The Kuanyin statue at Nan Hai Pu Tuo Buddhist temple and retreat in South Australia. From tectvs.com
At the end of 2013 I returned to Australia from China, where I spent five years as a Buddhist monk. On my return I found that the religious landscape in Australia had changed significantly during my absence. The country just had another census, so we’re eagerly awaiting the results, which we expect will show another shift in the sands of the religious scene.
Australia has traditionally been a predominantly Christian country, but this is changing. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of people reporting no Christian faith rose from 36.1 percent of the population in 2006 to 38.9 percent in 2011. Observers expect that number to rise even more in the most recent census .
The number of people who say they have “no religion” has also risen significantly, from 18.7 percent of the population in 2006 to 22.3 percent in 2011. Experts expect this to increase further by 2016, when Possibly a quarter of our society has no religion indicating affiliation.
The most prevalent non-Christian religions in 2011 were Buddhism (with 2.5 percent of the population), Islam (2.2 percent) and Hinduism (1.3 percent). Of these, Hinduism experienced the fastest growth since 2006, rising from 148,130 to 275,534, followed by Islam from 340,394 to 476,291 and Buddhism from 418,749 to 528,977.
So it seems that Buddhism is thriving among Australians. What these numbers don’t tell us, however, is how ethnic backgrounds are reflected in the number of followers. Australia is seeing a dramatic increase in immigration from Asia, including India, and the Middle East.
Although Buddhism is growing, the growth appears to be only in proportion to migration and not to Australians’ desire to engage in a new spirituality. The current challenge to Buddhism is its ability to influence the younger generation, who seem increasingly alienated from their parents’ religion. Making Buddhism appealing to this fast-moving, tech-savvy generation is a major challenge and it is in this context that I have returned to Australia.
My monastic training took place in a small rural mountain temple in mainland China. Westerners like to clearly define Buddhism and divide it into different schools – Pure Land, Chan (Zen), Tientai and so on. The reality in China is that the differences are often harder to spot; My temple predominantly practiced a Pure Land approach with a strong influence of esoteric practices.
With the exception of Zen, which is practiced more in its Japanese form, Chinese Buddhism has not attracted a wide audience among Anglo-Australians. This is partly due to the cultural traditions of Chinese Buddhism and partly due to the practices and teachings. Tibetan Buddhism may have attracted a larger Anglo-Australian audience through the popularity of the Dalai Lama. Most Australians prefer meditation, while the more widespread Pure Land Buddhism emphasizes the recitation of the Buddha name and walking meditation in the form of walking chants.
A young Australian woman told me how she visited a Chinese temple in Sydney hoping to learn about Buddhism and meditation. When she arrived, she found a large group of practitioners dressed in brown exercise robes engaged in walking chant meditation. She was not allowed to participate as she had no robe. When she asked how she could get one, she was advised to take a Dharma class. She further inquired about Dharma courses, but was informed that they would only be held in Chinese. Needless to say, she left disappointed. I am telling this and a few other anecdotes not to make blame, but simply to illustrate the current challenges facing Buddhism in Australia.
A man who attended one of my meditation retreats in Australia was trying to find out where Pure Land teachings were being conducted in Sydney only to find websites mostly in Chinese.
Another person described attending a morning meditation group at a Sydney temple. She was initially pleased that the classes were held in English. After the meditation, the practitioners were invited to lunch together. As she left the meditation hall, she desperately wanted to introduce herself to another participant, but was told that talking was not allowed. At lunch she tried again to communicate, but she was not allowed to do that either. She had never used chopsticks but when she asked for a fork she was whispered that forks were instruments of violence and that she had to use chopsticks! She felt isolated and left out, and of course she was.
While practicing Buddhists understand the rules of silence in a temple, most newcomers need a slow dip rather than a sudden dip in cold water. The rigidity between chopsticks and forks still confuses me. This person did not return as she was seeking a Buddhist community with a sense of belonging and “true spirituality” (her words).
These are just three of many similar stories I’ve been told.
Pure Land Buddhism is for the world, not just for one group. Buddhism was one of the first missionary religions in the world; Not once did the first Indian monks impose a set of cultural values on new researchers, rather Buddhism interacted with local cultures and experienced emergence. Chan emerged from Mahayana and Taoism in China. In fact, Buddhism can be considered the most widespread religion, and all without losing an ounce of its essence.
