acquire the conducive skills needed to become self-employed or become a consultant.

Then, in such a work situation, it is possible for persons to manage a few hours away from work during the day. They are invited to consider the wisdom of choosing to help others for a few hours from time to time rather than just making money.

We cannot stay near a teacher for many lives.

Under the guidance and training of some types of Teachers, a disciple may not need to be in his presence. They could be some distance away, but whatever it was they were thinking could not be kept a secret from the Teacher.

This was the case of the Venerable Phra Acharn Mun Bhuridatta Thera who was a Thai Meditation Master born on 20 January 1870 in the town of Ubol Rajadhani in the sub-district of Khambong Khongjeim District.

He found the condition of one-pointedness needed and established mindfulness of the body, thus preventing the mind from wandering aimlessly ‘outside’.

When he started there was little interest in such important aspects of Buddha Dhamma among the lay disciples. For them the practice of mind development seemed to be something strange and alien.

It was the practice of the dhutanga bhikkhus (the forest Monks) to wander seeking places of seclusion in remote areas. He spent most of his time in the North-Eastern region where there were great forests in those days.

As he wandered around, he never had in his mind any thoughts of Temple construction work. All his efforts were directed to uninterrupted effort to awaken himself to the truth of what was what.

The Venerable Acharn was a model of external practice in his endurance, courage and contentment. His inward abilities included clairvoyance, clairaudience and telepathy.

He was kind enough to correct his disciples errors in thought.

Ajarn would explain to his Monks that everything in the world, including human beings, are not finished products.

Before anything can be put to use, in this human world, it has to undergo various processes that require effort, skill and knowledge. What we ought fear is the havoc the untrained, unskilled mind that chatters like a monkey can do if it is left to play in the world. Ajarn would ask his disciples was it better to be a monkey or be scolded by your Teacher who is interested in your mental development?

He was supported by the villagers who lived in the forest. They provided him and his Monks with food.

In later times, as he gained more and more disciple Monks, a Temple was built for his use.

The layperson’s role is to sustain the forest Monk. In those days, because villagers grew their own food and prepared it to feed their families; it was simple enough to give some food to the Monks.

With those conditions, the supply chain to get the food to the forest Monks who are homeless is a simple one link process. This works in a Buddhist country, such as Thailand, where such lay person’s duties as Dana are seen as part of the traditional national culture.

Australia is yet to develop a culture where it is very common to offer food (Dana) to Monks and Nuns. Even if that came about, great difficulties can be predicted if we come to consider local Australian rules designed for conservation and preservation of some forests.

The rules of use in forest reserves exclude persons from permanently living such places. Some forests are private property with logging rights.

The construction of roads through forests is a noisy process involving using explosives to blow apart old dead trees or large obstructing rocks.

This type of development noise did not exist in Thai forests in Ajarn’s time.

Work creation programs in forests have been used by the Australian State Governments with Federal funding for road development. Road infrastructure is needed for tourism to make money.

We think of backward Australian communities as lacking in electric power, modern communications and modern sanitation. Such things are preferred by international tourists if they are to visit our forests.Forest development costs cannot be recouped by short term projects. The general disturbances caused by access road building when done in forests destroys their use for meditation practice.

Always there is a conflict of interest and disputes. For tourist purposes, development noises are not wanted, but the new facilities are. Development must be done as quickly as possible on a 7 day working schedule to be cost effective when heavy machinery is used.

The logistics of such things are complex.

Absence of dense settlements near some of the Crown land in Victoria and “buy-back” of dwellings on the fringe of National Parks is deliberate policy to expand the Government freehold of forests. Were a Monk present in a National Park there would be insufficient lay persons to give Dana, the daily food needed to sustain his practice.

At Kallista, Victoria, some resident Monks try maintain their tradition of walking for Dana. Conditions at present are not very suitable for Monks to practice in Victoria in the old forest tradition. Accordingly, at this stage in Australia, permanent Temples to supply a suitable location need to be built and supported by lay persons. Some should be located near the city population so that fundraising activities and voluntary activities combine with education to operate such Centres.

Many early attempts to establish Temples in Victorian forests have failed.

A type of supply structure for Monks and Nuns has been well worked out in countries where the majority of the population understands the basic doctrinal content of Buddha Dhamma and laypersons have developed some philosophical skills of analysis, rational argument and reflection as well as exploring meditative pathways for understanding the different meanings of the Buddhist doctrines.

They have such knowledges as to lead the good life, and understanding how to handle the stressful conflicts of routine life. In addition to this, Temple staff can enter into wider social concerns of working for the welfare of others.

Victoria is blessed because it attracts strong Bodhisattvas.

