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Buddhist Hour Radio Broadcast on Hillside 88.0 FM
Script 345 for Sunday 5 September 2004

Glossary:

1. veneration (1) a feeling of deep respect; reverence for a person or thing. (2) The action or act of showing respect or reverence. (3) the fact or condition of being venerated.

2. lemma: something taken for granted or assumed, an axiom or demonstrated proposition used in an argument or proof.

This script is titled:

Celebrating the Non-ending Journey of our Founder John D. Hughes

Today is Father's Day all around Australia and we begin this program by wishing that all fathers be well and happy.

This Thursday 9 September 2004 we celebrate our first Founder’s Day without our Founder, John D. Hughes, who passed away on 29 November 2003.

Our celebrations will begin with chanting at 6.00am in the main hall. As part of the celebrations we will welcome Members of Sangha for dana offering and blessing of a life-sized image of John D. Hughes.

John D. Hughes was held in the deepest veneration by his many students and friends in Australia and around the world.

The life-sized image has been created as a mark of that veneration to the qualities of our Founder and Teacher.

As with many Buddhist images, the image of John D. Hughes stands upon a lotus base. The base has 61 lotus petals in three layers. Each petal is 13cm in length.

Inside the image are offerings of Buddha Dhamma sutras, Buddha images and relics of John D. Hughes.

As part of this celebration we would like to share with you the story of our Founder.

The following biography ‘The Non-ending Journey - A Biography of John David Hughes’ was presented to John D. Hughes in October 2000 by Evelin C. Halls. The biography has been updated for today’s Buddhist Hour Broadcast. The original biography can be viewed with accompanying photographs of John D. Hughes at www.buyresolved.com.au.

John David Hughes was a fourth-generation Australian and was born on 9 September 1930 in Mentone, which is located by the beach near Melbourne in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia. John’s father’s father was a wealthy man. He had 28 employees and his sons worked for him. Keith Albert Hughes, John’s father, was also wealthy, but in 1930 the business collapsed in the Great Depression, after which his father was unemployed. However, John’s parents, as well as other family members, provided him with everything he needed and his childhood was a very happy one. John was the only child and on Sundays up to 18 family members used to come for dinner, presenting a strong sense of family. He was a very bright and unusual boy.

John was the resident Buddha Dhamma Teacher and Founder of the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. He built the temple to provide persons in Australia with the opportunity to make merit so that they can learn and practice Buddha Dhamma.

John chose a suitable location for the temple in the quiet hills of the Dandenong Ranges. He established a heavenly Chan garden surrounding the Buddhist Centre and built a multilingual Buddhist reference library at the temple, the John D. Hughes Collection, which he planned to last for at least 500 years. On 9 September 2000, John's 70th birthday, the 70th Buddha relic arrived for that calendar year. Over 300 Buddha relics, including three hair relics, are now stored at the Centre. The lemma John chose for our organisation is 'Lifetimes of Learning'.

The most important thing for John fundamentally was to show teachable beings the way out of suffering, to help them to understand the way out of suffering, and to provide the materiality to do it.

John saw himself in a process of becoming, not as a static entity, but in a process of a non-ending journey until he ends up as a Buddhist Chief monk, Sariputta, under the future Buddha. He trained himself every day to this aim in a very focussed and coherent way following his life plan.

People that really make a difference in the world in many countries, including about 8000 Buddhist monks, bodhisattvas, business leaders and politicians, shaped John's life. Some of them he met personally. Atisha, one of the great beings whom John met in a past life 1000 years ago, inspired him through to the end of his life.

John gained a Diploma of Applied Chemistry from Swinburne College of Technology, a Trained Technical Teacher's Certificate from the Education Department of Victoria, he studied Arts and Education at Deakin University, was awarded a Graduate Diploma in Adult and Industrial Education from Deakin University and studied Mathematics at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. For many years he taught science in Victorian technical schools and was a Committee Member and later Chairman of the Boronia Teacher Education Centre.

John D. Hughes was the Founder and Secretary of the Australian Manufacturers Patents, Industrial Designs, Trademark & Copyright Association (AMPICTA). The Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd is a foundation member of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria. Also, John formed and ran a training company trading as WINNERS GAIN GROUND, providing commercial training packages.

Many nicknames were given to John over the years, but the one that really stuck was 'Spike'. It came from the days when John enjoyed playing jazz cornet, and a popular band at the time had the name ‘Spike’. John always liked music and reading a lot.

