Building For Buddha
Written by Anita Carter & Frank Carter
24 August 2006
Members Frank Carter, George Costas, David Halls and Alec Sloman are building the new John D. Hughes Dhamma Cetiya Meditation Hall and Library at the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd., 33 Brooking Street, Upwey, Victoria 3158.
When we practice Buddhism we find out there are often better ways to operate in the world than the ways we learnt when we grew up.
Buddhist practice is to retrain ourselves so that we think, speak and act in ways which will cause our minds to improve and which will lead us to a bright and secure future.
We gradually recognise what we think we know needs to be re-examined. We need to hold lightly to what we think we know to prepare our minds to make a change for the better.
When we build for Buddha this can also be the case because, when done correctly, building can be a practice which makes not only new buildings; but new minds and kamma to have refuge in Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha.
We need to find out how to build in a way which contributes to our Buddha Dhamma learning and refuge.
We can make a lot of merit by constructing a Buddhist Temple, even vast amounts, but if we build with the wrong approach this merit will just be causes to receive the worldly wealth of many buildings in the future. No Buddha, no Dhamma - just buildings.
I can remember one of the first lessons I was given in building was when our Teacher John D. Hughes decided to build a gate at the Buddhist Discussion centre (Upwey) Ltd. It is now known as the Northern gate and has since been adapted to house the Centre's bell.
We built the gate section by section until only the roof remained to be completed. We found some slate tiles which were ideal for the roof and I had arranged three days off work to complete the task and help with other things.
Whilst I was eager to start work on the tiles – two holes had to be drilled through every tile to enable them to be secured to the roof – each time I thought I was going to get started, John would suggest we do something else; or at least have a cup of coffee, or maybe lunch.
The first day passed without me getting my hands on the tiles – the very thing I had set my time aside to complete. Day two was just plain frustrating. Despite my increasing eagerness to start work on the tiles John had other things which needed our more immediate attention. From memory we would just sit while he talked about things. I think he talked for many hours during the three days, telling me about one or another thing that maybe I really wasn't interested in at all.
And on it went. In my head I had all these self-imposed timelines I was mulling over. Unfulfilled urges to be active and impatient aggravation to get holes drilled! As I boiled I could recognise my minds strong addiction to what I wanted to do. I was stuck on following “my agendas”.
The Teacher was teaching the Dhamma. He was helping me. He was using the project of building the gate to reduce my minds greed, my attachment to “my” views and opinions, my likes and dislikes, so I could come to the Right View. We build for Buddha, not to act out our own agenda's, even if acting out our agenda's makes us feel comforted.
Buddha training is designed to reduce our grabbing and grasping, our craving, our attachment to our own refuges, narrowness and opinions. This is because wisdom can not arise while there is attachment to these things.
Our projects are not only designed so we can make merit. If we don't reduce our greed, or stinginess or hate by working in our projects they are not fulfilling their function fully and we are not benefiting through reducing our unwholesome mental states or building our wholesome states.
So please know that the way we do things around here has more to it than the mechanics of raising funds or building buildings – it directly reflects how our Founder John Hughes set up this centre to teach and train his students and help them understand Buddhist practice in action.
Setting Up Right Motive
At the beginning we need to approach our projects with the view that we are here to learn how to practice Buddhism and build good minds through doing these worthwhile activities. This is the first thing we need to produce which is called Right Motive.
You can develop many good qualities of mind whilst making the merit. Each fuels the other.
The good minds help build the merit, the merit help the good minds get stronger and arise more frequently. But you have to target this for it to happen. You have to set yourself up with the Right Motive and wholesome effort for this to happen.
Some of the good qualities we can cultivate by “Building for Buddha” are:
patience,
practicality,
flexibility of mind,
lightness of mind and mental states,
pliancy of mind,
mindfulness,
generosity,
professionalism,
friendliness,
adaptability of mind,
attention to detail,
wise use of energy,
keeping five precepts,
joy,
recognising our resources,
recognising the wonderful blessings and conditions we already have,
tuning in to the protection and help of the many devas we have at the centre and
working as an offering to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha with Buddha in our heart.
