John D Hughes Dhamma Cetiya Meditation Hall & Library - Official Opening

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Chan Academy Australia is a registered trading name
of the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.
33 Brooking Street, Upwey 3158 Victoria. Australia
A.C.N. 005 701 806 A.B.N. 42 611 496 488
e-mail: chanacademy@bdcu.org.au
website: www.bdcu.org.au

Regional Centre of the World Fellowship of Buddhists
Associated Institution of the World Buddhist University
Member of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria (Aust)

NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMASAMBUDDHASSA

JOHN D. HUGHES DHAMMA CETIYA
MEDITATION HALL & LIBRARY

Official Opening - Sunday 9th September 2007

OFFICIAL WELCOME & PROCEEDINGS
Mr Julian Bamford
Master of Ceremonies.

In accordance with Buddhist practice we will now invite the Heavenly Dhamma Assembly, Devas, Devatas and Protectors to join this opening ceremony.

(Dragon Gong struck 3 times by Mr Frank Carter)

To begin the ceremony we will pay respect to the Buddha with the Vandana to Buddha which we will chant in the Pali language, as spoken in the time of the Buddha.

(Master of Ceremonies lead chanting – a copy of the Vandana for Buddha in the Pali language was provided to each guest)

NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMASAMBUDDHASSA
NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMASAMBUDDHASSA
NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMASAMBUDDHASSA

To begin I would welcome the Most Venerable Members of the Buddha Sangha hear today.

The Most Venerable Peo Liv, Abbot, Wat Dhammaram.

The Most Venerable Digamadule Wimmalanda, Abbot, Sakyamuni Sambuddha Vihara.

The Most Venerable Thich Phuoc Tan, Abbot, Quang Minh Temple and Vice President World Fellowship of Buddhists.

The Most Venerable Kentrul Rinpoche, Abbot, Tibetan Buddhist Rime Institute.

The Most Venerable Thich Tiem Tam, Abbot, Hoa Nghiem Temple.

The Most Venerable Nuyen Dao, Abbot, Thien Tu Tien Dao Temple.

The Honourable Members of Parliament here today.

The Honourable James Merlino MP, (Representing the Premier of Victoria) Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs, and Minister Assisting the Premier on Multicultural Affairs.

and

The Honourable Jason Wood MP, Federal Member for Latrobe.

I would also like to welcome from the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

The Mayor Cr. Tim Heenan. (apologies due to family illness))

Cr. Noel Cliff, Shire of Yarra RangeS.

Dr Ranjith Hettiarachi, President Buddhist Foundation (VIC) Australia, Regional Centre World Fellowship
of Buddhists.

and

Professor Thel Tong.

Honoured Guests, Members and Friends welcome.

It is with great joy and gratitude that we welcome you to this John D. Hughes Dhamma Cetiya Meditation Hall and Library Opening Ceremony on this very special Founders Day 2007.

Today we complete 29 years of operating as a Buddhist Centre.

We are an Australian home grown Buddha Dhamma Temple.

We were Founded in 1978 by our Teacher the late Dhamma Master John D. Hughes. He established Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd as a non sectarian place of Buddha Dhamma practise, teaching and realisation.

John D. Hughes chose a suitable location for the temple in the quiet hills of the Dandenong Ranges.

He established a heavenly Chan garden surrounding the Buddhist Centre, built a multilingual Buddhist Reference Library, the John D Hughes Collection, a Temple that he planned to last for at least 500 years. On the 9th of September 2000, on John's 70th birthday, the 70th Buddha relic arrived here. Over 300 Buddha relics including three hair relics are located here. The lemma John chose for our organisation is 'Lifetimes of
Learning'.

The Foundation Stone, below the plate glass window here, was laid over 17 years ago on 29 October 1989 with
the blessings of thirteen Members of the Sangha.

The most important thing for John fundamentally was to show teachable beings the way out of suffering, to help
them to understand the way out of suffering and provide the materiality to do it.

Thankyou for coming here today to be a part of this most auspicious occasion to open this new hall.

I now welcome The Honorable James Merlino MP to speak.

(address by the Minister)

Thank you Minister.

I invite the Honorable Jason Wood MP to give an address.

(address by the Honorable Member)

Thank you Mr Wood.

I welcome Venerable Wimilananda, Abbot of the Sakyamuni Sambuddha Vihara to speak. Thank you Venerable.

I now welcome Venerable Thich Phuoc Tan, Abbot Quang Minh Temple.

I will now read a message on behalf of Master Ru Sun, Abbot Yun Yang Temple.

(message from Master Ru Sun)

It is with great pleasure that I invite Melva Neilsen, ur Chan Teacher and long time student of John D.
Hughes to speak.

Thank you Melba.

I now warmly welcome our Abbot, Mrs Anita Carter to speak.

(speech by Mrs Anita Carter)

Thank you Anita.

I will now read a message from the Venerable Suddhananda Mahathero, President Bangladesh Bouddha Kristi Prachar
Sangha and Abbot of Dhammarajika Buddhist Monastery and Dhammarajika Childrens Orphanage, Bangladesh.

