Buddhism in Australia Traditions in Change

l 28 Suhharra

Bur'zaghi

hasalsohad a

powerful

influenceonthe

waymanytherapists

workand how

i

personally

conduct

therapy.

Thereisa

plethora

ofnew

hybrids

thatcombine

aspects

ofBuddhism

withvariousmodalitiesof

psychotherapy.

suchasHakomi

psychotherapy

(of

whichIama

graduate).

Mindfulness-BasedStressReduction

training.

Core

Process

therapy.

MindfulnessABased

Cognitive

Behavioural

therapy

andDialecticalBehavioural

therapy.

The

emergence

ofthesenew

hybrids.

while

aimedat

alleviatingsuffering,

also

give

risetoconcernssuchasthose

expressed

attheDiamond

Sangha

Zenteachers‘

meetings

aboutwhetherthereisa

watering

downofBuddhismorifthereisanover

‘psychologizing‘

ofthedharma.Buddhism

iswatereddownifitisreducedto

simply

mindfulness

training.

whichis

just

one

component

oftheNoble

Eightfold

Path.

Many

ofthenew

agetherapies

arean

example

of

extracting

mindfulnessoutofthebroadercontextand

philosophy

of

thedhanna

teachings.

However.

whatBuddhismcanofferto

psychotherapy

is

not

just

a

one-way

conversation.Buddhismcanbeenhancedfrom

a

more

sophis-

ticatedneuroscientific

understanding

ofthe

minrhhodyrelationship

andbenefit

fromthe

psychologicalexpertise

in

interpersonal

relational

dynamics.

whichis

sadlylacking

inBuddhistliterature.Furthertnorethecombination

ofBuddhism

and

psychotherapy

cancontributeto

greater

healthand

happiness

andalleviate

conflictand

suffering.

”It:Buddhism and

psychotherapy

conferences led

totheformation ofthe

Australian Association of Buddhist Counsellors

and

Psychotherapists

lne.

(AABCAP).

Asanexecutive

training

committee member

of

AABCP.

l have

helpeddesign

and

develop

ourfirst.

two—yearprofessional training

course in

Buddhismand

psychotherapy.

Oneoftheintentionsfor

this

professionaltraining

is

to

providein-depthteachings

onBuddhismtocounteract

the

presentsecularising

andreductionist

tendency

to

purge

Buddhismfromitsroots.

ritualsandbeliefsand

reduceitdoun

merely

tomindfulness

training.

Power,

authority

and

governance

Anotherjuvtaposition

or

point

oftcnsionand

change

isinthearenaof

power

and

governance

andhowdecisionsaremade.

Teaching

intheZentraditionhas

been

passed

on

dotvn

through

the

generationsby

aI‘ace—to-faceencounter\tith

one's

teacherandmind-to-mindtransmissionofthedharma.

Authority

toteach

isconferred

through

adharmatransmission

ceremony

thatisaculmination

of

many years

ofsolid

practice

anddirectrealizationofmind.

Historically

theroshi

(the

abbotofthe

monastery

oraseniorteacherwhohasreceived

transmission)

had

completeauthority

overall

temple

affairsandwasthefinal

arbitratorinall

monastery

decisions. Dharrnatransmissionoccurs

through

a

hierarchical

axis.

withavertical

processofappointment

and

acknowledgement

from a seniorteacher to a

junior

teacher. lhis

process

and

procedure

of

appointment

still

appliestoday.

lnfluenced

bymy

background

of

living

onan

alternative

community

for 20

years

that

operated

by

aconsensus

decision-

makingmodel.

oneofthe

changes

thatI

implemented

tothestructure

of

power

wasto

separate

the

spiritualauthority

oftheteachersfromtheadministrative

———————

Thejaurney

ofaIayfemule

Zenleather

l29

authority

oftheBoard

ofDirectors.

The

Sydney

ZenCentre

isa

participatory

communitymanagement-based

organization

adhering

to

egalitarianprinciples.

The

roshi'sarea

of

authority.expertise

and

responsibility

liesinthearena

of

providing

teachings.

leading

sesshins

andretreatsandall

activitiesrelated

to

Zen

training.

while

theboardis

responsible

toactonhehalfofthecommunity

with

regard

to

management

ofitsassets.finances,

administration.membership

and

policies

ofthe

centre.Theroshi

isan

honorary

member

oftheboard.

hence

the

relationship

betweentheboard

andtheroshiisaconsultative

one.The

two

roshis

ofthe

Sydney

ZenCentre

sign

aformal

agreement

withtheboard.

which

is

a

description

oftheirroleand

responsibilities

andis

reviewedatthe

annual

general

meeting.

Anewflower

blooms

—

lay

and

family

practice

Oneof

themost

significantchanges

thathasoccurred

as

Zen.

andBuddhism

generally,

takes

root in thewestis

a movement

away

from

monasticism

toa

growing

neworder

of

laypractitioners

throughout

the

world.Thismovement

isbased

onashift

in

understanding

the

philosophy

ofrenunciation.

Rather

than

literallyleading

ahomelesslifeof

abhikkhu

(awandering

monk).

itis

an

emphasis

on

arenunciation

andnon-attachment

totheconstructed

illusionof

thehouseof

the

ego/self.

Theartofrenunciation

forbothmonastic

and

laypractitioners

culmi-

natesinthe

realizationof

thetrue

non-abiding.

immeasurable,

selfless

natureof

existence.

Thus.

for

laypractitioners

itistheartof

leaving

homewithout

literally

leaving

home.

The Diamond

Sangha

isa

lay

community

that

hasZencentres

inalmostall

theAustralian

capital

c

es.

along

withanumber

ofsmaller

groupsalong

the

coastal

regions

Familypractice

has

brought

a

softer.

more

friendly.open

and

inclusiveattitude

tothe

rigorous

andasceticSoto/Rinzai

Zen

practice

that

Sydney

ZenCentre

inherited.

Thetraditionalsesshin

isstilloneofthe

primaryways

for

studentsto

deepen

their

practice

andimmerse

themselvesin

Zen

training.

Over

thelast 20

years.

this

traditional.

intensive

practiceperiod

has

opened

itsdoors

to

provide

support

for

parents

tobeableto

participate

insesshin

while

having

their

families

camping

withthem.Inordertomake

this

possible.

childcare

became

an

integral

and

important

taskonthe

job

roster

alongside

allthe

othersesshin

Jobs.

Inthelate

19705

and

early

19805 twasa

beneficiary

ofthis

new

development.

As

astudentand

parent

witha

young

child.I

foundthisboth

deeplygratifying

and

challenging.

Gratifying.

asitwas

ajoy

to

beabletositin

the

great

silence

and

intensely

focus

on

my

kcan

(koans

are

primaryquestions

designed

to

open

the

heart-mind),

Challenging,

asitwasdifficult

to

manage

the

transitionfrom

silence

to

embracing

myplayful.

adventurous. raucous.

then

four-year

old

son.

who

wasa

very

different

koanlThismovement

fromsilence

andstillness

to

mindful,

conscious

parenting

became an

integral part

of

mydaily practice.

My

son's

experience

ofsesshin,

looking

back,

was

a

positive

memorableone,

he

thonght

of

retreatsas

‘treats'

andlovedtheoneon

oneattention

hereceivedfrom

other

caring

adults.