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BLIAQ Newsletter December 2019 Edition 141 Chung Tian Buddhist Temple 1034 Underwood Road Priestdale QLD 4127, Australia Newsletter Website: www.chungtian.org.au BLIAQ Email: [email protected] Buddha’s Light International Association Queensland Ph: 3841 3511 Fax: 3841 3522 HIGHLIGHTS A Prayer for Bush Fire Victims and Firefighters By Ven. Master Hsing Yun Our Beautiful Temple- The Pagoda Greetings to all our readers, November has been a month when we have had cause to reflect on the suffering of many Highlights of the AGM fellow Australians during the terrible bush fires that have swept across not only our state but also other parts of this country. Our Temple held special prayers for those affected, and for the firefighters. In other events, we celebrated when several of our members Our Tour Guides Learn took the Triple Gem. Four Chung Tian members took part in the annual ‘Elimination of Tea Ceremony Violence Towards Women Day, and some of us were fortunate enough to meet with FGS Chief Abbess Man Ko to discuss possibilities for maximising Dharma propagation through SAVE THESE DATES the use of Pilgrim Lodge. Our cover photo shows some of our members at the AGM having a great time presenting our branch’s war-cry, and in this month’s ‘Beautiful 1 December One Day Temple’ segment of our newsletter we look at the Pagoda, then profile our branch Meditation Retreat president. We share words of Venerable Master Hsing Yun including his prayer for bush 8 December Temple Clean fire victims and firefighters. In addition to our other usual items, a volunteer Tour Guide Up Day for C T Branch shares her experience of The Tea Ceremony, and our president reports on our recent AGM. Finally, we have 2 pages called ‘Temple Snippets’. These show just a few of the 15 December Temple and Council many events our Monastics and members have been involved with this month. …… Enjoy Markets your December Newsletter and the forthcoming events. 1 January 2020 New Contents this issue Page Years Day Pilgrimage From the Editor’s Pen 2 Our Beautiful Temple: The Pagoda Part 1 3 19 January One Day Words of Venerable Master Hsing Yun: Life’s Dictionary 5 Meditation Retreat Meet your BLIAQ Branch Committee 6 Diary Reminders from your Branch President 7 Please see page 12 for Tour Guides Learn Tea Ceremony 8 a full list of December events Master Hsing Yun’s Prayer for the Australian Bush Fire Devastation 9 Temple Snippets 10 Chung Tian Temple Events and Term 1 classes for January 2020 12 BLIAQ Edition 141 December 2019 Thoughts from the Editors Pen I recently made contact with my long-lost only living relative in England, and after many years of searching, this was a joy for us both. We now exchange regular emails and phone calls. I chose to sign off my emails to him using the Buddhist ‘With Metta’, which prompted a question in his next reply. “Is ‘With Metta’ a colloquial Australian sign off?” I explained it is a Buddhist expression and means with Loving Kindness. At the same time, his question led me to reflect on its origins and true meaning as we understand it, not just a dictionary definition. Metta is a Pali word, and the English equivalent is loving kindness or benevolence. In Pali it is written मेत्ता (Metta), In Sanskrit मैत्री (Maitri), in Chinese 慈 (Pinyin Ci). The Metta Sutra tells us ‘As a mother even with her own life protects her only child, so should one cultivate immeasurable loving-kindness towards all living beings’. Most of us can easily understand that analogy but can we truly apply the same intent absolutely to everyone or is it a just a phrase we sign off with? As children, we grow up learning the vocabulary of those around us. Parents, siblings, school friends, teachers, neighbours, literature, TV, and in today’s flat screen world - two dimensional characters and ‘text only’ friends. This vocabulary becomes our own lexicon for life, and we form individual and unique situation specific understandings, often subconsciously associating words with our own circumstances, emotions and experiences. Every conversation we have, every word we utter or even think has as a consequence, the power and the potential for good or harm. Not just for those to whom we speak or write, but also to ourselves. A few years ago, I wrote to a friend in another part of Australia who I have contact with very infrequently, and I again signed off ‘With Metta’. Only recently I discovered she had ‘Googled’ that phrase and it had started her on a journey into Buddhism. The power of words is boundless, words can change a listener or reader’s life. Often, we are unaware of it, but we should never underestimate the impact our words can have on the lives of others, and indeed (dependent of course on the intent behind those words), our own lives. Note I use the plural of life, as in our own many lives. Venerable Master Hsing Yun tells us there is a dictionary of life that each and every one of us has. It is written by the karma of our past, present and future lives. So, for this month’s Words of Venerable Master Hsing Yun I give you ‘Life’s Dictionary’. 