News from Melbourne Buddhist Centre

Issue #6 Volume #2

November 2007

Welcome to this late Spring edition of our newsletter.

Mudita is designed to keep you in touch with Melbourne Buddhist Centre events and the activities of our Sangha.

Poem

Without going out the door,

you can know the world.

Without looking out the window,

you can see heaven.

The farther you travel, the less you know.

Thus the wise person knows without travelling,

understands without seeing,

accomplishes without acting.

From The Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu

trans. by Brian Browne Walker (St Martin's Griffin, New York, 1995), p. 47.

What's On

Regular classes will continue as normal over the summer holiday period. In the new year the format of Wednesday evenings will change; it will be for regulars only. Newcomers will be welcomed on Thursday evenings with a drop-in class and meditation courses.

As most Order Members go on retreat during January, 2008 courses will begin in early February.

A meditation day retreat will take place in the Centre on Sunday 30th December, led by Sudaya.

On the evening of 31st December, the turning of the year will be marked with a puja and meditation, led by Jivita.

During the first week of February, Parami — Public Preceptor and senior Order Member — will be visiting Melbourne from the UK. She will lead a weekend retreat on 2nd and 3rd February on the topic of Death and Dying. Parami will also be giving a talk at the Centre and meeting up with sangha members.

Check our website nearer the time for further details.

News

Photo shoot

by Sudaya

I decided it would be a good idea to have some new photos to use for our website and advertising. A young photographer called Rahima Hayes contacted me saying she was interested to undertake a photo shoot at the Centre.

We arranged the shoot for a Sunday afternoon, and invited along a few willing 'models'. The day before, Vidyatara, Amitashraddha, Dhiramani and I spent some time building shrines and tidying up the Centre.

The event was a success, with eight of us moving between the shrine rooms and the sitting area, posing as meditators and relaxed tea drinkers. Rahima enjoyed the challenge of an unusual assignment. Now we have nearly 100 new images to draw on for our publicity. Many thanks to all those who helped with the shoot.

Meditation note

We will only experience samadhi to the extent that we have a strong foundation in sila. When we review our own behaviour in the light of the precepts, we may not notice much that seems seriously wrong. Consequently we don't keep thinking very deeply or for very long about sila. Yet the logic of the Threefold Way suggests that, if we find our progress in meditation is frustratingly slow, it may be because we have not given sufficient attention to sila. We need to look again at both what sila is and how to practise it.

Subhuti, from Remorse and Confession in the Spiritual Community (Madhyamaloka, 2001)

Sangha Interview

For this issue we talk with Francis, who is just beginning his journey into Buddhism:

What are you passionate about?

I'm passionate about building better relationships with family and friends, as well as learning to live a better life through being mindful of ethics, the environment and practising nonviolence.

What are you reading at the moment?

I have just finished reading Sangharakshita's A Guide to the Buddhist Path, and now I'm reading his What is the Dharma? I really enjoyed A Guide to the Buddhist Path because it was easy to read, makes Buddhism assessible to Westerners and is not without humour.

If you could have five beings at dinner party (dead, alive or conceptual) who or what would they be?

I'd invite Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin and Mother Teresa for high tea, to discuss the ethics of genetically modified food and fibre with Jesus and the Buddha.

What school of Buddhism most influences you and why?

I'd have to say Zen Buddhism. Not because I know much about Zen, but because the concept of Zen was very popular when I was growing up in the 1970s. However, since coming to the Melbourne Buddhist Centre, I've started to travel the Path of Regular Steps.

What interests do you have outside the centre?

I used to be a mad keen motorcyclist, but I hung up my leathers a few years ago. These days I'm into juggling, Indian clubs, and poi.

A Quote to Reflect on

provided by Linda Williams

As Shantideva says, there are many beings to whom one can make charity, but there are very few beings with respect to whom one can practise patience, and what is more rare is more valuable. An enemy is really most kind. Through cultivating patience one's power of merit increases, and the practice of patience can only be done in dependence upon an enemy. For this reason, enemies are the main instigators of the increase of meritorious power. An enemy is not someone who prevents the practice of religion but someone who helps practice.

The Dalai Lama, trans. and ed. by Jeffrey Hopkins (Wisdom Publications, 2000).

And another thing ...

