Chan Academy is a registered trading name of the
Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.
33 Brooking St, Upwey, Victoria, Australia, 3158.
A.C.N. 005 701 806 A.B.N. 42 611 496 488
e-mail: wbu@bdcu.org.au
website: www.bdcu.org.au
Phone: (03) 9754 3334
Founder’s Day Celebration
9 September 2004
Practicality
by Frank Carter, B.Ec., Vice President
Venerable Members of the Sangha, Honoured Guests, Members and Friends,
I would like to introduce the practicality component of our five styles practice by telling you about how these five styles were first formulated.
Our Teacher John Hughes would often introduce an idea or task to us in a seemingly casual way, without any fanfare particularly, without an outline of where this idea or task would eventually lead us.
Sometimes the task, which seemed simple enough at the time, turned out to be the genesis of a process or practice which became the hallmark of the way we operate and the way we will always operate.
In 1990 we published a 60th Birth Anniversary Accolade to celebrate not only Johns’ 60th birthday but also his lifework and host of achievements. The accolade was comprised of letters sent to us by many senior Buddhist Monks, Buddhist leaders and scholars from around the Buddhist world.
The letters contained descriptions of some of John’s wonderful qualities, accounts of some of his great Buddhist activities and the high regard John was held by the International Buddhist community.
During a 5 Day Meditation Course soon after this 60th Birth Anniversary Accolade was published John instructed his students to sit down together in the library and study the accolade.
Our task was to identify what words the many authors of those letters had used to describe the qualities and characteristics of John and also the Centre he founded, the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.
There were, of course, many words used in these letters however the ones which appeared most frequently and consistently were friendliness, practicality, professionalism, scholarship and culturally adaptability.
The practice of these five styles had already been so well established before1990 by John that we were internationally recognised as employing these styles before we formally adopted them as our policy.
It seems to me this is a good example of how John used practicality to
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develop the Centre and cultivate fellowship.
The practical experience of reading the accolade letters gave the students a clear sense of the worth, importance and value of each of the five styles. We could see the 5 styles in practice already in our projects and activities. We could see the good impressions our practice of these styles had made on eminent persons throughout the Buddhist world.
By coming to these understandings we experienced the harmony of a shared sense of purpose.
The 5 styles of behaviour are major harmonising factors and components of fellowship.
The word practical is defined as “useful, able to put one’s knowledge to a useful end”
One frequently used element of practicality is planning. We have been trained in many aspects of planning by John Hughes over many years. In planning the process of doing something is made clear, we can all read it, understand it, the steps are clear. If there are flaws they can be seen and rectified before the event occurs, before causes of disharmony occur.
There are considerable synergies produced when the members of a group each have a consistent and common view of what is to be done. A number of people working in synergy can have a much more powerful effect than the sum of them working separately.
The modern work principle of teams is based on this knowledge and we employ this practical team structure at our Centre. Members learn to share computer files and work in teams to produce much of our written output for example. Fellowship in our Dhamma community can flourish through the companionship and synergy of work done by our Members in this way.
Practicality is the “how to” of getting things done, the appropriateness of the solution, the timeliness, the cost effectiveness, using resources wisely, being resourceful, finding affordable ways of doing what we plan to do. A practical solution doesn’t fall short of what is needed, nor does it overshoot the desired outcomes.
Practicality is a middle way approach incorporating creativity and lateral thinking when needed, it is not rigid or ritualistic. Because of these
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components practicality can usually achieve the desired outcome, it is a success ingredient, a organisational lubricant and a problem solver.
Therefore it underpins fellowship.
It is more difficult to maintain harmony if a group of people can’t achieve what is needed, are unable to find an appropriate solution to short and long term problems or if the solutions proposed by them are unworkable.
The result is usually thwarting for all concerned. The teams are teams in name only, there is more heat than light as John Hughes would say.
The five styles support each other. For example scholarship without practicality means the scholarship does not result in learning or knowledge which can be utilised, or it cannot be used to achieve any worthwhile purpose.
“We have developed a strong version of practical compassion of these influencing ideals as our way forward.
We skill our Members not to be stingy towards their families and friends by teaching the benefits of dana (generosity) and sila. (morality)” (1)
Our Brooking Street Bugle publication is a practical means to facilitate the co-ordination of our activity and effort and fosters fellowship through highlighting our
agendas and current concerns.
Recognising and using the Diamond Cutter Teachings by Geshe Michael Roach has been a practical means for members to study the art of helping others as a basis for our future enlightenment.
As this practice, which comes from understanding emptiness, is strengthened in each Member for himself or herself one of the beneficial outcomes will be greater strength and depth of harmony and fellowship at our Dhamma Centre.
The full attainment of harmony is described as when two beings know things in their ultimate realities.
Examples of our practical activities which have contributed to fellowship
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amongst ourselves are building the new kitchen and dining room, our Buddhist Hour Radio broadcasts and the various fundraising flower stalls
we run each year.
We apply practicality with the wisdom of knowing it is by helping others that good causes for our futures are secured.
It is most practical to become skilful at serving others because this is a powerful base for us to learn and understand Buddha Dhamma. This is also a basis for creating fellowship, supporting it and strengthening it.
Wisdom knows it is practical to train persons in how to help themselves. While a Member is being trained how to build our new kitchen dining room they are also learning how to help themselves. Through this practical kindness to others fellowship is produced.
We have been running this type of structure for over twenty years along with a continuous improvement program, to the point where we have become highly productive and efficient in many different areas of Buddha Dhamma activity.
Over the next twelve months our Members will initiate a number of new projects including the commencement of construction of the new library building and meditation hall to house the Padmasambhava image.
In this project, as in all others at the Chan Academy Australia, the five styles will be practised together. Friendliness from each Member of the work team, professionalism in the proper and safe methods of construction following the appropriate building codes, scholarship in creating the right environment for a Buddhist library, cultural adaptability in being able to work in harmony with persons from different cultural backgrounds and practicality in providing a suitable facility fit for our Buddha Dhamma purposes.
May the merit made help all Buddha Dhamma Temples and Centres in the world have fellowship between their Members and may all Buddha Dhamma Temples and Centres have friendly and peaceful conditions in which to teach and propagate Buddha Dhamma. Thank you.
(1) “Our approaches to Wisdom and Compassion : our Way Forward by John D. Hughes and Anita M. Hughes. October 2002.