The Buddhist Hour Radio Broadcast Archives

Chinese New Year

We welcome the Year of the Goat marked by the celebration of the Chinese New Year beginning on 1 February 2003.

Although, Celebrations of the Chinese New Year vary, the underlying message is one of peace and happiness for family members and friends.

Chan Academy Australia wishes you and your family a Happy Lunar New Year in the year of the goat, bringing you happiness and prosperity.



Buddhist Hour Broadcast 262 Sunday 2 February 2003 Special Item:

Premier’s Award for Victorian Senior Citizen of the Year
Supporting information for the
Nomination for
John D. Hughes, Dip. App. Chem. T.T.T.C. GDAIE, Founder, Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.
Council Adviser, World Buddhist University
by
Julian Bamford (BA.App.Rec).,
President, Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.
Prepared 30 January 2003


The Victorian Senior Citizen of the Year Award seeks to raise the status of older people and focus community attention on the positive contribution older people make to our society.

I nominate Mr. John D. Hughes to be considered for his involvement in the Buddhist community both locally and internationally and his continued personal endeavour to build a Buddha Dhamma learning Centre in Australia, to propagate the teachings of the Lord Buddha.

John David Hughes is 72 years old, born on 9 September 1930, in Melbourne.

On 9 September 1978, John D. Hughes founded the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. at 33 Brooking street, Upwey, Victoria 3158. He was 48 years old, and working as a high school teacher.

In 1990, at age 60 years, he retired, devoting his time to fund and develop the Centre as a global Buddhist organisation and to develop a Buddhist library.

25 years since inception, the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd is a Regional Centre of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, an Associated Institution of the World Buddhist University and a member of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria; The John D. Hughes Collection library has 4000 catalogued Buddhist book titles including rare Buddhist texts.

John D. Hughes has achieved two of his life time goals.

How did one man do this?

John planned diligently. His life plans have the word ‘I CAN’ ‘I WILL’ ‘I MUST’ written on nearly every page.

When speaking to John you can see that he has great determination. He said that he had these goals in mind when he was 25 years old and geared his entire life to achieving these goals. When he retired from teaching, he could then start working for the Centre entirely.

1990 -John designed a strong teaching role for himself to teach other persons about Buddha Dhamma.

He commenced producing and publishing the Buddha Dhyana Dana Review 3 times a year and distributed it free of charge to 35 countries around the world. This publication is now on-line at www.bddronline.net.au

He taught Buddha Dhamma 2 nights a week – 7.30 pm onwards – usually to 2- 3am.

On weekends he worked on the site – developing the Chan garden and extending buildings and maintaining the property.

He hosted annual New Years Visits by the Vietnamese and Chinese communities, on weekends, to his Centre – up to 1000 persons a day during the months of January and February up to 1999.

All things continue to be done without creating debt. The funding is raised first, then the materials purchased and the work done.

Many things are donated as gifts and second hand materials used.

John continues to correspond with Buddhist organisations overseas, attend international Buddhist Conferences and became known to the world Buddhist community.

John teaches Chan – a Chinese form of painting, once a month. He went on self funded painting tours to Tasmania and Philip Island and has produced over 2000 paintings since his retirement.

Chan painting sales have funded many of the building improvements and other projects.

1992 – John attended the 18th General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in Taiwan.

1993 – John and his Members opened the Moomba festival on a river float with Buddha Dhamma chanting and sounding of the Dragon Gong.

1994 - John attended the 19th General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in Taiwan. He delivered a congratulatory message from the Prime Minister of Australia at the opening ceremony.

1996 – John visited Bangladesh to attend the Funeral celebration of the Sangharaja of Bangladesh – the head Monk. He was the guest speaker there.

1997 – John had a heart-attack. He recovered and returned to his teaching roles.

1998 – started the Buddhist Hour radio broadcast which has since generated 261 weekly programs.

1998 – He set up his first Buddhist Web site www.bdcu.org.au His centre acted as rapporteurs at the World Fellowship of Buddhists 20th General Conference held in NSW – the first Buddhist Conference ever to be held in Australia. He was elected as a Vice President of the World Fellowship of Buddhists to represent Australia and Oceania. His Centre was elected as an Associated Spiritual training Centre of the World Buddhist University. His paper- Buddha Dhamma and Challenges in the 21st Century was published in the World Fellowship of Buddhists Review Jan – Jun 1999. He was elected as reporter for Australia and Oceania to the WFB newsletter.

1999 – started producing the internal newsletter The Brooking Street Bugle (New Series).

2000- he attended the 21st World Fellowship of Buddhists General conference in Thailand and delivered a congratulatory message from the Prime Minister of Australia at the opening ceremony, attended by the Prime Minister of Thailand.

He was elected as a council adviser to the World Buddhist University.