One Bodhisattva person from Taiwan who is a resident in Australia understands much of this complexity and has a very clear understanding of how to obtain a suitable centre for Buddhist purposes in Victoria. His name is Master K. S. Lin who is setting up what will be the largest Buddhist Temple in Australia. This Noble person has organised the funding of the project mainly from Taiwanese wealth.

For several years, Members of our Centre have been helping Master K. S. Lin achieve his project. He has a suitable location at King Lake where he has about 60 hectares of land. The foundations are poured and the walls have been put in place last month.

In addition Master K. S. Lin has obtained a 3 storied building at 322 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Last Tuesday 12 September 2000 this city centre was opened. The name of the Temple is the Bau Sen Buddha Ru-Yi Temple.

Teaching will be given in the City Centre. Courses in philosophy and religious quest in early Buddhism are to be run by Venerable Bhante Kassapa and Professor Padmasiri de Silva this month (September).

Venerable Bhante Kassapa is the Chief Monk and Principal Teacher of Ringwood International Buddhist Study and Meditation Centre (R.B.C), his is the Founder, Ananda Maitreya International Dhamma Duta Project Kandy, Sri Lanka-Melbourne. He is a Patron and Principal Teacher of the Vipassana Insight Meditation Foundation Melbourne Australia, Meditation Consultant, Austin Repatriation Medical Centre and the Chief Monk, Rockhill Hermitage-meditation and Dhamma study Centre, Udunuwara Wegirikanda Hondiyadeniya via Gampola Sri Lanka.

Professor Padmasiri de Silva was Professor and Head of the Philosophy and Psychology Department at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (1980-89). He also held visiting positions at the University of Pittsburgh and the ISLE Programme in USA, the National University of Singapore and the University of Waikato. Currently he is a Research Fellow at the Monash University in Australia.

Out of his numerous publications, some of the best known are:

An Introduction to Buddhist Psychology

Buddhist and Freudian Psychology

Tangles and Webs

Twin Peaks

Compassion & insight

Environmental Philosophy and Ethics in Buddhism.

He obtained his PhD in Comparative Philosophy and Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Hawaii, in USA. He is at present working on a research project, on the Buddhist Approach to Human Emotions.

The September teaching dates are 18 to 23 September 2000. In October 2000 the dates are from 23 to 29 October. For information about the courses or a complete teaching schedule please call (03) 9876 0036.

To study the history of building temples, and their rise and fall, we must learn about four things. The first thing is that we seem to be seduced by the classification of the metaphor of ‘worlds’ that we give reference terms to with classic labels such as ‘ancient’, ‘medieval’, and ‘modern’.

Such labels are familiar to anyone educated in the westernised world, but there is nothing absolute about them.

Indeed, they are just as much post-facto constructs as the arrangements of the Chinese classics, the Vedas, or the books of the Bible.

As Tom McArthur pointed out in 1986, we accept them as we accept the days of the week or the month of the year, they are comfortably there, we are used to them, and we hardly need to ask ourselves what they are meant to convey.

But, how ‘right’ is Monday, how true is ‘June’, how ‘ancient’ did the ‘ancients’ feel , how ‘dark’ were the ‘dark-ages’, and what exactly were the ‘middle-ages’ in the ‘middle’ of ?

So anything we have to say about building temples, and their rise and fall, must be carefully worded otherwise they have no existence save in our own minds, as the psycho mental furniture of our civilisation.

The universals of recording and reference lie elsewhere in our understanding of the interplay of technology, taxonomy, and culture for most persons.

The second thing we must learn about is the knowledge that for those who see with their mind free of personality bias, the practice of our predecessors in Dhamma can become quite lucid and we can keep things in balance in fifth order knowledge. This requires much merit be made and may take more than one life to learn.

To learn the third thing, we need to find the one thing that never changes, that is, the need for an individual to get enough quality time to practice in a suitable location each for himself or herself.

The fourth thing needed to be learnt was disclosed by our Teacher John D. Hughes who attended the official Foundation Day and Dedication Ceremony of the Bau Sen Buddha Ru Yi Temple City Centre at 322 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne.

We must praise those worthy of praise.

Master K. S. Lin invited John D. Hughes in two roles, firstly as Founder, Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd and secondly as Vice President World Fellowship of Buddhists. He was asked to pay tribute to all those who made this historic event of a Dedication Ceremony possible.

Our Teacher needed to relax the busy minds of the politicians and attendees. John D. Hughes spoke about how having a suitable location of a Melbourne City Centre is of great importance to persons who understand the importance of building up a life plan by funding others in their Dhamma Practice now. If we do this now, in the future we can practice in a Temple.

Our Teacher spoke to the official party and distinguished guests, explaining, “Although we are born in different lands, we are one family because we all agree on what the LORD Buddha taught and we all pay tribute to the Triple Gem.”