John D. Hughes was elected as Vice-President of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) in November 1998. On 25 January 2000, John was awarded the Visuddhananda Peace Award (in Memory of His Holiness the Late 24th Mahasanghanayaka Visuddhananda Mahathero) from Bangladesh. The Venerable Shilalankar Mahathero, the Sangharaj of the Supreme Sangha Council of Bangladesh, describes John in a letter to him for his 65th birthday as “one of the apostles of our New World Buddhist order in Australia, and one of the pioneers of Buddhism in the Australia - New Zealand region”.

John was one of the World's few living Chan Masters and had painted Chan images for more than four decades. He founded the Chan Academy at the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd in 1986, where he taught the 'Way of the Brush'. This classic Chinese Chan painting method has many meanings; it is a Buddhist meditation practice. Chan, also known as Zen, is like Prajna Paramita. For John personally, he painted for long life practice and also as a way of thanking the Dragon King for helping him. His paintings are profoundly beautiful. John said that it is interesting in Australian nationalism to have an Australian painter that will be remembered for a long time for painting classic Chan in Australia.

John travelled regularly to national and international Buddhist conferences and Buddhist organisations and helped many beings in Australia and overseas with his wisdom and compassion. He visited and taught students in 14 different countries around the world who came from various cultural, social and economic backgrounds. His plans for our Centre to become a branch of a Buddhist university materialised on 9 February 2002 when the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. was admitted as an Associated Institution of the World Buddhist University, headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand.

Science was fundamentally the basic discipline John trained in, and his hobby was the building of a private Geological Museum, which is again tied to the Dragon King. For over three decades, John collected precious stones and rare fossils from all over the world. In 2002, he created an online Geological Museum on the world wide web as e-education, as part of his plan to inspire persons to become geologists. On 9 September 2000, John launched UMLAUT, the 'Upwey Museum Library All Uniting Think Tank'. He decided to publish the UMLAUT notes on the internet.

Over the last 13 years John was editor of the Buddha Dhyana Dana Review, the flagship journal of the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd., as well as editor over the previous 11 years when the journal was called the BDC(U) Newsletter. The Buddha Dhyana Dana Review was distributed to 40 countries three time a year for a decade, until its shift to an online format on the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. website www.bddronline.net.au, mirrored at www.bdcu.org.au.

John had created ten truly beautiful Dhamma websites, which are a treasure. He also put plans in place to build more multimedia sites, as well as plans to build some low-tech sites, as many people have slow computers, such as with a 386 processor. He published ongoing teaching materials on his websites. John used this virtual form instead of the traditional ideal face-to-face scenario to teach those students who were not in a position to travel to the Centre.

By using the new information technology, he wanted to enable many more beings to meet and learn the Buddha Dhamma. John established 'The Buddhist Hour' radio show of which he was Executive Producer for its first 240 programs. The Buddhist Hour is now in its sixth year and is broadcast every Sunday from the local Hillside FM 88.0 radio station Following John’s plan, we intend broadcasting the show digitally via the Internet in the future. In addition, John planned to publish a number of books. The first one is nearly ready and it is called The Library You Are Looking For. John operated at both the micro and the macro level.

John D. Hughes knowledges were vast and he was full of loving kindness, always ready to lend a helping hand and to show people the way out of suffering. John was practical, and often delegated tasks to others; he had many people helping him. John D. Hughes was a very inspirational person who has helped and will continue to help many many beings in his new birth.

May John be well and happy.

During his lifetime, John D. Hughes received many blessings and accolades from great Buddhist Teachers, scholars and practitioners from around the world. The following message, dated 7 September 1995 was from The Supreme Patriarch of the Buddhists of Bangladesh. The Sangharaj of the Bangladesh, His Magnanimous Holiness Most Venerable Shilalankar Mahathero, from Mirzapore Shanti Dham Bihara, Chittagong, Bangladesh, on the Celebration of the 65th Birthday of Mr. John D. Hughes, Founder of the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey), Australia, wrote:

“My dear John D. Hughes,
You are one of the apostles of our New World Buddhist order in Australia, and one of the pioneers of Buddhism in the Australia - New Zealand region.

I pray for your attainment of ‘Bodhisatta Parami’ in this life and may you be happy all along with all your friends far and near working hand in hand with you for the spreading of Buddhism in your continent.

