Buddhism in Australia Traditions in Change

l| 6

ElizabethBowen

'l'hcsc

gradual

shifts toward a more

culturally

appropriate expression

in

Australia

were

occurringagainst

the

backdrop

ofaseismicshiftas

theNichiren

Shoshu

priesthood

severedtheir

relationship

withtheSoka

Gakkai.

the

largestlay

organization

ot‘the

Fuji

School.In

Australia.

asa

precursor

to

thesefutureevents.

Nichiren

ShoshuSékaGakkai Australiabecame 561 Australia

(Soka

Gakkai

International

Australia).

Overthe

period

of

I99071991.

SGIPresident

[keda

was

forced

to

step

down

by

the

priesthood

astheheadofall

lay

Buddhist

organiz-

ationsassociatedwith

thehead

temple

in

Japan

andallmembersofSokaGakkai

Internationalwere

excommunicated.

No.

longer

constrained

by

a

priesthood

focusedon

imposing

formal

religious

traditions.

SGI

emerged

stronger

andmorevibrantunderthe

continuinginspi-

rational

leadership

ofDaisaku

lkeda.His

contemporaryglobalperspective

drew

on the

language

ofs

uality.

coexistence.

self-mastery. empathy.symbiosis

and

dialogue

as

key

driversof

Buddhisthumanismlkeda

has.

inhisownwords.

‘trtedto

separate

outthoseelements

inthetraditional

interpretation

ofNichtren

Buddhismthataremorereflective

ofJapanese

culturalandhistorical

contingencies

than

they

areofthe

underlyingmessage.‘

(lkeda

2008:

Hi).

SGIAustralia's

movementprogressed

dramatically

asthisbecamethe

inspiration

for

developing

its

expressron

inthe

community.

lkeda's

leadership

has.forme.directed our

organization

onthe

path

ofan

expression

ofBuddhism licefromculturaland

gender

barriersthatwereso

alienating

inthe

past.

[hiswasnotwithouttensionascultural

traditions

emanating

from

Japan

andits

hierarchicalstructurewere

challenged

as-

inappropriate

intheAustraliancontext,

The 19905 alsowitnessed theethnic

diversity

oftheAustralian

organization

shifting.

in

pan

asa resultofan influxof

Chinese

Malaysian

85! members,

Unfortunately.

somemembers

lefl.

unabletoreconcilebetweenthe

idealsofthe

philosophy

anda

tendency

to

emphasize

the

religious

andhierarchicalstructure.

at times

perceiving

the

organization

as inflexible and irrelevant.

Althottgh

activities.

includingcommunity

outreach.

expanded

and

improved.

itwas not

untila

processexamining

the

organilation‘sfunctioning

atitsbasicheart

hogan

thatafundamentalshiftoccurred.

Through

a

processofdialoguedrawing

onthe

collective

experience

ofthe

membership,

informal

group

discussion

meetings

werecontinuedasthefoundationforthestructure

and

forall

activitiestoremain

purposeful

andrelevant.

The

spirit

ofthesesmall

groups

wasforthemtohea

space

wheremembers

and

guests

could

engage

in

dialogue

asatmnsformative

process

for

everyone

involved.

centredon

sharingexperiences

ofthe

application

ofBuddhism

to

daily

living.

Ratherthan

organizinglarge-scale

activitiesand

attempting

to

emulate

the

Japanese

model.

emphasis

was

placed

on

takingresponsibility

tohost

asmall

group

discussion

meeting.

Thisshiflinfocustothe

grassroots

movementled

to

an

organicexpansion

asthese

meetingsprovided

an informal

atmosphere

for

teaming

aboutBuddhism,

leadershipopponunities

forall

ages.

ethnicitiesaswell

as

addressing

the

tendency

for

mentobecentral

figures

in

meetings.