“We are non-sexist, non-agist, non-racist and we admire study and decency of many things and because of this we can assemble in harmony, discuss things in harmony, leave in harmony and be kind to one another.”

On 9 September 2000. 22 years had passed since John’s Temple had its dedication ceremony. Over that time, causes were made for our Centre’s Temple Members to make many affinities with those persons of the new Melbourne City Centre’s Temple.

Our Teacher is happy to know of causes for helpers to reside in our Southern Land (the State of Victoria).

He praised the many causes the guests made to attend the opening and help their Sangha to become as vast as the Southern Sea.

His students have had the great privilege of helping Venerable Master K. S. Lin for several years leading to the opening of the Temple.

John D. Hughes then taught the importance of a structured Life Plan to fund our future Dhamma Practice.

Recently, Lama Loppon N Gawang Dhamchoe Head Teacher of the Sakya Tharpa Ling Tibetan Buddhist Centre, Sydney, Australia visited our Temple.

Lama Loppon wished our Teacher John D. Hughes a happy birthday, good health and best wishes in turning the wheel of Dhamma for all sentient beings.

Members at the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd paid respect to Lord Buddha, then to the Sangha, and made offerings of flowers to Lama Loppon.

Lama Loppon taught the students at the Centre that:

Worldly conditions encourage us to build and strengthen our egos as our way of life. But Dhamma is to reduce the ego and destroy it. He explained that the ego restricts and limits our freedom, it imprisons us and that through practicing the Dhamma, the ego is weakened and the mind realises the freedom in what it can do and how it can act.

With that freedom we are able to open our heart and be kind to others, learning Dhamma stops the ego. The goal is for enlightenment and persons have to start sometime.

Lama Loppon emphasised that it is easy to read books and hear teachings, but we must act and put the Dhamma teachings into practice.

Lama Loppon said that we are also fortunate to have human life and that the students at our Centre are fortunate to learn the Dhamma and fortunate to be taught by a great Master.

The fourth thing to learn includes the notion that if our time and energies are fully occupied with the mechanics of living such as generating an income and looking after our householder duties then it is very difficult to practice the peaceful processes required to start to realise the Dhamma. Such processes include the production of many causes for learning and skill building. We are not referring to having an intellectual appreciation of Buddha Dhamma.

Having sufficient leisure time in a suitable location is a prerequisite to attaining and realizing the vast fields of knowledge and wisdom available through Buddha Dhamma practice.

For many lay persons leisure time seems to be the very thing that is difficult to obtain because they did not plan to obtain it at an earlier time.

Our teacher commends all Students who come to recognize the benefit of making sufficient wealth when young to increase their leisure time for practice before they are too old., those who took the time to investigate how to write their time management of life.

This is done by increasing their net worth over, say, twenty years.

Some of the methods employed in building up our successful Dhamma Centre over the past 20 years should be considered to write into your life plans.

These sound methods include that we have not financed the growth of our centre through accumulating debt and that most of the physical additions and improvements to the centre have been built by self help by our own Members. Some of our Members are builders and some are electricians. All members help us.

Great opportunities of building and maintaining a new Dhamma Centre under the guidance of a Buddha Dhamma Master present themselves. We commend any new Temple.

Students at our Centre recognise the benefit of making sufficient wealth to increase their leisure time. The way that they do this is by increasing their nett worth over twenty years. They do not gamble.

Students should include the maintenance of sufficient good health, long life, strength, study, pleasure as harmless fun and merit making to support their Dhamma practice in their life plan.

Remember, no one else can fund the time for your Dhamma Practice except for you. Also, It is hard to practice charity if you are poor.

May all our listeners make causes for their own leisure time in the future by writing a life plan soon. Some of our Members may be able to help you. If you feel you need help, contact your nearest Buddha Dhamma Centre or visit our website at www.bdcublessings.one.net.au and re-read the words of this talk.

May you be well and happy, and start to learn the four needed things suggested today in this very life.

Please visit the new Temple when you can. Ring (03) 9876 0036.

Authors:

John D. Hughes, Julie O’Donnell, Rilla Oellien, Frank Carter, Julian Bamford, Lisa Nelson, Brendan Hall, Jan Bennett, Orysia Spinner and Pennie White.

References:

McArthur, T., (1986) Worlds of Reference, London, Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, pp. 184-185.

Venerable Phra Acharn Maha Boowa Nyanasampanno., (1982) The Venerable Phra Acharn Mun Bhuridatta Thera Meditation Master, Funny Publishing Limited Partnership, Thailand.

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Accordingly, we accept no liability to any user or subsequent third party, either expressed or implied, whether or not caused by error or omission on either our part, or a member, employee or other person associated with the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.

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May You Be Well And Happy

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