Buddhism in Australia Traditions in Change

12

MichelleBarker

andCristina

Rocha

meditation

practice.

Lama

Choedak

Rinpoche

notesthe

challenges

in

practice

and

perceptions

that

monastics

face.even

suggesting

thata

secularformof

Buddhism

Is

needed.

In

other

chapters,

democratic

principles

are

evidencedina

variety

oftraditions

by

the

existence

of

elected

managing

boards

inBuddhist

centres.inadditionto

state-

and

tederal

Buddhist

councils.

Barwghi‘schapter

examinestheseissuesin

relationto

the

Diamond

Sangha

Zen

Buddhist

lineage

in

Australia,

andCousensl

chapter

examinesthe

challenges

faced

by

the

FederationofAustralianBuddhist

Councils

to

obtain

official

recognition

of

Buddhism

asa

religion

inAustralia.

With

regard

to

feminism.some

traditionshave

adoptedequality

of

genders

in

their

Western

branches;others find

this

adaptation

highlyproblematic.

Various

chapters

in

this

volume

include

analyses

ofthis

issue

(Barzaglu',Bowen,Fitzpatrick

galafotf

andNagasu-n),

For.

instance.

Fitzpatrick‘s

researchon

the

practice

of

teenTara

in

Australia

examines

the

relevanceof

gender

and

feministconcerns

to

practitioners

relationship

toGreen

Tara

_

Another

characteristic

of

Buddhism in

theWest

thatisfound inAustralia

is

social

engagement.

Engaged Buddhism in

Australiahas increaseddramati-

Eallly

51208

Bucknell-first

wrote

onthe

topic

in

2000.Bucimeli‘sworkdescribes

{gggggacnd

Eugggifmtm

Australia

asa

phenomenon

that

began

in

approximately

[it]

is

nonetheles

gas

thus

correspondingly

inconspicuous

andlittlenoticedbut

similarly

ar“es

5m

eservingofattenttonand

recognition‘(2000:468).

Sherwood

services

congce

dat

Buddhist

organizations

in

Australiahave

alwaysprovided

is

one wa

inmeh'M‘h

social

welfare

and

education

(20m).

Engaged

Buddhism

researchd

eysmbw

gob

Buddhism

affects

wider

Australian

society:

Sherwood‘s

palliative

C

C;

uddhism

asa

socially

transforming

force,

inareas

including

comribuf

are;

urnan

rights

arenas

and

education. Sherwood examinesthe

Educatiorioori‘ghiguddhm

groups.

in

Australia

in

nineareas:educationofadults.

in

hospitalsand11:?"

working

v-Vllh‘llle

Sleand

dying

inthe

community,working

working

in

mumsPslcesi‘vorkms

in

drugrehabilitation,

working

withthe

poor.

semen.

beingsi

m;

apezortng

updfordtheA

oppressed

and

working

for

nonvhiunan

(Sherwood

2003)

provt

es

etarledcase

studiesof 12 such

organizations

bar-21;!

21:11:“:

Fairiiagxagedd'liuddhist

organizations

in

Australiadoes

nOt

merely

all‘cct

[he

broader

SO“Hang/fence.

Vasi

suggests

that

Buddhistwelfare

operations

Victoria

(2005-

90)

BIC};

in

her

study

ot

Buddhist

organizations

inthestateof

in

Australia

“a

la.cesatrher

documents

expressions

of

Buddhist

religiotlscapital

religious

cap“

5)

im

ern

wtthtna

framework

thatidentifiesdifierent

types

of

andthe

cmusofm

prove

understanding

of

boththe

concept

of

religiouscapital

community

memb

e

ongornggrowth

of

BuddhisminAustralia

(2007).

Buddhist

[cam

rolein

the

derslsuch

asthe

Most

VenerableTbich

Quang

Ba

play

a

signif-

Vietnam

‘

19

eve

opment

ofengagedBuddhisminAustralia.Bornincentral

tn

55. 
    

he

entered

monastic

lifein 1964

andhassince

spent

25 of

his

45
earsa

'

'

'

4

y sa

monastic

engaging

in

community

servicesandcharitable

andhuman

rightsactivities.
The
Most
Vene

well

pl

_

rable

Thich

Quang

Babelieves

thatAustraliaIs

acedto

hfldge

global

and

local

issuesdueto

its

large

Asian

population

Introduclmn l

andhiswork

seekstoconnecttheBuddhist

community

inAustraliawith

pressing

global

concerns

(personal

communication

2008).