The challenges that Chinese Buddhism – and Pure Land Buddhism in particular – face in Western societies are not in teaching old ways in a new setting, but in asking new questions. We don’t listen and don’t ask the deeper questions of how Buddhism can emerge in new cultural settings.
A former and recovered drug addict who attributed his recovery to a combination of Buddha name recitation, meditation and the Dharma took me to a temple in Melbourne. As we entered, we encountered a beautiful statue of Maitreya Buddha, showing a big happy grin and open arms. When Steve (not his real name) saw the statue, he spread his own arms and let out a loud and ebullient “Yes!” Devotees turned in shock, followed by an awkward silence. But Steve’s actions were correct. Acknowledging the true joy and truth that the statue reflected in a way that was meaningful to him, he expressed a deep “yes” to the teachings. I must admit that I almost burst out to give Maitreya Buddha a high five, but managed to hold myself back for fear that we would be kicked out.
Pure Land Chinese Buddhism is practiced in Australia primarily by followers of Master Chin Kung’s guidance through the Amitabha Buddhist Association of Australia. Master Chin Kung has done some groundbreaking work to spread the joy of Amitabha Buddha with a plethora of English translations of his teachings. Central to Master Chin Kung’s teachings is that Buddhism is not a religion but an education – an education for life. This concept fits well and comfortably with a western audience. I remember Master Chin Kung speaking at a Pure Land gathering in the United States a few years ago, where he remarked that he had noticed that Buddhism had not yet come to America. Silence and head-scratching from the audience as he continued, “Because I notice that all your statues have Asian eyes!” We can chuckle at that remark, but it’s true. We can see the transformation in statues from the early Buddhist period in China dressed in what appeared to be Indian clothing, only to later adopt Chinese culture when the statues became distinctly “Chinese”. This emergence may take time, but it is nonetheless an emergence that we must embrace and cultivate if the wonderful teachings of Buddhism are to grow.
My work in Australia has been that of a translator of concepts into an Anglo-Australian environment and a bridge builder across the cultural divide. As a psychotherapist, I see much of valuable value in the Pure Land Sutras to help us heal and engage in the development of a higher, compassionate mindset. Mindfulness and yoga are central to many Australians looking for a different lifestyle. Pure Land has a lot to offer.
In the Contemplation Sutra (the Amitayur-dhyana Sutra) dealing with the imprisonment of King Bimbisara, the text says: “Though he was imprisoned, his mind was free and undisturbed.” This verse is a powerful prologue to it how Pure Land practice can have a significant impact on the mind. With one in four Australians taking medication for anxiety and depression, it’s comforting to think that a free and clear mind is the result of tested faith. The Contemplation Sutra also speaks of concentration of the mind, which is a direct link to mindfulness. The chanting of the Buddha name has a neurological basis in the concept of cognitive ease. Cognitive ease arises from the repetitive nature of the mantra of the Buddha’s name, making the mind comfortable with the concept involved in the recitation. In my work as a psychotherapist, I have seen remarkable results in people with anxiety disorders.
Finally, the concept of the sangha is vital to both collective and individual well-being, and again it is an area where Pure Land Buddhism has much to offer. Pure land is relational. It focuses on a faith relationship with Amitabha Buddha by creating a unifying belonging. One of the greatest ailments of our modern and corporate world is an ever-increasing sense of isolation and dehumanization. Unfortunately, Buddhism in the west has de-emphasised the sangha, placing the place on individual meditation and mindfulness as a path to salvation and spiritual well-being. This is a serious mistake. Only belonging and connections can heal a lonely, disenfranchised spirit.
How can Pure Land Buddhists, both Asian and Western, unite and ask the deeper questions? How can we promote an inclusive Buddhism, a Buddhism that offers living and practical life skills and education? How can we inspire our younger generation to the possibilities of a new and meaningful vision? These are some of the questions we need to ask. We can no longer afford to remain rigid on cultural issues. Neither chopsticks nor forks will heal mankind. We need to achieve bridge builder and translator mentalities; don’t be afraid to show up. I can assure you that the only constant is change; The question is, what change do we want to see? When we embrace change, we bring new life to a timeless teaching and can transform our world. Namo Amituofo.
Back to Tradition and Innovation: Chinese Buddhism Beyond Asia Special Edition 2016
