The Buddhist Hour Radio Broadcast for Sunday 3 February 2002
Broadcast Script 210

Glossary

Tacit: unspoken; silent, emitting no sound; noiseless, wordless. Saying nothing. Implied without being openly expressed or stated; understood, inferred.

Rector: ruler, governor. A person who has supreme control in any sphere.

Canon: an ecclesiastical law or decree; a rule laid down by an ecclesiastical council.

Rudimentary: of or pertaining basic principles; fundamental. Of, pertaining to, or constituting a preliminary stage or form; undeveloped, immature.

Today's broadcast is titled: International Dhamma Activities

All the delegates at World Federation of Buddhists Conferences speak different languages, but Pali chanting is a universal form of communication among Buddhists, providing an important international link.

We believe international links such as the use of Pali chanting are important for accessing tacit codified knowledge.

In the meaning of art, the highest form of written expression is calligraphy. Poetry in calligraphy is written in classic arrangements. Diverging from this was frowned upon by the ancients.

As calligraphy is to the eye, so is chanting to the ear.

International links are especially important for small and middle range countries such as Australia. These links are also important in facilitating access to major international forums, and are best fostered through active collaboration.

The 2nd Meeting of the World Buddhist University (WBU)Council will take place in Thailand on 9 February 2002, and the International Conference will be held on 10 February 2002.

Master John D. Hughes was invited to attend the WBU Council meeting and to join the International Conference afternoon panel discussion session on "Buddhism and World Peace" 10 February. He will attend on the two days with his wife Anita.

He will present a paper titled “How our Buddha Dhamma Studies will be Modified by Recent Changes in Global Politics”. We will broadcast this paper next Sunday, 10 February 2002.

The World Buddhist University offers a vast range of new opportunities.

The strength of the new University will provide an implicit curriculum for scholarship that includes a sila (morality) stockpile of good work habits about culture, language, society and technology.

We will define scholarship with good work habits (samma jiva) as the ability to apply that stockpile of information and acquire new knowledge that is useful for at least 50 years.

Maybe the rector of WBU and colleagues might find one case in 100 where knowledge found passes out of practical use within six months and yet still can be called scholarship.

We do not wish that Buddhist Teachings be free from the 'shackles of the past' as the history, the canons, sutras and other discourses contain Dhamma.

Spiritual knowledge does not pass out of use within six months or even six hundred years.

But in general, we think we know when we talk about viewpoints held by persons, that we can remind ourselves that affective reactions not only signal their evaluation along a dimension of good or bad but they also communicate and suggest certain rudimentary ways to react.

Yet, we think we know that neither affects nor current concerns of a person are dispensable constructs.

Although affects (somewhat like the Pali meaning of sankhara) are clearly over-simplification devices to describe some situations in our WBU Spiritual Centre policy, we treat and recognise affect as being for many humans, his or her ultimate arbiter of value.

Because of the operation of affects, all persons do not agree upon universal values.

Each week, for over three years, the author has been training our best graduate and post graduate Members to write in-depth non-trivial radio scripts on various Buddhist topics utilising second and third order knowledge or better.

These are the basis of our one-hour Buddhist Hour broadcasts on Sundays from 11 am.

In the past, the text of a few of these broadcasts was published in our journal, the Buddha Dhyana Dana Review, and circulated to 40 countries.

Since two years ago, in the year 2000, the broadcast scripts have been uploaded onto one of our websites. As you might expect, the broadcasts are non-racist, non-ageist, and non-sexist.

Although we structure our learning from the ideological standpoint of Buddha Dhamma, it is taught as method and means of the information age.

It is not taught as "pure" blind theory nor is it taught as "pure" blind practice.

You might say we teach theory and practice to overcome the impression that we are dealing with 1st order knowledge that has been compared with little more than a set of proverbs.

Our learning systems are exercises in cognitive structuring up to 4th order knowledge.

We need to highlight the existence of these gems on our websites.

To talk of advantages of convergence we use an Indra net analogy as an explanatory device to give guidelines to our publications and activities leaders.

Indra's net is exemplified by the following quotes:

Indra's net is made of precious gems and hangs over Indra's palace, and all the other gems are reflected within each gem composing the net; when a gem is picked up, we can know the entirety of the net.

Because new untrained Members lack good vision at the beginning of their practice they may be able to see only one or two of the eighty four thousand jewels of Dhamma. Given time and merit they will meet all the gems.

Our Centre's website policy is to establish the superior value we place on browsing amongst well-written Teachings as real specimens of local Australia writing displayed with classical Buddhist references.

The Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. was designated as a Spiritual Training Centre of the World Buddhist University at the 1998 meeting of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in Wollongong, Australia.