Several

chapters

in this book contribute to the

understanding

of

engaged

BuddhisminAustralia.Vasi's

chapter

addressestherole

oftheCambodian

temple

in

assisting

in

addressing

thesettlementandwelfare

needsofthe

community.

She

investigates

howthe

temple helps

the

elderly

toovercomeisolation and

mental illness.and

providespositive

role

modelsto the

young.

Thich

Thong

Phap'schapter

alsodealswiththe

ways

inwhichhisnun

presence

asan

Anglo-

Australianmonk

provides

a

positive

rolemodeltoasecond

generation

Vietnamese

student.Halafofl‘discusses

VenerableRobinaCurtin'sworkin

prisons

alloverthe

world:

whileSherwood

writesaboutherownworkinBuddhist

teaching

in

tertiary

education.Cousens

describestheworkoftheBuddhistCouncilofVictoriain

developing

a

primary

school

religious

instruction

syllabus.working

withBuddhist

prisoners

from

non-English—speakingbackground

andinthe

palliative

caresector.

Davisnotesthat

the.IikishoanZenBuddhist

Community

isinvolvedinoutreach

Buddhist

Chaplaincy

program

in

prisons

andthe

teaching

ol’Zenmeditationina

drug

rehabilitation

centrein Melbourne.

Finally,Barzaghi‘s

discussionofnew

typcs

ot'ZenBuddhist

retreatincludesmentionot‘thccreation

ot'engaged

Buddhist

retreatsatthe

Sydney

Zencentre.

The

challenge

oftransmitting

Buddhismtosecond

generation

Asian»Australinns

is

present

inother

Westerncountries.

TuongQuang

Luu's

chapter

addressthedim-

cu|ties

temples

andfirst

generationmignints

face

attracting

thesecond

generation.

Vast's

chapter

alsodemonstratestherole

templesplay

in

attracting

and

assisting

second

generation.

Additionally.

the linksbetween Buddhismand

psychology

(discussed

in

thisvolume

byKearney,Barzaghi

and

Sherwood)

arefoundinother

Westem countries.

For

Kearney.creating

acontext forstudents tounderstand

Buddhist

concepts

isa

complex

atTair.He

argues

thatintheAustralian

Insight

Movement.

‘insighl‘

isa

vagueconcept

and that

insightpractitionersusually

apply

it to

understanding

theirown

psychological processes.

Both

Barzaghi

and Sherwood

arc

psychotherapists

and teach Buddhism.While

Banaghi

has

organized

several

nationalconferenceson theintersectionsbetweenBuddhism

and

psychotherapy

andhasherown

privatepractice.

SherwoodteachesBuddhist

techniques

such

asmeditationandmindfulness

to

improve

mental

health

at

Sophia

College.

Incontrast.

chapters

inthis volumealso

address some

characteristics

that

seem to be

particularly

Australian. Couscns

explores

theobstacles thatniusl

beovercome

forBuddhismto be

recognized

asa

religionby

theAustralian

government.

Religions

in Australiaaredefined

by

the

presence

ofa

wedding

ceremony,

whichBuddhismlacks.Another

characteristicofBuddhisminAustralia

isits

seemingly

anti»authoritarianstance.

Chaptersby

DavisandBowen

analyse

the

ways

in

which

Anglo-Australian

Zen

andSokaGakkaifollowerswrestlewith

theauthoritarian

andhierarchical

Japanese

Buddhisttraditions,Thisis

particularly

striking

inthe

caseof

Zen.

sinceitis

perceived

intheWestasanti~authoritarian.

In TheAustralian

Legend.

Ward

analyses

theconnectionbetweenthesir-called

‘Australian

nationalcharacter'andanti-authoritarianism.

Henotes: