The Annual Buddhist Conference

The annual Buddhist conferences are held every year in Australia. During these conferences, Buddhists would like to elaborate some of their understanding in defining the essence of Buddhism in term of its practicality in social life contexts. Engaged Buddhism is not some new, intellectual paradigm being invented; in fact it dates back to the time when the Buddha discovered the ultimate truth of the unfolding of the universe and thereafter taught his methods to others. Annual conferences are an opportunity to discuss the necessary paths to be taken in order for Buddhism to become a way of life in the contemporary world.

Engaged Buddhism has become widely known in many parts of the world and was one of the significant developments helping to bring about a new understanding of Buddhist teachings. People from different states and from different Buddhist organizations are encouraged to take part in local social services and to be more engaged in overall well-being of the communities in where they live. For a long time, Buddhism has been misperceived to be a religion of pessimism, in which Buddhist monks, nuns and followers’ emphased self-refuge and practiced this as their only method. In fact, this interpretation undermines people’s ability to fully comprehend what Buddhism really is all about. Buddhism is essentially about the cultivation of compassion. When people make an effort to open up, let others come in, and establish meaningful relationships, growing their own compassion^[1] .

The idea of bringing Buddhism into real life responds to many new, complex needs and thoughts resulting from social changes over time. It urges Buddhism to come into a new role in order to continue to the relevant spiritual guidance for people. It’s crucial to keep in mind that if Buddhism weren’t able to become more involved in this secular world, it could become something very rigid, like a treasure locked up in a museum which is quite enjoyable for spectators to look at, but offering no real value in terms of insights that can help them resolve real-life problems once they have left the museum. It is in the light of this timetested assumption that we can infer that the purpose of conference to bring Buddhism into real life contexts is ultimately to transform society.