The World Fellowship of Buddhists Executive Council has confirmed that the 22nd General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists will be held 9 to 13 December B.E. 2545 (2002) at Grand Blue Wave Hotel, Shah Alam, Perbandaran, Seksyen 14, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.

This conference includes the 22nd General Conference of the WFB, the 13th General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth and the 3rd Meeting of the World Buddhist University Council.

The host regional Centre is World Fellowship of Buddhists Selangor Regional Centre.

Our Centre operates as a peak organisation carrying the ideals of the WFB, and conducts activities as a Regional Centre of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB).

The WFB objectives include:

1.To promote among the Members strict observance and practice of the teachings of the Buddha

2.To propagate the sublime doctrine of the Buddha, and

3.To organise and carry on activities in the field of social, cultural and other humanitarian services.

Participation at this Conference by our Centre has become a very significant training device for our Members in order to:

• Get them to interact with persons for whom the practice of Buddha Dhamma is an essential part of their history and culture

• Take them away from their habitual environment so they can better experience a Buddha Dhamma culture

• Create a more homogenous culture at our Centre within the spirit of Buddha Dhamma

• Get them to practice working for long hours and learn to handle the stress of a high-pressure environment in a skillful way

• Enable them to gain a better perspective on the high profile our Centre has in the Buddhist world and on the leverage opportunities to preserve this Buddha Sasana

• Update and increase our network of contacts with Buddhist Organisations around the world, and

• Practice our Five Styles at a global level

Our Centre is well positioned to play a leading role within the context of the World Federation of Buddhists and these are only just some of the reasons.

Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana and Chan are being taught and practiced at our Centre.

We are culturally adaptable.

The process of globalisation is, to a greater or lesser extent, producing some kind of disorientation in traditional Buddhist societies, which is weakening the confidence in the relevance of Buddha Dhamma in the younger section of the population.

This erosion of confidence (saddha) is a subtle process and not immediately obvious, but nevertheless is real. In the push to achieve wealth and an increased standard of living that Western societies seem to enjoy, there appears to be an uncritical acceptance of Western life styles and value systems. In the long run this may have the effect of undermining their traditional Buddhist culture and value system.

We have a role in showing others how to hold Buddha Dhamma morality with good job skills.

Our Teacher John D. Hughes, his wife Anita and ten Members of our Centre are planning to attend the conference as rapporteurs or observers.

Australia Day is January 26. To celebrate Australia Day 2002 many offerings were made to the Deva of Australia near the flagpole bearing the Australian Flag at the Southern Gate.

The offerings included jewels, flowers, red ribbon, food, tea, a Chinese New Year greeting card signed by John and Anita, a document about financial planning, Heinemann Australian Dictionary, a thanka and water.

Guided by our Teacher John D. Hughes and his wife Anita, Members participated in many meritorious activities over six hours to celebrate this special day.

The activities included building a new garden adjacent to the Southern Gate and relocating plants to the new garden from the area of the next building addition. Members decorated the Southern Gate with red ribbons and red cloth and painted the two Chinese lion protectors red.

Photographs of the decorated Southern Gate, offerings to the Deva and the new garden can be viewed in the online edition of the Brooking Street Bugle at www.bsbonline.com.au

The Chan Academy was opened at the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. on 6 February 1986.

The 16th Anniversary Celebration of the Chan Academy will be held at the Centre on 5 February 2002.

It is important that all our Members understand the correct practices for celebrations.

Our President Mr. Julian Bamford will give a keynote speech about the Chan Academy and present a gift to the Founder of the Chan Academy, Master John D. Hughes.

Members are preparing a Chan Painting Learning Manual.

The Chan Painting Learning Manual will be a key resource for persons learning about Chan, and will include information about:

Materials used in Chan (brushes, ink, inkstone and paper)

Chan Masters

A brief history of Chan, and

Resources, including texts, paintings, photographs, calligraphy, prints, videos, multimedia CD-ROM, exhibitions, auctions, etc., available at our Centre, in our John D. Hughes Collection reference library and on our websites.

This is achievable because Members are working in harmony and writing discoveries down. This project has action-research methodology.

In the book "An Introduction to Curriculum Research and Development" action-research is described as a "cyclical structure of evaluatory schemes" used in investigating inquiry- and discovery-based teaching. Action-research orientation means to act and reflect on action in a loop. The result is valuable information about effectiveness, in-service training and performance, for example. This methodology increases awareness.

You can help others learn about Chan by helping with the research and writing of the Chan Painting Learning Manual.

Planning commenced 18 January 2002. If you want to learn and help us please contact us at 9754 3334.

The scripts are globalised via our websites. There are 32 benefits of listening to the Buddha Dhamma we keep in mind when writing our scripts.

