The Buddhist Hour Radio Broadcast Archives

Buddhist Hour Broadcast 280
For Sunday 8 June 2003

Special radio script addition: 7 Day Project List


This script is entitled: “How we can renew our will to practice: The Way of the Garden”


We think in terms of four seasons.

Last Sunday 1 June 2003 marked the beginning of the Winter season in Australia.

Each season, we ought to renew our practice.

Today we are going to talk more about how to renew our practice.

From 6 June 2003 to 10 June 2003 we are offering our Winter Five Day Bhavana Course. Our main practice for this course is "The Way of the Garden".

The garden is the repository of the four seasons, the natural factors of change. Our Chan Garden is a rather grand Teaching aide and because of this function. The calligraphy on the four gates refers to it as a “Heavenly Buddha Dhamma Garden”.

Within the boundaries of our heavenly garden, human beings learn the first fundamental of life, that all things change. Change means unsatisfactoriness (in Pali - dukkha). Most beings wish to slow down this natural deterioration caused by change. The modern world of physics shows disorder increases with time because we measure time in the direction in which disorder increases.

Our heavenly garden is designed to calm and delight many beings. By being able to see the four seasons from within our Centre, we maintain a healthy working environment. Seeing the garden, and the changes, that the seasons bring, ensures our Members do not suffer from fatigue and lifelessness, which can occur when 'boxed' in a traditional workspace. Most new plants are given to us as gifts.

Where possible, the good things handed down to us by our forebears, such as, for example, our garden structure ought to be preserved. Some of our trees are estimated to be 200 years old.

This garden attracts much wildlife including many possums, birds and insects. One earlier student of our Centre reported an annual bird count of over 120 different species of local birds that visited our garden over the four seasons. She was an English bird watcher.

The water ponds we built here have saved the lives of many birds during drought and bushfires. Our fruit trees and local berry bushes also provide food for the birds.

In addition, we offer nutritious birdseed to itinerant birds every day. We have a built a vast aviary without bars. We pay no parrot tax, nor owl levy. Our tactics are affordable because birdseed is donated or grow on our trees and shrubs.

As the argon spectral band sets in the West, the birds settle down for their evening rest and so do we because we, like them, have not gone beyond circadian rhythms.

The “Way of the Garden” is the “Way of Action”. Some persons lack the skills needed in knowing what to add to the soil and how. They must learn by reading suitable garden books.

The Way of the Garden is difficult to understand and may be compared to bringing one hundred water brooks under one bridge.

The ecosystem at our Centre is complex.

The pH of the soil is controlled for allowing optimum growth of many different plants.

Native ferns like clay have a soil of pH 1.

Dull minds cannot recreate beautiful gardens or concentrate on practice of the Chan Way of the Garden.

The Way of the Garden also helps us understand such matters as the two other fundamental properties of human existence, namely, unsatisfactoriness (Pali - dukkha) and the lack of a permanent self (Pali - anatta). The short time available does not permit us to elaborate on the other methods whereby these two fundamental aspects of human existence can be known, each for himself or herself.

Suffice to say, insights from the Way the Garden can extend to wisdom concerning all three fundamental properties of material existence. Direct knowing of these three properties leads to path entry (Pali - sotapatti).

Even partially understanding the ecosystem and four seasons opens up a whole new world of perception: a world where we see a droplet of water as it is; a droplet of water in Summer, a droplet of mist in Autumn, a droplet of frost in Winter and a droplet of dew in Spring. We can see phase changes of water.

Plants and our bodies run off water solutions of salt and minerals. Many persons need to drink more water to be healthy. We estimate 40% of Australians start to dehydrate every day. In summer hot days, we recommend one litre per hour for vigorous outside activity.

The Way of the Garden is difficult to understand and may be compared to bringing one hundred brooks under one bridge. The bridge represents the wisdom mind that understands that the process of re-creating the garden is not just a mere folly but an active training ground for developing the human qualities of loving kindness, compassion, patience, generosity and trust.

