Buddhism Came to Australia

India is the land of saints. It has a remarkable tradition of saints appearing in different parts of the country. They saints realize and visualize the ultimate reality and put them into the practice of common men. Their realization is not only for them, but for the benefit of entire society.

In this unbroken tradition, there is a saint in the sixth century B.C. he was the Buddha, the Perfect Enlightened One. After getting enlightenment under the foot of Bodhi-Tree he preached his sermon for forty-five years traveling through villages and cities. His sermons or teachings have been regarded as notable milestone in the history of human ideas. His teachings were such in nature that it did not remain confined within the land of its origin. But it transcended the boundaries in such a way that it did not only become the light of Asia but became also the light of the world, Australia country does not exception.

Since Buddhism as mention above, the second largest religion in Australia country, it is obvious that many scholars would have been attempted to record the history of the origin, nature and development of Buddhism in Australia^[1] . However, all such writings have mainly focused its attention on demographics, ethics identity and the migrant experience. Very few scholars, like Patricia Sherwood, Michelle Spuler, so on and so forth, have attempted to discuss the engagement of Buddhists and various Buddhist organizations of Australia in social welfare activities.

Australia, one of the Europeans countries has most influence of the philosophy of the Buddha in the ways of their perspectives. The images of silent contemplative Buddha or jovial laughing Buddha always seated and hands resting, in the poses of self absorption. These are the common pictures of Buddhism in the minds of Australians. Buddhism is also often seen as a practice for individual stress management, a way for achieving inner peacefulness, quietness, withdrawal from the world and all its demands³.

Therefore, in Australia most of the Australians Buddhist practices evoke images of individuals sitting in meditation pose, eyes closed and ‘contemplating their navel” before statues of golden or burnished bronze Buddha. Passive, inward looking, inactive, contemplative…. These are the words used to describe Buddhist practice. These images although well known, capture vaguely only the yin side of Buddhism. They ignore entirely the yang or manifest dimensions of Buddhism daily transforming families, communities, our social, cultural, political and economic life.

This work reveals the intimate relationship between the inner and the outer dimensions of Buddhism forming an inseparable modus operandi in the life of Australia. Transforming ourselves and coming to know ourselves deeply through sustained spiritual inquiry and practice, we may only make things worse. We also run the risk of not having the kind of resources of wisdom, compassion, equanimity, and perseverance necessary to respond to the great needs of the times without being quickly burned out by anger and frustration. Outer transformation thus entails inner transformation.

The present’s of silently, unspoken, unacknowledged images of Buddhism in Australia. There are the images of Buddhism as a socially transforming force in the prisons, in human rights arenas, counseling, in palliative care, in education, among the poor and needy, working with drug addicts, advocacy and in activism on behalf of forest, and in animal rights. The human existence where life is marked by the struggle for survival, economically, spiritually, socially, and where there is the grasping for happiness and fleeting moments of joy. It is the image of the Buddha who hears the cries of the world, and who from the inner place of peace can walk the Bodhisattva path in the human daily life^[2] .

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

At the end of this paper a bibliography, retrieved from the internet, has been appended for futher references.³ Sherwood Patricia, (Ed), The Buddha is in the Street, Cowan University Bunbury, Malaysia, 2003, p.1

[2]:

Sherwood Patricia, (Ed), The Buddha is in the Street, Cowan University Bunbury, Malaysia, 2003, p.1