The Saddharama Smriti Upasthana Sutra mentions thirty-two benefits that can be gained from listening to the Dhamma. It says:

"What are these thirty two? When a master preaches the Dharma, he is like a parent to his audience, and he is like a bridge across the river of birth and death.

When one hears what one has never heard before, one attains new realizations. Once one has knowledge, one can begin to think about what one has learned.

Once one has begun to think about what one has learned, one has truly begun to practice self-cultivation.

Once one has begun to practice self-cultivation, one will abide in peace. Once one has begun to abide in peace, one can begin to benefit others; and then a mutually beneficial interaction can begin.

If one is able to abide in peace, then even hardship will not seem disturbing.

If one listens to the Dharma, then roots of goodness will begin to grow where formerly they did not grow.

If one contemplates what one has learned, then one will become prepared for liberation.

Listening to the Dharma can lead people with perverse views to change their views to right ones and listening to the Dharma can help people destroy unwholesome thoughts whenever they arise.

Listening to the Dharma increases goodness of mind and rids one of evil mental causes and conditions.

Listening to the Dharma keeps one from being scattered and disorganised in one's activities.

Listening to the Dharma leads one toward the company of good people and leads one away from selfishness and falseness.

Listening to the Dharma encourages one to care for one's parents and believe in karma; it also shows one how to live a long life.

Listening to the Dharma leads one to be raised by others and protected by heavenly beings, and it causes one's deepest wishes to be fulfilled.

Listening to the Dharma brings one all the joys of the Dharma and keeps one from sloth and laziness.

Listening to the Dharma causes one to progress quickly, to understand gratitude and to think often on the meaning of death.

If one has listened often to the Dharma, at the time of one's death, one will not cling to life or feel remorse for what one has done.

Ultimately, listening to the Dharma will lead one to Nirvana."

2002 is the Year of the Horse. We wish our listeners a happy and prosperous New Year as we enter the year of the seventh sign of the Chinese horoscope, the Horse. This new year started on 1 February 2002 and to spread blessings many people, we have so far sent out 684 new year blessing cards worldwide with a photograph of an auspicious red horse carrying a silver Dhamma Chakka image. We anticipate a total mail out of about 1000.

For those born in the Year of the Horse it is said to be an especially prosperous year. Our Teacher, Master John D. Hughes is born in the Year of the Horse. May our Teacher be well and happy this year and beyond.

May you be well and happy in the Year of the Horse.

Today's radio script includes a compendium of weekly broadcasts 26 November, 2000, to 7 January, 2001. You can find this radio script and previous scripts online at: www.bdcublessings.net.au.

This script was written and edited by John D. Hughes, Leanne Eames and Evelin Halls.

Disclaimer:

As we, the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd., do not control the actions of our service providers from time to time, make no warranty as to the continuous operation of our website(s). Also, we make no assertion as to the veracity of any of the information included in any of the links with our websites, or an other source accessed through our website(s).

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.

References

Brown, L. (ed.) "The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary" Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1993.

Statistics

Words : 2,463
Characters : 12,520
Paragraphs : 112
Sentences per paragraphs : 1.1
Words per sentence: 20.4
Sentences : 121 Passive sentences 17%
Flesch Reading Ease Score 53.1
Flesch Kincaid Grade Level : 10.0
Colman-Liau : 15.1
Bormuth : 10.9

Readability Statistics

Displays statistics about the document's readability, such as the Flesch Grade Level and Flesch Reading Ease Score. These statistics help you determine if you are writing at a level your audience can understand.

Flesch Grade Level: Flesch Grade Level indicates the Flesch Reading Ease score as a grade level. See the Flesch Scoring Table.

Coleman-Liau Grade Level: Indicates the grade level of the document based on the average number of letters per word and number of sentences per 100 words.

Bormuth Grade Level: Indicates the grade level of the document based on the average number of letters per word and per sentence. These scores indicate grade levels ranging from 6.3 to 11.6.

Flesch Reading Ease Score: Indicates how easy the document is to read based on the number of syllables per word and number of words per sentence. These scores indicate a number between 0 and 100. The higher the score, the easier the document is to read. See the Flesch Scoring Table.

Flesch-Kincaid Score: Indicates the grade level of the document based on the number of syllables per word and number of words per sentence. This score predicts the difficulty of reading technical documents, and is based on Navy training manuals that score in difficulty from 5.5 to 16.3. It meets military readability specifications MIL-M-38784 and DOD-STD-1685.

Flesch Scoring Table

(Reference: Lotus Word Pro Help Files)

For more information, contact the Centre or better still, come and visit us.

May You Be Well And Happy

This Radio Script is for Free Distribution. It contains Buddha Dhamma material and is provided for the purpose of research and study.

Permission is given to make printouts of this publication for FREE DISTRIBUTION ONLY.

Please keep it in a clean place.

"The gift of Dhamma excels all other gifts".

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