Excavating to the right level to bring a hundred brooks together under the one bridge is an exercise in patience because no sooner have we damned one brook than it overflows its banks, fed by the other brooks. It was not the brook itself that overflowed but the watershed from the other brooks.

Chan implies meditation and action that does not overflow.

Wise persons use this method to remove antisocial attitudes such as the culture of poverty and the culture of ill health. When this training is successful the student understands that the Centre’s garden is a Chan garden and many benefits can be derived from working on it, in sometimes rigorous conditions.

At our Centre, the Chan Teachers use many Buddhist methods to drive the students sane.

However, we will only teach those who have requested to be taught. We hope we earn your trust sufficient for you to request to be taught by us. Unwholesome minds cannot build beautiful gardens because of the outpourings of the overflow of mental defilements make discord, not harmony.

We desire to make the will for more causes for the long time preservation of this suitable Dhamma environment for the practice of Chan by building trust between involved people.

Patience is the virtue that builds a foundation of tolerance.

Patience is advised when any afflictions arise, internally or externally, of body, speech or mind.

Remember that Temples are places where the Buddha Dhamma is taught. It is a special place where persons can learn and practice Buddha Dhamma. Great merits can be achieved by maintaining Temples in an appropriate manner with no killing.

We have will to be a satta-deva-manussanam Temple for humans and Devas and Devatas.

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 our Temple will remain a suitable location.

We have a perfect Temple – we will keep it that way. We need persons to help us with the will to maintain our Temple.

If you wish to come to our Five Day Bhavana Course, or if you would like to help us in any of our Temple activities please contact us at the Centre on 9754 3334.

We need persons to do some gardening.

We are happy that our Teacher, John D. Hughes, will come home next Tuesday after being in hospital. One of John's students, Alex Serrano, has written a poem dedicated to John. It reads as follows:

The human is an actor -
with his enthusiasm,
and energy,
he vitalises his organisation.
With his actions, he
invigorates his peers.
With his inspiration
he purposefully contributes.
In effect,
this is merely the work of his
personality, applied to task.

By Alex Serrano, 30 May 2003.

Members should study this wisdom poem.

May confidence in maintaining and will to help a suitable Temple and Chan Garden arise in you.

May suitable persons get the will to agree to help our Temple continue.

May you develop your will to be well and happy.

May all beings develop the will to be well and happy.

This paper was written and edited by John Hughes, Evelin Halls, Pennie White and Frank Carter.


References

Buddhist Hour radio script 132, 11 March 2001: "Developing the Perfection of Patience", http://www.bdcublessings.net.au/radio132.html

Buddhist Hour radio script 197, 11 November 2001: "Misunderstanding the Four Seasons", http://www.bdcublessigs.net.au/radio197.html

Buddhist Hour Radio Script 252, 24 November 2002: "The importance of maintaining sustainable Temples", http://www.bdcublessigs.net.au/radio252.html

Fitzallen, Melva, 1992. “Understanding the Four Seasons; Understanding Ch’an”, Buddha Dhyana Dana Review, Volume 2 No. 3, September 1992, pp. 4-8, Melbourne: Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.

Hughes, John D. Dip.App.Chem.T.T.T.C. G.D.A.I.E., Nicolas S. Prescott. BSc (Hons). M.B.A. and Julie M.O'Donnell. “Comment on Three Years and Three Moons Teaching of Prajnaparamita at the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.”, June 1995.

Hughes, John D., Dip.App.Chem.T.T.T.C. G.D.A.I.E., 1990, “Opening Speech: The Way of the Brush and the Way of the Garden”, 4 Februray 1990.

SangPil, Park, 2001 “The Three Universal Characteristics” Lotus Lantern Vol.3 No. 1 Autumn 2545 B.E., pp. 16-18, Korean Buddhist Chogye Order, Korea.