I would then offer to you bountiful merits for all the good things you have completed in your life and offer bountiful merits to your abbots, friend, upasaks and upasikas as well. I’m so happy and contented to know that Buddhism continues to flourish in every corner of the world unabated even for a moment, that the 21st Century to come will hopefully usher a New Buddhist Era for the benefit of all human beings living on this planet that ‘World Peace’ will one day in this process be achieved.

Finally, I congratulate you on the Celebration of your 65th Birthday and make a presentation to you of a ‘Sandalwood Buddha Image’ as a mark of my ‘Loving Kindness’ for you, the members of your family and your friends.

Sincerely yours,
Venerable Shilalankar Mahathero
The Sangharaj of the Supreme Sangha Council of Bangladesh.
(Rendition in English: By D. P. Mozumder).

Over recent weeks, our Members have constructed a life size image of John D. Hughes. The image stands in the new private dining hall. It is 178cm in height, and stands upon a round lotus base of 61 petals. The base is 10cm high and 62.5cm in diameter.

The petals are made of aluminum flashing and each is stapled to a band of aluminum forming the base surround. It is filled with bricks and concrete.

The structure for the image was built upon four threaded steel rods, 3 metres in length, two for each leg, cemented into a hole below the floor where the image now stands.

Offerings of incense, jewels, copper money, flowers, a Stupa containing a mantra and bone relics of John D. Hughes and a business card of John D. Hughes were offered into the hole.

The rods pass up through four holes drilled in the hardwood floor. The rod thickness measures 24cm for the front and 20cm for the back rods. They pass through four oval shaped steel plates, each 6 millimetres thick. The first is positioned at floor level, the next at waist height, then chest height and the upper at shoulder level. Each plate is fixed below and above with a washer and nut. Two smaller rods are fixed to the shoulder plate for the head.

The shape of the body, the torso, legs and arms, has been made with wire, cloth, and plaster. Chicken wire was wrapped around the leg rods leaving a space down the middle of each leg. Cloth was wrapped around the chicken wire, and concrete was poured into the space filling the legs to waist height. The lower body, chest and shoulders were wrapped with chicken wire then filled with cloth.

For the arms, two threaded steel rods are fixed through holes at either side of the steel shoulder plate, bent at approximate elbow and wrist level. Wire was then wrapped around the arm rods. Two male mannequin hands were fixed to the arms and positioned one over the other in front of the body and rest on one of John’s favourite walking sticks.

Plastering was done using strips of cloth dipped in wet plaster. The saturated strips were wrapped around the legs, waist, shoulders, arms, chest and neck.

The head is formed from two parts. The plaster face caste of John D. Hughes is fixed with liquid nails adhesive to a square block of Cyprus wood forming the skull. Two holes are drilled into the block of wood to fit it onto the supporting rods. Plaster saturated cloth is wrapped around the block to form the correct shape and head dimension.

The finishing work is done by adding wet plaster and smoothing the dry plaster with a rasp and sand paper.

Two glass eyes have been fixed into holes created for the eye sockets. Prosthetic ears are being manufactured specially for the image and donated. The eyelashes are from a doll making supplier as is the hair which is stitched onto a wig base and fitted onto the head. The total cost of these materials including the face mask, mannequin hands and internal structure is approximately $800 dollars.

It is essential to identify and understand the purposes intended for such an image of a venerated person such as the late Master John D. Hughes.

Drawing from observations by Jean Boisselier, Professor of the Sorbonne and Director of the French Archaeological Mission in Thailand, he stated in reference to the worship of images of the Lord Buddha that:

"In Theravada Buddhism....all believers were encouraged to worship Buddha images directly; all acts of piety were welcomed, within the supple framework of an unrestrictive ritualism. The images to which believers of all ranks and conditions brought offerings of flowers, incense sticks, and gold leaf, singing praises and reciting acts of faith, were generally located in monasteries, but were also erected at other holy places".

We encourage our Students to practice and follow these traditions.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica notes that of ‘Images of the Buddha, in both Theravada and Mahayana usage, images have been set up in Temples, monasteries and shrines. Throughout Asia these generally represent the historic Buddha in postures of meditating, teaching or reclining. For the devout these call to mind his enlightenment, years of teaching and passing of nirvana. To educated Buddhists they are not idols, possessed of inherent mysterious power, but aids to fix meditation on the virtues of the Buddha.