To
Anita Hughes
Hon’ble Director
Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.
Victoria, Australia.

Dear Dhamma Sister,

It is indeed a matter of immense sorrow that due to the sudden deterioration of my health condition as well
as the present situation of our country; I have not other way but to cancel my cherished visit to your
organization and attend the Grand Opening Ceremony of the “John D. Hughes Dhamma Cetiya Meditation Hall
and Library”.

Late Most Reverend John D. Hughes was a religious personality with high reputation in the international arena
and in that line we had the opportunity of raised our voice for peace through Buddhism in the conference
of World Fellowship of Buddhists, World Buddhist Sangha Council etc. As a gesture of friendship and cordial
relationship, John D. Hughes was kind to visit Dharmarajika Complex, Dhaka two times.

Today, I wish to recall with gratitude the invaluable support and financial cooperation and Reverend John D.
Hughes and your organization for the welfare of the inmates of Dharmarajika.

Construction of Dhamma Cetiya Meditation Hall and Library in memory of Rev. John D. Hughes is quietly an
appropriate decision and followers of Buddhists as well as peace lovers while visit your centre will remind
them to make their lives sublime. In such a way Rev. John D. Hughes will be ever memorable to all of us in
the days to come.

Had I the opportunity of being present in the Grand Opening Ceremony, I would be the happiest one and I whole
heartedly wish the memorial service an excellent one. Please convey my deep regards to the Reverends who
would be in the midst of the occasion and be engaged in prayer for Reverend John D. Hughes. Please accept
my blessings and may you live long through the paths of the Triple Gem.

Yours in Dhamma,

Ven. Suddhananda Mahathero
President
Bangladesh Bouddha Kristi Prachar Sangha

An address in honour of John D. Hughes and the new Dhamma Cetiya was also made by Dr Ranjith Hettiarachi,
President Buddhist Foundation (VIC) Australia.

(the offical unveiling of the plaque was made at 2.50pm after which the speech were continued.)

As our Honoured Guest Mr Jason Wood MP will be leaving at 3pm we will conclude the speeches shortly.

Now to officially open this hall I invite Mr James Melino MP and Mr Jason Wood MP to make the Declaration of
the Hall Opening and to unveil the Plaque.

(Mr Frank Carter escorted the Honourable Members of Parliament to the hall entrance where the Plaque was
unveiled. The Honourable members read the following together)

“We are delighted to declare this John D Hughes Dhamma Cetiya Meditation Hall and Library Opened.”

(Frank Carter and the Honourable Members then returned to their seats. Flowers were offered to the Honourable
Members prior to Mr Woods departure.)

Thank you.

I now invite the Most Venerable Sangha to give a blessing for the New Hall, Our Abbot Mrs. Anita Carter and
Honoured Guests.

Firstly I invite the Most Venerable Theravadin Sangha to chant Blessings.

I invite the Most Venerable Vietnamese Sangha to chant Blessings.

I invite the Most Venerable Khentrul Rinpoche to chant Blessings.

Saddhu Saddhu Saddhu.

Thank you Venerables for your kind blessings.

We shall now offer gifts to the Venerable Sangha.

It is a Buddhist tradition that to help develop the perfection of generosity and other good qualities and to
support the community of Buddhist Monks and Nuns that as Buddhists we make offerings to Buddhist Monks
and Nuns.

Today our offerings to the the Venerable Sangha are being made by our Abbot Mrs Anita Carter, her husband,
Director Mr Frank Carter, Member Mr George Costas who led and guided the builders of this hall and his
wife Member Mrs Helen Costas who has worked during the past week helping to prepare for today’s Opening
Ceremony.

We dedicate the merit made by these offerings that the Buddha Dhamma be taught and practiced at this Temple
for the next 500 years and that we have the resources, skill and capacity to help the Buddha Sasana as
is needed.

This now completes the opening ceremony.

Thank you very much.

(End of Official Opening Ceremony)

***

We would now like to invite you to enjoy refreshments in the garden.

We have here displayed on the wall today an exhibition of Chan paintings by Melba Nielsen and student
Helen Costas.

The exhibition will be ready for viewing in 10 minutes.
Please enjoy and if you wish too purchase paintings today this can be done from the catalogue provided.

There will also be a Chan Painting demonstration by Chan Teacher Melba Nielsen.

Finally, one of the projects we have run over the past 18 months to contribute to the funding of our new hall
has been the 1000 Buddhas Offering.

We are inviting persons to sponsor the installation of a Buddha image here inside the new hall. The first two
hundred of these images will be placed along the top of the walls in the next few months.

The cost of sponsoring an image is $33 of which approximately $23 goes to paying for the hall’s construction.

We do still need to raise more funds toward our costs of construction so we do encourage and invite any one who would like to help through this meritorious offering to please do so today.

The 1000 Buddhas Offering sponsorship forms are located in the garden area outside the hall today.

Thank you very much.

May You Be Well and Happy

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