He has set up multiple Web sites to provide Buddha Dhamma to persons world wide. You may visit these sites to read his papers, to view photographs of his overseas visits, his paintings and his Centre. Visit www.bdcu.org.au; www.bddronline.net.au; www.bdcublessings.net.au;. www.buyresolved.com au; www.bsbonline.com.au;

2001 April – He suffered from renal failure and underwent surgery for prostate cancer.

2001 September– He attended, by invitation, the International Conference on Religious Tolerance and World Peace in Taipei, Taiwan. There were 19 religions from 25 countries. His speech was published in the WFB Review.

2002 – February – he attended the 3rd Council Meeting of the World Buddhist University and the World Conference on Buddhism and World Peace, Bangkok, Thailand. He was one of the main speakers at the conference and the panel discussion. His paper was published in the World Fellowship of Buddhists Review.

2002 September– Married Anita, a Buddha Dhamma practitioner.

2002 December- John sent a delegation of 6 senior members to represent him at the 22nd General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (He was unable to attend due to illness) in Malaysia. John received a message form the Prime Minister of Australia that was read by Mr. Julian Bamford, President, Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. at the opening ceremony. The Prime Minister of Malaysia was in attendance.

The organisation has been self funding and works on self help principles.

He is an inspirational speaker who helps persons overcome dysfunctional lifestyles of all descriptions.

In some countries he is accorded recognition of being a living Buddha Dhamma saintly person with the good qualities of being able to bless persons throughout the world.

His council is sought by over 1000 Buddhist organisations throughout the world. Because he has visited Bangladesh three times he has many followers in that country.

John’s writings are relevant today as he shows how the ancient doctrines of Lord Buddha can be applied to the modern world and everyday life to bring about peace, prosperity and contentment.

John has generated over one million Australian dollars in goods and services for philanthropic work, in many countries.

His philosophy of self help is being implemented in many countries and is always conducted in a manner that is in Australia’s national interest.

The organisation he has built, the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. is stable and sustainable and the next generation of its global leaders are in training at present.

His Chan paintings are well received internationally and are in art collections in many overseas countries.

The motto he teaches his students is to belong to “the school that never comes to error”.



The Buddhist Hour Radio Broadcast Script 262
Sunday 2 February 2003


Today’s Script is Entitled:
“The Blessing of Enjoying your own Material Objects”


There are four blessings that a human being can enjoy.

They are: to be debtless, to enjoy material objects, to enjoy the blessings of your own material objects, and to have caga or emotional maturity.

These four blessings are attained only in this order, as each one is a gateway to the next. The end result of cultivating and attaining these four blessings is emotional maturity, in Pali, caga.

For the past two programs we have discussed the blessing of being debtless and the blessing of enjoying material objects. Today we discuss the third of the four blessings: the blessing of enjoying your own material objects.

In earlier times, the meaning of wealth meant well-being (weal) but it is now generally used in reference to a state of being rich.

Presently, in our society, the main aim for a ‘good life’ is to accumulate wealth, which is believed to be the solution to all our problems; the easy way out. What drives this aim is greed, in Pali, lobha.

Persons have forgotten that the accumulation of wealth is not for leisure or indulgence, but is to sustain financial needs.

In 1860 Donald G. Mitchell in ‘Reveries of a Batchelor’ wrote “Wealth is a great means of refinement; and it is a security for gentleness, since it removes disturbing anxieties; and it is a pretty promoter of intelligence, since it multiplies the avenues for its reception; and it is a good basis for a generous habit of life; it even equips beauty, neither hardening its hand with toil, nor tempting the wrinkles to come early.”

Around the same time, H.D. Thoreau noted in a different vein in his book ‘Walden’ “Superfluous wealth can buy superfluities only.”

In today’s consumer driven economy one only needs to look at the product advertisements such for beauty products, clothing, toys, car accessories to see this in action.

Since persons use greed as their driver to accumulate wealthy possessions, there is a loss of morality in their processes of doing so.

The corporate governance fall out from the financial crashes of two global giants during 2002, show the extent to which moral corruption appears through actions such as scams, cheating, stealing, lying, that are to obtain possessions.

In 1900, Andrew Carnegie wrote in ‘The Gospel of Wealth’ “Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community.”

On the topic of economics, Charles Dickens wrote in 1849 ‘David Copperfield’ “Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought six, result misery.

The Buddha encouraged his followers to work hard, that is to work righteously, so not to violate any ethical or religious principles in the process of doing so. They were told to work hard to maintain economic stability, but at the same time, he warned them not to become a slave to the desire of wealth.

Because Buddha’s followers acquired material objects through hard work associated with morality, they had enjoyment of their own material objects. This was so because, they had worked for it in the righteous way, eradicating any greed or attachment.

The Buddha said to the housefather Anathapindika:

“In this case a clansman has wealth acquired by energetic striving, amassed by strength of arm, won by sweat, lawful and lawfully gotten. At the thought: Wealth is mine acquired by energetic striving... lawfully gotten, bliss comes to him, satisfaction comes to him. This householder, is called ‘the bliss of ownership.’”

