Buddhism in Australia Traditions in Change

156 Thich

ThongPimp

example,

workedhard

supportingyoung

adultsto

develop

the

highly

successful

Mitm

Conference,

which

provides

Buddhistswithan

opportunity

to

gettogether

and

enjoy

each

other,

tohear

high-quality

talksonBuddhist-related

topics.

andto

provide

the

opportunity

forAustralian

monastics,

Asianand

western.

to

present

their

perspectives

toamuchwideraudiencethan

theymight

otherwise

gain

access

to.SomeoftheuniversitiesinWesternAustraliaalsohaveBuddhist

chaplains

for

Whomthe

teaching

ofmeditationisaclearaim.In

my

owncontextatFlinders

University.my

workextendsto

engagement

withvariousservice

providers

such

as

theHealthand

Counselling

UnitandtheInternationalStudentServicesUnit.

Therearea

numberofmulti-t'aith

projects

thatI

participate

in

throughout

the

year.

including

occasional seminarswe

organize

andtheorientation

programmes

at

the

beginning

of

eachsemester.One

significantproject

isthe

development

ofthe

Empty

Mirror.

a

contextforsilentmeditationand

sharing

onselectedthemesheld

monthly

atalocal

Anglican

church,

I

co~facilitatethe

group

withFatherNicholas

Rundle.

the

chaplain

to Mission

Australia inSouth

Australia,

and

itattracts

Buddhists.

Christians,

Sufisandvarious

other

spiritual

seekers.

TheworkIlovethe

most,however.

is

simplybeing

an

obvious

presence

on

campus.

Overthelastthree

years

Ihave

developed

many

warmconnectionswith

stall.and students.

simplybywandering

around.

going

tothe

library

and

being

involvedwith

groups

likethe

Organic

Food

Co-op.

Sometimesittakesmeanhow

towalkthe[00metresorsofrom

my

officetothe

library.

Itisinthese

settings

that

Ifind

manyopportunities

for

pastoral

careand

letting

studentsandstaffknowthat

thereisa

chaplaincy

centreavailabletothem.Italsonurturesmeand

provides

for

my

needtoheinrealcontactwithotherhuman

beings.

In3006.onhistelevision

program.‘EnonghRope‘.

AndrewDentoninterviewed

a

Swedishtransvestite.Hetoldthe

story

ofhowhiswifehaddiscoveredhe

was

a

transvestiteandhowher

anger

athimwas

due.

not tohis

iransvestism.

but

to

thefactthathehadbeendishonestwithher.Onthe

program,

hesaid

something

thatlhave

putup

asa‘Wisdom

Saying'

in

my

officewindowatFlinders:

‘Be

yourself.Everyone

elseistaken.‘WhoelsecanIbe?Thecausesandconditions

werethereforme

tobebornamid-twentieth

century.working—class.

Christian.

SouthAustralianman

and

to

becomeaBuddhistmonkinaVietnamese

lineage.

Ican

only

workwithwhoIam

andbe

myself.Recently

Iwasa

living

bookin

theVictorHarbor

library.

Iwas

floodedwithother

Anglo-Celtic

Australians

very

keentodiscussthe

dharrna.

totellmeof

theirloveforVietnam

andto

express

their

pleasure

at

seeing

oneoftheirownin

Buddhistrobes.

Theiraffirmationisan

invihationtometocontinuetolivethe

adventurous

lifeofamonkanda

pastor,

———_———

4 The Buddhist

Council of

Victoria

and the

challenges

of

recognizing

Buddhism

as a

religion

inAustralia

DianaCousens

Afew

years

ago

|assisted

inthecreationofiheFederationofAustralianBuddhist

Councils.

This isa

body

that

joins

thevariousstale-level Buddhistcouncils

andenables

aunified

nationalvoiceforBuddhiststobe

presented

atafederal

level.Members

from

theNewSouth

Wales.

Victorianand

Queensland

Buddhist

Councils

met

together

in 2003 atthePureLand

Leaming

CentreinBrisbane

and

wrotethe

constitution

foranational

body.

theFederationofAustralian

Buddhist

Councils

(Federalion

ofAustralianBuddhistCouncils

2009).

TheFederation

of

Australian

Buddhist

Councilscommittee isconstituted oftwo

delegates

from

eachstate

council.

Inthe

preamble

tothe

constitution,

tworeasonswere

given

for

the

formation

oftheFederationofAusIralianBuddhistCouncils:to

promote

the

teachings

oftheBuddha.

andtofacilitatethe

recognition

ofBuddhism

asa

desig-

natedreligion

by

thevarious

governmental

and

non-govemmentalorganimtions.

This

chapter

looks

attheworkofthefederationandthatofstatecouncils,

suchas

the

Buddhist

Councilof

Victoria,

in

disseminating

Buddhismand

supporting

the

local

Buddhistcommunity.

As

a

Victorian

delegate,

I

participated

intheFederationof

AustralianBuddhist

Councils inaugural

meeting

inBrisbane. Wehammeredout

aconstitutionand

elected

Mohini

Gunesekera,

afemale

lawyer

fromSriLankaand

NewSouthWales

delegate.

asthe

first

president.

Oneofthe

things

thattheFederation

of

Australian

Buddhist

Councils

aimedtoachievewasthe

recognition

ofBuddhism

asa

religion

in

Australia.Surprisingly,

thishasnot

happened

yet,

asthe

government

hasnot

yet

recognized

the

FederationofAusti-alianBuddhistCouncils,

orindeed

any

other

body,

as

the

peak

bodyrepresenting

Buddhists.Such

recognition

will

enable

a

rmd)’

dialogue

withstateandfederal

governments.

enabling

the

transmission

of

the

interests

and

concernsoftheBuddhist

communitythrough

asolidinstitutional

pathway.

The

other

majorreligions

inAustraliahave

bodiesthatare

formally

recognized

by

government.

. ‘

.

Recognition

ofBuddhism as a

religion

Will come

aboutwhenthe

lederal

government

lends

its

imprimatur

toa

peak

body

thatisidentified

as

representing

Buddhism.

The

recognition

is

pending

onthe

peakbodyimplementing

a

mamage

ceremony

for

Buddhistsand a

system

of

training

marriage

celebranls.

At

the

inaugulal

meeting

oftheFederationofAustralian

Buddhist

Councils

a

‘Buddhrsl

wedding

ceremony’

wascreated.Buddhism

doesnot

traditionally

have

a

wedding