Prepared by
John D. Hughes, Dip.App.Chem., T.T.T.C., GDAIE,
Anita Hughes, RN Div.1,
Evelin Halls, Dip.For.Lang.Corres.
Pennie White, B.A. Dip.Ed.
Abhidhamma Class No. 19, 29 October 2002
The cetasika confidence applied to our core business
The cetasika saddha (confidence, trust, non-fogginess) is needed to build, maintain and refurbish Buddha Dhamma Temples. Without confidence, the place where the Buddha Dhamma is taught can not remain as a suitable location. The 18 characteristics of a suitable place for a Temple have been taught by Buddha:
It should not be
“A large abode, a new abode,
One tumbling down, one near a road,
One with a pond, or leaves or flowers,
Or fruits, or one that people seek:
In cities, among timber, fields,
Where people quarrel, in a port,
In border lands, on frontiers,
Unsuitableness, and no good friend -
These are the eighteen instances
A wise man needs to recognize
And give them full as wide a berth
As any footpad-hunted road.”
The Temple's core business is every Member's business.
This core business is conducted in accordance with the Memorandum of Association of the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. The relevant sections are included here:
1. The name of the Company is the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd., (hereinafter called "The Centre").
2. The objects for which the Centre is established are :
(f) To build, construct, maintain and alter any buildings or works in accordance with the requirements of the Centre.
AND solely for the purposes of carrying out the above objects and not otherwise the Centre has power :-
(j) To purchase, take on lease or in exchange, hire and otherwise acquire any lands, buildings, easements and property, real and personal, and any of the rights and privileges which may be requisite for the purposes of, or capable of being conveniently used in connection with, any of the objects of the Centre. Provided that in case the Centre should take or hold any property which may be subject to any trusts the Centre shall only deal with the same in such manner as is allowed by law having regard to such trusts.
(r) To sell, improve, manage, develop, exchange, lease, dispose of, turn to account, or otherwise deal with all or any part of the property and rights of the Centre.
(t) To take any gift of property whether subject to any special trust or not, for any one or more of the objects of the Centre but subject always to the proviso in paragraph (j) in this Clause 2.
(u) To take such steps by personal or written appeals, public meetings or otherwise, as may from time to time be deemed expedient for the purpose of procuring contributions to the funds of the Centre, in the shape of donations, annual subscriptions or otherwise.
(z) To do all such other things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the objects of the Centre.
The full text of the Memorandum of Association of the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. can be viewed at website http://www.bdcu.org.au
The landlord is John D. Hughes and his wife Anita M. Hughes. Part of the premises is leased for ‘Peppercorn’ rent. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1958 incorporating amendments as at 25 June 2002 applies. We continue to operate in a legal manner in accordance with local Shire, State Government and Commonwealth regulations. Although we do not have to do so by law we are refurbishing our premises to meet the latest Government regulations.
We run a private Hall of Assembly.
Our present current concern is to increase Members’ awareness about our core business in building, maintenance and refurbishment of our plant.
It is agreed that the Temple will be continually upgraded and maintained. Upgrades and new buildings must be in accordance with the Australian Standard for buildings. All Members must know what these standards are. We are also planning an upgrade to existing buildings to meet these standards although this is not legally required.
The site of the new building has been rated as a medium risk for fire. It it was a high fire risk, we probably would not have been able to obtain a building permit. Our standard policy of fuel reduction has been certified in this manner.
We will not go into debt to implement infrastructure core business. We wish to continue to increase our net worth of our infrastructure each year. In the future, we will buy a large store house at a separate industrial local.
Those Members who will go to the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) Conference in Malaysia ought to know about Australian building and safety standards and be able to explain them to others.
We will print out present building plans plan and elevation views and store them digitally on our IT systems. Other software can be used to give an isometric view of our buildings. Isometric means "applied to a method of projection or perspective, in which the plane of projection is equally inclined to the three principal axes of the object, so that all dimensions parallel to these axes are represented in their actual proportions..." (The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 1973). Our building plans and computer generated isometric drawings will be available for private viewing by Members.
Well maintained and safe Temples are essential for persons to learn and practice Buddha Dhamma. Buddha Dhamma is taught at safe Temples. It is the task of Teachers and Students to organise plans to look after the core business to maintain Temple safety and carry them out. To maintain the Australian building standards required and be fully aware of these is the reason we raise funds.
Members should develop a broader view of the rationale of why our core plant is built as it is.
Meditation cannot help us with this aspect of core business. It is bound by conceptual thinking.
We recommend that every Member participate to understand our work of infrastructure and help to raise funds for our planned infrastructure stages.
We remain debtless.
We wish to continue to achieve a good Return On Investment (ROI) on our infrastructure. A new building is planned that completes the infrastructure development of our Brooking Street Temple. After that, we get a second Temple.
When confidence in the Buddha Dhamma is evident, there will be the will to maintain our Temple in accordance with 18 characteristics taught by the Buddha and the Temple will remain a suitable location.
We have a perfect Temple – let us keep it that way.