In countries of northern Asia, the treatment of images is more complex. In Mahayana sanctuaries, the representations are of different Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arahats, and guardian deities derived from India. In China and Tibet these constitute a pantheon, the worship of which is practically polytheistic.

The Britannica notes: Historically, as is known from old Buddhist records in China, images often have been prized for their miraculous, supernatural efficacy. Sometimes the image was thought to become efficacious on occasion of the ceremony of worship. Acts then performed in its presence then became magically potent.

In Japan, where modern education is widespread, the tendency is to regard images as symbols of important spiritual qualities. Thus the figure of Amida (Buddha) signifies both wisdom and mercy, that of Kannon (in Chinese Quan Yin) boundless compassion, that of Manjushri the supreme wisdom to be sought through meditation. In Tibet, where ancient magical rites are taken for granted, images in personal form may represent doctrinal ideas or abstractions to the learned and also serve as direct objects of worship, powerful in themselves for the untutored laity.

The outward marks of various cultures can be seen by the physical radiance of the many crafted rupa images at our Centre. Senior Members of the Sangha have performed with expertise the "dotting of the eye" of our images. The many Buddha Rupa at our Centre are worthy of respect.

Over many years our Teacher taught students how to establish the correct Buddha Dhamma "habitat" at our Brooking Street Centre by chanting the "Habitat Blessing".

VANDAMI CETIYAM SABBAM
SABBA THANESU PATITTHITAM
SARIRIKA DHATU - MAHA BODHIM
BUDDHA - RUPAM SAKALAM - SADA.

In English:
I Salute every chetiya (pagoda or shrine)
that may stand in any place,
the bodily relics, the Great Bodhi (tree)
and all images of the Buddha.

These three main objects of veneration on site are the factors giving past and continuing stability to our Centre's suitable location. These three artifacts are "markers of performance" which verify a Centre as being suitable for teaching Buddha Dhamma.

Since the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.’s inception on 9th September 1978, it has had as one of its goals a sustainable Buddha Dhamma reference library and archives collection.

Buddha foresaw the Disappearance of Learning, which will occur at the end of this Sasana, when his teachings disappear one by one over time, beginning with the Abhidhamma. Building a collection of Dhamma texts, images and art at our Centre is a cause to forestall this Disappearance of Learning.

Practitioners at the Chan Academy Australia founded as the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. are encouraged by our late Master John D. Hughes toward scholarship, practice and realisation of Buddha Dhamma. The Library and artifacts collection at the Centre, named after our Teacher, is an invaluable resource for Students of the Noble Eightfold Path.

The John D. Hughes Collection contains the full Tripitika and many other rare and valuable Buddha Dhamma books, written in over twenty-five languages including Sanskrit and Pali. The Collection includes many Buddhist Dictionaries having the hybrid languages used in Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana and Chan traditions. It contains an extensive collection of international Journals, Chan Art and Buddha Rupa.
It is our intention that the Buddha Dhamma contained in the John D. Hughes Collection be disseminated to Buddhist Scholars around the world as well as to any interested non-Buddhist persons and organisations.

During a visit to our Centre in 1990 Venerable Bhikkhu Santitthito, after guiding Meditation for some of our Members, provided to our Centre a written short form of the Teachings.

When the following stanzas are mindfully recited, the result produced is relief from various maladies. We praise the skill of the Venerable and his benevolence in offering these stanzas as a Meditational Nimitta. Ideally, this Meditation should be done in front of a Buddha image with many offerings of light. Beneficial results can be obtained by persons of other religions who practise this in front of images or symbols of their deities. The stanza is as follows:

‘Light turned within mind's centre,
breaks all boundaries.
Love in the space of our heart allows us to look into
the boundless light of being naturally one with the
breath of suchness.
A simple moment of an open heart frees us from all
the dust of yesterdays and celebrates being alive
in this present breath of life gratefully.’

The Lord Buddha’s teaching of the Golden Precepts sutra has changed the lives of many person who read it for it explains the direct results of causes.

Here is a reproduction of the Golden Precepts or Karma Sutra:
“Once upon a gathering attended by 1,250 followers, the Venerable Ananda, after circling thrice with folded hands around the Buddha and bowing with respect, asked: “In the present dark age where the majority of our people are indulgent in unrighteousness, disrespectful to the Lord’s Teaching, undutiful to their parents, immoral, miserable and sordid, among them some are deaf, some blind, some mute, some idiotic, some are handicapped in other aspects, and most people inured to killing, how could we understand the cryptic and fundamental principle or causes that have brought about this reality and what consequences each individual is to suffer eventually for his or her deeds. My Lord, would you kindly explain these to us?