2 BLIAQ Edition 141 December 2019 The Pagoda Part 1 Our Beautiful Temple Situated in the bush auspicious and so building area on the right side of the one generates much merit. The Pagoda of Chung Tian temple complex sits the Temple is a resting place for the most striking structure at cremated ashes of the Chung Tian - the Pagoda. deceased, the setting of The building was finished memorial name plaques and a in 2007 and its tiles were place for conducting funeral brought specially from Taiwan. ceremonies. Specialist builders were also The ground floor of the brought from Taiwan to lay Pagoda is open to the public, those tiles. It stands as a fine but because it is a resting place example of Chinese Buddhist for ancestors and loved ones architecture. only relatives of the deceased Normally a Pagoda is an are allowed to visit the upper eight-story building (the eight levels of the Pagoda. This is to levels representing the pay their respects on special Eightfold Noble Path, or the days. Eight Noble Practices that lead Such days may be the to enlightenment). deceased’s anniversary and other Buddhist Sadly, during early building applications for ceremonies to accord remembrance and the Temple, some local residents lodged memorial services to the departed ones. This objections. The main objections were concern avoids any disturbances or intrusions. about increased traffic; the chanting would be The atrium walls are covered with too loud and residents did not want it to be small gold-plated plaques. They are used to heard from their homes; and the top of the inscribe the names of the deceased, so they Pagoda would be visible from their homes. After serve as miniature monuments. Those with a some negotiations, the build went ahead on lotus flower but without names are reserved by condition that the Pagoda was no higher than people who are still alive. Those wanting to the treetops. Hence the somewhat stunted reserve such a plaque can do so by speaking with appearance when compared to traditional a monastic or enquiring at the office. Pagodas. On the ground floor facing the Historically, a Pagoda is used for the storage entrance, is the Central Memorial Hall with the of sacred relics or resting places for the cremated standing Amitabha (Amituofo) Buddha statue. ashes of the deceased, and has its origin from the On the left side of the entrance is the Amitabha Indian Stupa, an ancient type of building used to Hall with the meditating Amitabha Buddha store sutras and sacred relics of the Buddha. statue, while on the right side atrium is the With the spread of Buddhism in China, Chinese Ksitigarbha Hall with a statue of Ksitigarbha architectural elements were incorporated into Bodhisattva who vowed to alleviate the pagoda design. suffering of those in hell. This hall is used as a The seven-tiered style of pagoda standing on Sutra calligraphy transcription room. (Buddhist a platform reflects a similar convention of the calligraphy is also a form of meditation)1. T’ang Dynasty (A.D. 618-906). The tapering design Amitabha Buddha has a prominent place in reaching to the sky is synonymous with the idea of the Pagoda. When he gained enlightenment, he practicing Buddhism step-by-step which eventually made forty-eight vows, the most important of leads to supreme enlightenment. which was to establish a place where there is no Although different in appearance from its suffering so that people could cultivate in a stupa forebears, the Pagoda continues to peaceful environment and thus attain symbolize the Buddha; the structure itself is enlightenment. 3 BLIAQ Edition 141 December 2019 Amitabha Buddha vowed to receive all There are several different spellings of sentient beings to his Western Pur e Land where this greeting. As mentioned previously one can transcend rebirth and attain Amituofo is the phonetic translation of Buddhahood. His statues situated in the central Amitabha Buddha (also named Amida and left atrium of the Pagoda are to guide the Buddha) in Chinese. 'Amito' is Amida and 'fo' deceased to their new life. is Buddha in Chinese. As it is a phonetic When we join our hands together in the translation there is no definitive spelling, the traditional Chinese Buddhist greeting and say best spelling is the one that portrays the most ‘Amituofo’ (阿彌陀佛), we are reciting the name of accurate sound.
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