Counts

Words: 1342
Characters: 6379
Paragraphs: 58
Sentences: 87
Averages Sentences per paragraph: 1.5 Words per Sentence: 15.4 Characters per word: 4.6

Readability Statistics

Passive Sentences: 18%
Flesch Reading Ease score: 64.9 Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score: 7.7 Colman-Liau Grade Level: 10.9 Bourmouth Grade Level: 9.5

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.



7 DAY PROJECT LIST

Prepared by John D. Hughes, Julian Bamford.

Published 6 June 2003

Period 6 to 12 June 2003

The Five Day Course - June 2003
Developing the will - to be practical.


Our Teacher John D. Hughes will return home from Maroondah hospital to our Centre and Temple at 33 Brooking Street next Tuesday 10 June 2003.

The main task of the five day course is to encourage Members to be practical and teach them how to increase their volition (the will to do) by a factor of ten at least. They will be taught to complete a task to our standards and not leave the completion to others.

We thank the Venerable Members of the Sangha, the Heavenly Devas and Devatas, all the Doctors and Staff of Maroondah and Angliss Hospitals, Anita M. Hughes, Amber, Max and Joel, our Members and the many Friends who have helped in many ways with the recovery of our most Venerable Teacher John D. Hughes.

His wife Anita Hughes' dedication saved his life.

In preparation for his return we will over the five days of the Bhavana course, be cleaning his living quarters and the Temple, ordering the garden, this weekend putting up welcoming signs, hanging blessing flags, chanting and making offerings on all the inside and outside altars to strengthen the Buddha field.

The Bhavana Course skill set will teach how;

to harmonise between Members’ Buddha Dhamma practice by The Way of the Garden;
to encourage Members’ in the way of fundraising;

Five Day Bhavana Course Priorities including;

Planting and Weeding the Garden;
Chanting Avalokitesvara Dharani, Heart Sutra and Quan Yin title 3 times daily;
Offerings to Prajna Paramita and Deva of Learning and other Protectors
Food offerings to Heavenly Monks: breakfast, lunch (by 11.30am) and evening;
Feed the birds that visit the Centre;
Vacuum and dust bedroom, main hall, library and reading room;
Clean amenities block and entrances;

Furniture and Altars

The furniture in the Sariputta Room has been arranged and its walls and ceiling dusted and cleaned.

The carpet cleaning will be done by a professional cleaner.

It is intended to toparise the large tree adjacent to the South Gate. New Members will be trained in this skill.

The humus heap at the West end of the driveway needs removing. The top layer to go to the tip, then spread the remaining humus around the garden beds for Spring planting.

Preparation of cameras is needed to record the various events and techniques taught.

The will to write is needed. Abhidhamma Paper No. 51 will be written and delivered at 7.30pm to 8.30pm Tuesday 10 June 2003. New Members can sit and learn the approach we use to writing this Dhamma.

Also they can start the Brooking Street Bugle 89 for publication 10 June 2003. This is mainly cut and pasting from e-mails internal to the organisation.

The nomination forms for the Annual General Meeting election will be prepared.

The will for Members to organise weekly rosters must be strengthened. There are nine different rosters.

We will need to publish Longhair Vol 2. No 2.

Housekeeping skills that have been taught with recommended occupational health and safety standards and learnt by Members will be revised.

The John D. Hughes bedroom will be equipped with medical material on loan from the hospital.

We wish to train a few of our nurse Members to learn the caring skills from Anita Hughes how to operate safely the caring equipment and schedules for John D. Hughes.

There cannot be a reversion to the former methods of Teaching used by our Teacher because it consumes too much of his lifeforce.

Eight new Teachers who want to make merit are in training as Teachers.

May our Centre develop the will to give practical Teaching.

The will-to-do is a part of the Buddha Path. It is called cetana in the Pali language and is one of the seven enlightenment factors. The will to do is the basis of all Buddhist development of the mind.

The complex nature of our global centre operations demands persons who are practical in tracking our support systems.

Today's radio script: “How we can renew our will to practice: The Way of the Garden”


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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".


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