Buddhism in Australia Traditions in Change

Ill I’m/rick

Kearney

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Organization.

2 Soka

Gakkai

Dialogue

asthetransformative

expression

ofBuddhist

humanism

ElizabethBowen

SokaGakkai

lntemationulAustraliais

nowlaudedasamodel

among

SGI

orgatiiz~

atinnsinthat

ithasbeenabletoumhrace

thc

multi-cthnicily

atits

membership.

having

created

diversity

inits

leadership

structureanda

dialogical

methodology

to

continuously

evolve

its

expression

in

the

community.Dialogue

hasbeenunder-

lying

the

ways

inwhich 361 has been

transformedfrom its

culturallyspccitic

Japaneseheritage

intoadiverse

community

reflectiveofmulticultural

Aiis

'-

Thisisa

personal

observationoftheevolution

of 861 Australia

5

expression

ol~

Buddhisthumanism

inAustraliaover 25

years

of

myparticipation.

Kimie.

a

Japanese

war brideintroduced

me totheBuddh

'm ofNichiren

Daishoninas

practised

by

SékaGakkai.

over 25

yearsago.

in

Tasmania,

Although

reputed

for

promoting

materialbenefit.

SokaGakkai's

appeal

forme

lay

inthatit

does

not

deny

individual

happiness

butratherviewsitas

inextricably

linkedwith

creating

a

peacefulsociety.

Moreover,

itseemedtome

thatthe

concept

ofhuman

revolution orinner transformation.

as a

contemporary

expression

of

enlight-

enment,

gave

risetothe

limitless

potential

for

self-development

anda

practical,

achievable

way

tocontribute

to

society.

in1985.not

long

after

beingtaught

thebasic

practice

of

chantingNum-nrvuhu-

renge~kv0

(the

daily

recitation

ofthetitleofthe

Lotus

Sutra),

lmovedto

Sydney

and

panicipated

inNichiren

ShoshuSokaGakkai

activities.The

community

centre

wasamodest convened

churchinAmclilTe.

Activitiesconsistedofa

monthly

meeting

to

pray

for

world

peace

held there

and districtdiscussion

meetings

Sparselyspreadthroughout

Sydnc).

Atthattintc.

with

approximately

600 members

Australia

wide.

the

organization

reflectedits

Japanese

heritage

with

relatively

lowlocalmembers.

Throughout

thel9805Ihc

majority

ofleaderswere

Japanese

despitesteadygrowth

in

Australian

memhcrship.

My

first

experience

ofthe cultural barriers

was themixture of

mystical

and doctrinal

explanations

ofBuddhism where

Japanese

liuddhisttermswere

assumedvernacular

,

thiswasat times

alienating.Long

hoursof

prayer

were

conducted

kneeling

onthe

floor.

rousingspeeches

wereInbroken

English

and

peoplejoined

arms

to

sing

(to

my

cars

ottcnmilitaristic

sounding)

songs

of

historicrelevance

tothe

Japanese

Soka

Gakkai.Other

Japanese

culturaltraditions

weremaintainedsuchas

taking

shoes

olTbefore

entering

thehaikim

(community

centre).

In

spite

oflhenumerical

predominance

ofwomenandtheir

greater

etTorts