How do you keep everyone happy? It's a question as old as mankind has been around. It's the problem the alchemists should have been putting their minds to instead of all that gold from base metal nonsense.
There must be a way ... there must! Maybe if we all tried just that little bit harder we could do it? Wouldn't it be wonderful to glide through life with everyone around you being completely satisfied with who you are and what you get up to.
By the way people carry on, anyone would think that we were put on this planet merely to keep everyone else happy. Why didn't you do this? Why didn't you do that. What did you do it like that for? Why didn't you do something? What are you wearing that for? These are just a sample of the accusing queries that have been put to me over the years. I, in turn, have recycled these questions and put them to other people when they have had the gall not to keep me happy.
I think this whole issue ties in very neatly with the 2nd Noble Truth — The truth of craving. We want things around us to be the way we want them and so this naturally extends to the moving things, i.e. other people. We want these moving things to be our friends, lovers, teachers, inspirations, gardeners, mates, exemplars, chauffeurs, etc. etc. the list is endless. Looking down this short list I can already see myself falling foul of others' expectations (I'm not much of a gardener).
So ... bearing in mind that I only have a 350 word limit and I am making this up as I go along — Am I likely to come up with a solution to this age-old question in the next few sentences? Probably not ... Em ...
I have an idea! How about if ... no that wouldn't work.
Or maybe ... hum ... no that wouldn't work either.
All right I give up.
I bet you're all very disappointed with me now. Reading all the way to the end of the article and no pearls of wisdom at the end of it. If I was you I'd complain to the editor.
I've gone over my word limit too.
Sorry,
Jivita

Why I choose to be vegetarian

by Jodie Dempster

Ten years ago I decided to become vegetarian. As I was still living with my parents, there were some difficult and humorous times along the way. My father, a considerate and very rational man, was concerned for his young daughter. He sat me down and proposed that he would be vegetarian one day a week if I would eat meat one day a week. I thanked him and tried to explain that for me to take a day off was the equivalent of him changing religion one day a week. I wasn't Buddhist then, but it wasn't long before this growing sensitivity lead me to the Dharma. For about six months, people had trouble remembering that I didn't eat meat. There were many favourite family recipes that didn't taste as good without meat, and at times I felt left out.

Sometimes when people hear that I am vegetarian, they assume that I don't like meat, yet I really enjoyed it. Sometimes I still miss eating meat, but I feel confident in my decision. I haven't researched the environmental pros and cons thoroughly, but my impression is that meat and dairy products are quite resource-intensive foods.

My relationship to animals is different now. For instance, when I pass a flock of sheep, I can really look at them, whereas in the past I couldn't really see them for what they were. I enjoy vegetarian meals and have replaced my old favourites with many healthy, tasty vegetarian meals. The recipe below is an example.

Pasta with lentil (bolognaise) sauce

This dish can be adapted in many ways for a healthy, protein rich meal.

Servings: 2
Preparation time: 40 minutes.

Ingredients:

• Half a cup of dried red lentils
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 small carrot
• 4 pieces of asparagus
• 1 tin of tomatoes or two large fresh tomatoes
• Heaped teaspoon of dried herbs or fresh if you have them
• Pasta for two

Instructions:

1. Rinse the red lentils in a sieve for about 20 seconds (then tip the water on the garden).
2. Place the lentils in a medium saucepan with about 1 cup of boiling water and the tin of tomatoes. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Chop the vegetables. If you don't have the vegies listed above, just use what you have.
4. Add the vegies to the saucepan and stir well. Add more water if the lentils have started to cling to the bottom of the pan.
5. In a separate saucepan, cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet.

Red lentils cook the quickest of lentils and I find them the easiest to digest. By the time the pasta is cooked, they have become soft, and the sauce resembles a vegetable bolognaise. If you have the time, it's good to cook the lentils for up to 45 minutes as this lets the flavours really develop. This lentil sauce can also be a base for shepherd's pie; or a curry — try adding a heaped teaspoon of curry powder at the start, and serving with rice.

Happy cooking! Jodie

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Bookshop News

Beginning on Monday 19 November, the book shop will be holding a half marked price sale. Books on offer will include titles by the Dalai Lama, beautiful works of scripture and small novelties such as 'Buddhism for Sheep', all of which which make excellent gifts. Everyone is welcome to come and browse the sale table and see what treasures are waiting to be discovered.

Two newly published books are now available at the shop. 'What Makes You Not a Buddhist' by Dzongsar Jamjong Khentse explores the theme that Buddhists are defined by the views they hold and abide by, rather than any formula of behaviour, appearance or lifestyle preferences. It is written in a very readable, almost racy style, and is recommended by our Chairman, Siladasa. 'Buddhism: Tools for Living Your Life by Vajragupta is a very valuable book for beginners, encompassing very clear explanations and activities and exercises to help develop your practice.

Our beautiful cards from Tibet are selling well. A large percentage of the sales goes to supporting the artists and their communities.

If you would like to order any Buddhist book or resource you can not see on the shelf, just let us know.

Send any news items or images you can offer to news@melbournebuddhistcentre.org by January 18th for inclusion in the next newsletter.

Don't forget to visit our website

Copyright Melbourne Buddhist Centre, 1 Pitt St, Brunswick, VIC 3056. November 2007

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