Buddhism in Australia Traditions in Change

144 Pirlrt'ciuSherwood

Interest

Group,

whichmet

fortnightly

forthenextsix

years

to

study

Buddhism.

We

meditated.

watchedvideosonBuddhismanddiscussedBuddhist

philosophy

and

psychology.

Between 1986 and 1989 I

scripted

threeeducational videos

with themediaunitat EdithCowan

University

on the

experience

ofconvert

Buddhist

practitioners

in

Australia.

themonastic

experience

andanintroduction

toaBuddhist

migrant‘sexperience

inAustralia.To

explore

and documentthe

conversion

experiences

ofnon-ethnic Australian Buddhists. l commenced

a

research

project

into their

experiences

thatconcludedthatBuddhism

provided

a

meaningsystem

thatwasconnectedtothecultivationof

compassion

and

care

forothers.It

providedpractical

toolsand

insights

tocreate

a

peaceful

mindand

lifethatisless

stressful,

a

space

forthecultivationof

deepinsights

intoone's

lifeand the

experience

ofconnectednesstoself.others

andtheworldaround

themofall

livingbeings.

Asaresultofthis

research,

in

1997,

Iwasinvitedto

represent

Australiaatthefirst

global

conferenceof

Buddhistmonksandscholars

in

Colombo,

SriLanka.Asthe

plane

circledthis

beautiful

greenisland,

IfeltI

heard

my

namecalled.Itwaslike

coming

home.

Theconferencewas

celebrating

50

years

ofSriLanka‘s

independence

and,

in

spite

oftheterroristattackonthe

sacred

temple

of

Kandyjust

sixmonths

before,

thousandsofmonksfromaround

theworldattended,Itwasawesometoseethe

degree

of

scholarshipamong

these

monks:doctorates.

masters,

and

vice-chancellorships

inuniversitiesaroundthe

world.The

presence

ofBuddhismwas

palpable

inthelivesoftheSri

Lankans,

inthe

very

soilofthe

country.

inthe

airthatonebreathed.Intheoldest

temple

of

Colombo,

whichisover

1000

years

old,

Itook

my

Five

Precepts.

IreturnedtoAustraliawitharenewedvisionofthefruitsofBuddhist

practice.

bothintermsofwisdomand

compassion

andhowI

mightsupport

the

growth

of

educationfor

positive

mentalhealthinAustralia,On

my

returnto

Australia,

Iwas

inspired

toresearch

engaged

Buddhist

practice

inAustralia.Itwastimethatthe

compassionate

heartofBuddhismwasuncoveredandin 2000 Istartedtheinitial

researchontheBuddhistcontributioninAustraliatoeducation.

prisons.hospitals.

the

environment,

the

peace

movement.thehuman

rights

movementsandmental

health

services,

particularlypsychotherapy

and

counselling

(Sherwood2004).

Asacounsellorand

psychothempist.

Iwasinterestedinthestateofourmindsand

ways

tocreate

greater

mentalhealth. 1

panicipated

intheBuddhist

psychotherap}

summerschoolsheld

bienniallyby

the

Kagyue-vam-Institute

inMelbourne.where

Imetother

practitioners

andmembersofthe

public

interestedinthe

potential

ofthe

newlyemergingdiscipline

tifBuddhist

psychotherapy

and

counselling

Thisneu

discipline

wasa

marriage

betweenBuddhist

psychology

anddiiTerentschools

of

western

psychotherapy

andwasaneffortto

bring

towesternclinicalworkabroader

perspective

of

interconnectedness,

anawarenessofthe

importance

ofthe

present

momentandan

understanding

oftheroleofattachmentto

permanence.

clinging

toaversionsanddesiresinthecreationand

perpetration

ofmental

suffering.

At

thattime.theAmideTnistin

England

andthe

Naropa

University

intheUSA

had

begungovernment-accredited

coursesinBuddhist

psychotherapy

and

counselling.

Afier national consultations with Buddhist-influenced counsellors,

psycholo-

gists, psychiatrists,

and

psychotherapists

fromWesternAustralia. New

South

———_-

Educatingfor

wisdom

and 145

Wales,Queensland

andVictoria,

I

designed,

and

hadaccredited

by

theAustralian

National

Training

Authority,

thefirst

nationally

recognized

training

program

ata

tertiary

level

inBuddhist

psychotherapy

and

counselling.

These

courses

included

a

diploma

and

advanced

diploma

ofBuddhistcounselling

and-psychotherapy

whichwerealso

registered

foroverseasstudents.

The

course

provided

training

in

Buddhist

psychotherapy

and

counselling

for

people

alreadypracticing

or

intending

tobecomeacounsellor

inAustralia.

These

courseswere

also

registered

With-the

professional

counselling

bodies

ofAustr-alia,

Itwasaccredited

under

the

auspices

of

Sophia

College

in2002.

.

Sophia

College

isnowa

non-profit

educational

company

managed

by

aboard

Vot

directorswith

campuses

inBrisbane.

Melbourne

andPerth.

It

began

in 2001

With

thevisionof

providing

holistic

ways

of

creating

mental

health

because

of

my

deep

concernsatthe

rapidlypopular

methodsof

drugging

people

with

mental

'health

problems

long

term.

These

people

seemedtoooften

tolose

the

capacity.

for

insight

andbecome

drugdependent.

The Buddhareminds

usthat

ahuman

incarnation

isablessedincarnation

because

the

person

has

the

capacity

tocultivateinsight

andbecomeawakened.

Itseemed

thatmentalhealth

problems

weretoo

often

hampering

our

destiny

ashuman

beings,

whichisto

wake

up

tothe

lurenature

of

ourmindsandbecome

freefrommental

bondage.

In

keeping

with

the.

Buddha

s

teachings,

thecore

valuesof

SophiaCollege

arethe

cultivation

of

Wisdom

and

compassion,

and

integrity,

asreflectedinthe

missionstatement:

1.Toadvanceholistic

knowledge

which

integrates

the

empirical

and

experiential

inthe

disciplines

ol‘

counselling.psychotherapy.

psychology.

social

sciences

andeducation.

2. Tocollaboratewithlocal

andinternational

partners

to

cultivate

cross-cultural

richness,

diversity

of

professionalapplications

and

promote

ongoing

profes-

sional

development

networksthat are

supportive

of

holistic

approaches

to

humaneducationand

mentalhealth.

3. To

provide

leadership

ininnovative

programs

for

human

mental

health

and

community

flourishing

thatcombinethescientific

and

creative

dimensions

of

humanfaculties..

4. Toenhance

responsible

andethical

practice

inthe

mental

health

professions,

socialsciencesand

education.

.

‘

5,To

promote

social

justicebygenerating

and

participating

ininnovativeproyects

that deliver holistic

mentalhealth services toeconomically

disadvantaged

individuals,

communities

and

countries

6. Tocreatea
   lifelongpassion

for

learning,

a

spirit

ofhumility

human

unknowingness,

an

urge

to

challenge

whatis

known

in

asearch

for

what

is

yet

unknownand

acommitment

to

finding

meetings

between

thematerial

and

immaterial

aspects

01'human

experience,

in

theface

of

agenda.

SophiaCollege

commenced

witha

strongcompassionate

social

justice

_

h

d

ens

e

ensuring

that

opportunities

werecreated

for

people

in

economically

impov

h'

communitiestoalso

acquiretraining

in

mental

health.

An

extensive

scholars

ip