56!Australia

began

toreflectthe

diversityexisting

in

Australian

society

ratherthanits

Japanese

heritage

With

groups

averaging

between

fiveandten

people.

careandcontactfor

—————_

551m

GaklmiInternational

117

eachmember

was

increased,

whichcreatedaunified

community

embracing

its

cultural

diversity.

The

learningexperience

of

SokaGakkai in

Japan

and 561 Australia

isthat

a

depth

in

studysuppons

members‘

confidence

inthe

teaching

and

practice

of

Buddhism.as

wellas

providing

substancetothe

dialogue

movement.

Thesecond

president

ofSoka

Gakkai.JoseiToda.

believed

thatlackof

study

contributed

to

members'

recanting

theirassociation

withSokaGakkai

intheface

of

opposition

and

persecution

during

World

Warit.

Stud}

examinations

on Buddhist

theory

became a

proud

tradition

where eventhose

withnoformal education

could

reach

‘professor‘

levelwithin

theSékaGakkai.

Introducedin 2001

aroundthe

timeofthe

shocking

eventsof

9/1

l.

561 Australia

replaced

examinations

witha

community

educationmodel

of

study

courses.

This

dialogical

approach.

where

participants

play

anactive

roleintheirown

learning

inthe

small

groups.

was

perceived

asmore

fitting

foradult

learning.

Initiallygreeted

withresistance

for

breaking

withtradition.

thesecontinuetobe

produced

infour

languages

other

than

English

—

Chinese.

Japanese.

Koreanand

Thai

7

andhavebeen

embraced

by

all

the

major

ethnic

groups

within86]Australia.

Thementorand

disciplerelationship

isthecentral

unifying

axisfrom

which

Buddhisthumanism

spreads

inSokaGakkai

generationally.

SGlPresident

lkeda

continuesthis

lineage,

conducting

dialogues

witheminent

figures

withthe

belief

that:

‘Dialogue

between

culturesisso

cmcial forthe

development

ofBuddhism

inthenextmillennium.

While

staying

trueto its scncc.

Buddhism

needsto

encounter.

learn

andevolve‘

(lkeda

2008:

HI).

This

heritage

has

spearheaded

theconfidenceof

56]Australiaasa

modelot‘a

grassroots

dialogical

movement

and

proof

is

appearing

inthediverse

backgrounds

of

the

leadership

within

the

Australian

movement

thathadnot

existeda

generationago.

Itisalso

learning

through

group

dialogue

ofthevariedtrials.

tribulations

andsuccessesoffellow

members

fromall

kindsof

background

thathasbroadened

myunderstanding

of

thesometimes

very

different

challenges

facing

variouscultures

withinour

society

and

hascreated

unitythrough

diversity

within56]Australia.

Asan

egalitarian

teaching

and

practice

bereft of

discrimination. it

is

only

through

a

community

of

practitioners

that theseideals

ofBuddhist humanism

canbe

tested in

reality.

otherwise

they

remainabstract.However,

asBuddhism

hasbranched

out.

ithasbecome

enmeshedwithin

culturallyspecific

settings.

Through my experience

within

56] Australia. I

havecome to

appreciate

its

universal

message

isnot toberomanticized

asameans

toretreator

escape

from

daily

living.

Enacting

thecore

message

oftheLotusSutm.

thatisbelief

inthe

enlightened

potential

ofeachindividual,

liesin

engaging

withcurrent

struggles

of

society,

whichincludes

family.

workand

contributing

toa

peaceful

society.

The

most

inspirational

aspect

of 561 Australia

hasbeentheconstant

flowof

dialogue

to

adapt

its

expression

in

contemporary

society,

without

foregoing

the

essence

ofBuddhism

asa

humanist

philosophy

tobeenactedin

daily

life.

Conflict

anddifferences

havenotbeen

perceived

as

necessarilynegative.

rather

treatedas

opportunities

forfunher

dialogue

and

providing

acontinuous

process

ofreflection.

transformation

andevolution.

Assuchit

hasmuchtoofferasamodel

grassroots