The Enlightened One then answered, “Listen carefully, I will now expound the Law Of Karma. Because of Karmic effects inherited from previous lives, some people are poor, some rich, some happy and some miserable. These are four rules inseparable in obtaining happiness and prosperity for your next life. They are:

1. Be dutiful and respect our parents.
2. Respect the Buddha’s, the (Dhamma Teachings of Buddha) and the Buddhist Monks (Sangha).
3. To abstain from killing and set free sentient beings.
4. To abstain from eating meat and be charitable.

The Buddha proceeded on the Karmic Sutra: “ Destiny is aggregate karmic effects from the past. To believe in and practice this sutra will bring you eternal prosperity and happiness.”

Learn the Law of Karma expounded as follows:
To be able to hold office in the government is a reward for your building Buddha’s Statues in previous life. For building Buddha’s statues is likened to molding yourself, and to protect the Tathagata is protecting yourself.

To be able to hold a high ranking position in the government is reward for you putting gold on the Buddhas Images and Statues.
To be a public officer cannot be taken for granted, for without practising Buddhism it will not befall you.
Your present enjoyment of various transportation facilities without getting foot-worn is a reward for your help in the construction of bridges and roads in you past life.
To donate clothing to monks will ensure you are well provided with clothing in future lives or in your next life. (Offering of Saffron Robes during Kathina Festival).
To be free from hunger and starvation is the result of your providing food to the poor in your previous life.
To be miserly and unwilling to help the needy gives rise to future starvation and lack of clothing.
To have ample housing is a reward for donating food to monasteries in your past life. (Offering of Dana to the Monks).
To build temples and public shelters will give you future prosperity and happiness.
For your respecting and offering of flowers to Buddha’s altar in the past is the reward of being pretty and handsome.
To abstain from eating meat and to pray constantly to Buddha will assure you to be reborn a very intelligent child in your next rebirth.
To have a good wife and son is reward for your disseminating Buddha’s teaching in your past life.
Furnishing Buddhist temples with hangings and tapestries will enable you to have a good marriage in your next rebirth.
To have good parents is a reward for your respecting and helping those who were lonely and desolate in your past life.

On Founders Day 2004 we celebrate and venerate the life and great waves of merit and wisdom of our Teacher John D. Hughes.

Patrul Rinpoche wrote in the ‘Words of My Perfect Teacher’ when you are perfectly versed in how to follow your teacher it is:

‘Like a swan swimming on a perfect lake,
Or a bee tasting the nectar of flowers,
Without ever complaining, but always receptive to him,
Always wait upon your teacher with exemplary conduct,
Through such devotion you will experience all his qualities.’

Of all the paramount sources of refuge or opportunities for accumulating merit there is none greater than the teacher.

May our Teacher be well and happy.

May the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd last for the next 500 years.

May you come to experience all the qualities of the Buddha.

May all fathers be well and happy.

May all beings be well and happy.

May you be well and happy.


Today’s script was written, edited and prepared by Julian Bamford, Peter Boswell, Frank Carter, Evelin Halls, Anita Hughes, Leila Igracki, Paul Tyrrell and Leanne Eames.



References

ISYS Searches of our LAN1 heritage database found the following references:

1. Encyclopaedia Britannica. USA 1963. Vol. 4 Botha to Carthage. Page 361.

2. Gathered from page 15/16 of Buddha Dhyana Dana Review (1/14/99)
3. Gathered from page 2/3 of 1 (12/31/98)
4. Gathered from Buddha Dhyana Dana Review (12/31/98)
5. Gathered from Buddha Dhyana Dana Review (1/30/80)
6. Gathered from Buddha Dhyana Dana Review (1/4/80)
7. Gathered from Karma Sutra (9/25/98)
8. Gathered from page 7 of Photograph (1/28/96)
9. Patrul Rinpoche. The Words of My Perfect Teacher. Shambhala, Boston USA. 1998,

Disclaimer

As we, the Chan Academy Australia, Chan Academy being a registered business name of 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 another 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 Chan Academy Australia (Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.)

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".

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

© 2002. Copyright. The Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.

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