We are now in our last major building project at the Centre. There will be no more projects like this in the foreseeable future built at this location.
Before Commencing Building
1. Before starting work please prepare your mind by chanting Namo Tassa, the 5 precepts and the Triple Gem Refuge preferably in front of the three Buddha images on the Western wall inside the new hall.
2. In the garden in front and to the North of the hall we have an offering platform for making offerings to the local deities. Our Founder, Master John Hughes requested the Chief Deva of Construction to help us and oversee our building works done at this site. The location where we make offerings to this great deva is at this offering platform. Also offerings to the Occupational Health and Safety Devas can be made there.
Please offer the water in the bowls on this platform or the flowers or incense to both the Chief Deva of Construction and the OH & S Devas and request them to help you and guide you as you build the new hall.
3. As you work during the day it is important to keep five precepts and recollect that this work is to provide a suitable Dhamma Teaching environment where people and devas can come to learn and practice the Buddha Dhamma for many years into the future.
It is the mission of this centre that we propagate the Dhamma at this location for at least 500 years.
Work Safely and Mindfully
1. To keep the environment a safe workplace we have rules that everybody wear safety clothing when appropriate such as eye goggles, gloves, hard hats, boots and so on.
2. Be sure that you drink plenty of liquids to not become dehydrated, particularly as we approach the hotter weather toward Summer. You burn lots of energy building so keep up your food intake. We generally stop work if the temperature reaches 35 degrees celsius.
3. Examine the risks of each activity before starting - notice if there are sharp edges protruding, beams you can bump your head on, things you can trip over - check out your surrounds well before you commence so you can recognise the potential dangers.
4. Pay attention to where other people are working. There is a risk of accident or injury occurring from the activities of persons working near each other.
5. Generally when we build we don't rush our work. We don't shout or yell which is disturbing to others, nor do we play games or hype ourselves or others up in the workplace. We do not allow children onto the worksite if there is building being done at the time. We are considerate of others and work harmoniously helping each other.
We Wish Our Buildings To Be Beautiful
We use care that our work is pleasing to the eye - unparallel edges for example, tend to disturb the mind, things out of level can also have that effect, poor workmanship stands out - so we need to apply care and attention to the quality of our work.
Please follow the rule to double check all your measurements with care and attention and, if you are working with someone, else ask them to do the double checking.
We see our work as an offering to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. This includes Monks and Nuns and lay Dhamma Teachers and the many beings who will use this building we have created to learn and practice Buddhism in the future.
The building site has a leader who sets the pace, generally allocates the tasks, decides when we rest for tea, coffee or food. Please check with that person to find out what needs to be done next and if you are
unsure of how to do some aspect of the job you are working on.
At The End Of The Day
1. We put away the tools and materials and leave the site tidy for the next days work.
2. Remember to dedicate your merit.
3. Be particularly careful that you do not let your mind go to unwholesome behaviour after spending time building. The unwholesome minds will become stronger quickly because of all the merit you have just made even if you have dedicated the merit.
Finding Resources
From time to time you may have the opportunity to get something for free which could be useful in building such as tools, nails, or building materials such as a door, for example. We encourage Members to look out for such things as over the years many of the materials we have used in our constructions have been donated to us as dana.
In our last major building project, the kitchen dining room, just as we were about to start building the kitchen cupboards, sink and stove areas Evelin heard one of her neighbours had a professional kitchen sink in their garage they were not using. The neighbour was delighted to donate that to us and it is a great example of what can be found if we keep it in mind to look.
We can usually arrange to pick up such items if they are too big for you to transport them to the Centre.
Students who wish to learn building as a method of cultivating higher levels of Samadhi can request to be taught Chan practice while building.
Our reference: LAN2 I:\Building for Buddha.doc