In accordance, more happiness is attained when one has worked hard and righteously for his own well being. Rather than getting deceived by the samsaric mind greed.

Greed does not bring about good or wholesomeness. It is interesting to note that although greed does not bring about good it is often accompanied by good feeling. Greed is one of the three roots of unwholesome minds. The three unwholesome roots are delusion (in Pali language moha), hate (in Pali language dosa) and greed (in Pali language lobha).

Greed is a strong desire for sensuous objects or jhana happiness. It will never give up this intrinsic nature of desiring however much one may possess. Even the whole wealth on earth cannot satisfy the desire of lobha. It is always on the lookout for something new. Thus one cannot be truly happy if one cannot eliminate greed.

The second nature of lobha is attachment of clinging to sensuous objects or jhana and jhana happiness.

The Pali language term for attachment is upadana.

Nearly all beings have substantial attachment to jewels and precious metals. Hence offerings such prized possessions with correct motivation and right mindfulness proves to be a difficult practice.

By dropping and cutting our attachment to arising sankharas: we produce minds free of artificial limitations.

We have attachment because of craving to enjoy worldly objects, sights, sounds, tastes, etc. This sense originates through our sense experience or feeling.

We have feeling or sense-experience because we have sense object contact (phassa). Our attachment is the desire to prolong the sensation of enjoyment.

Remember that you are being attached firmly by lobha to sense-objects as well as to your possessions. You cannot renounce the world and your worldly possessions including wives and husbands, sons and daughters. So you are caught up by old age, disease and death, life after life.

The antidote to greed (lobha) is alobha, non-attachment to sense-objects and greedlessness. Alobha is opposed to lobha and it can overcome lobha. It is one of the three roots of good.

Dr. Mehm Tin Mon writes in his book The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma: “As water drops run off a lotus leaf without adhering to it, alobha runs off sensuous objects without adhering to them. When one is not attached to one’s possession, one can give away money and things in charity. Here alobha manifests itself in the form of generosity.

May you practice generosity this life and in all the ways it can be practiced.

May you come to enjoy the blessing of having materiality this life.

May you be well and happy.


The authors and editors of this script are Julian Bamford BA(AppRec), Evelin Halls DipFLC, Amber Svensson and Pennie White BA, DipEd.


References:

Pali Text Society, 1982, The Book of Gradual Sayings (Anguttara-Nikaya) or more numbered Suttas, Vol II (The book of the fours), Chapter VII, 61, 62, F. L. Woodward (Translator), Pali Text Society, London, pp 73-79.

Dhammananda, K. Sri, 1997, Human Life and Problems 1st Ed. p19-23, Published by Buddhist Missionary Society Buddhist Maha Vihara, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.


Mencken, 1991, H.L. A New Dictionary of Quotations, Published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. New York Ed. p1272, p 773, p781.

Mon, Dr. Mehm Tin, 1995, The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma, Published by Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yadanar Min Literature, Yangon.
Readability Statistics

Counts
Words: 1033
Characters: 5187
Paragraphs: 36
Sentences: 57

Averages
Sentences per paragraph: 1.7
Words per Sentence: 17.7
Characters per word: 4.8

Readability Statistics
Passive Sentences: 14%
Flesch Reading Ease score: 54.9
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score: 9.7


Readability Statistics

When Word finishes checking spelling and grammar, it can display information about the reading level of the document, including the following readability scores. Each readability score bases its rating on the average number of syllables per word and words per sentence.

Flesch Reading Ease score

Rates text on a 100-point scale; the higher the score, the easier it is to understand the document. For most standard documents, aim for a score of approximately 60 to 70.

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score

Rates text on a U.S. grade-school level. For example, a score of 8.0 means that an eighth grader can understand the document. For most standard documents, aim for a score of approximately 7.0 to 8.0.



Disclaimer:

As we, the Chan Academy Australia, Chan Academy being a registered business name of the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd., do not control the actions of our service providers from time to time, make no warranty as to the continuous operation of our website(s). Also, we make no assertion as to the veracity of any of the information included in any of the links with our websites, or another source accessed through our website(s).

Accordingly, we accept no liability to any user or subsequent third party, either expressed or implied, whether or not caused by error or omission on either our part, or a member, employee or other person associated with the Chan Academy Australia (Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.)

This Radio Script is for Free Distribution. It contains Buddha Dhamma material and is provided for the purpose of research and study.

Permission is given to make printouts of this publication for FREE DISTRIBUTION ONLY. Please keep it in a clean place.

"The gift of Dhamma excels all other gifts".


References

Web sites:
www.bdcu.org.au
www.bddronline.net.au
www.bdcublessings.net.au
www.buyresolved.com.au
www.bsbonline.com.au

For more information, contact the Centre or better still, come and visit us.


© 2002. Copyright. The Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.

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