Buddhism in Tasmania
It is five AM on a cold morning in Hobart and, while most of us savour those last few hours in a warm bed, members of the Jin-Gang-Dhyana Buddhist group are gathering for the day's first prayer meeting. This is the beginning of a "24 hour a day" routine devoted to meditation and teaching for the members of the group which boasts an international fellowship of over three million and bases its world headquarters in Hobart.
Tasmania might seem an unlikely spot for the nerve centre of an International Buddhist Organization but Jin-Gang-Dhyana is just one of more than fifteen Buddhist groups operating in the State. With everything from Japanese Zen and Tibetan Buddhism to the solitary routines of Monks trained in the Thai Forest tradition, Tasmania Buddhist community is as diverse and energetic as any around the globe.
This once obscure and misunderstood Eastern religion has become a major force in Western culture and Tasmania is on the bandwagon: after Christianity, Buddhism now commands the largest following of any religion in the state.
Zabrina Hui, 18, left Hong Kong in 1990 on a pilgrimage to join the Jin-Gang-Dhyana group in Hobart." I think its all my life...24 hours a day," she said of the unique style of Chinese esoteric Buddhism practiced by the group." The basic principle is not to get angry and if you don't get angry you don't have anything to worry about.
The Jin-Gang-Dhyana group, which claims a legacy stretching back over one thousand years, uses martial arts, meditation, ritual and philosophical study in a quest for eternal happiness and global development. But co-operation between the world's major religions is also an important goal. "We need lots of different religions to work together in order to achieve solutions," Miss Hui said.
The same is true for different Buddhist groups operating in Tasmania. Jin-Gang-Dhyana recently offered hospitality to Buddhists from around the state during annual celebrations for Buddha's birthday. "We invited other Buddhist groups to come. Quite a number of Buddhists came together for that occasion, they were very happy," Elder Guru Vajra Yong Le said.
While the size and diversity of Tasmania's Buddhist community may only be noticeable on such occasions, widespread interest and growth continues behind the scenes. "The numbers are growing because many ethnic Buddhists are arriving in Tasmania," Venerable Santidhammo, of the Bhavana Buddhist Centre said. "But we find that an equal number of people coming to our events are locals."
Santidhammo trained for seven years in the Thai Forest Buddhist tradition before arriving in Tasmania last year. Between meditation and philosophical study he finds time to contribute to religious education programs run in Tasmanian schools and to talk with prisoners at Risdon jail.
"Buddha simply taught people to come to terms with the mess in their own minds," he said. "And that's what I'm doing in the prison, trying to get people to come to terms with the anger and frustration that got them there in the first place."
Like many Buddhists, Santidhammo believes that Western culture has lost its foundations. "People are growing up in a world without any standards," he said. "We are breeding lost generations and Buddhism offers something very special to overcome that."
"It's just the nature of the western world, with the information superhighway, stress, modern cities; the whole world is rapidly changing and people are looking for ways to manage that and Buddhism is the prime one."
Buddhism continues to have a powerful influence in western popular culture, boosted by support from high-profile followers such as Richard Gere, Tina Turner and the Dalai Lama. "The growth is inevitable because of that," Santidhammo said.
Groups such as Jin-Gang-Dhyana and the Bhavana Buddhist centre hope to include Tasmania in this global trend by offering support to local and international Buddhists alike. "It will be a slow process. A lot of people learn about meditation first and then about the teachings of the Buddha. But there will be more ethnic Buddhists coming and because it's now high profile then probably the growth rate will increase," Santidhammo said.
The University of Tasmania Philosophy Department has also played an active role in supporting the development of Buddhist ideas and communities in Tasmania. An exchange program, which allows Tasmanian students to study Buddhist philosophy in India and supports two Tibetan teachers in Hobart, has provided a unique opportunity to build connections and stimulate public interest.
"Buddhism is one of the few religions that is increasing around the world ... and we're the only university to have that kind of exchange program," Professor Jeff Malpas said. "There's an enormous amount of interest out there. When we have lectures or events that involve Buddhist topics we have no trouble getting audiences."
As long as dissatisfaction with the modern Western lifestyle continues, Buddhism will attract bigger and bigger crowds all around the globe. And, as the abundance of different groups around Tasmania demonstrates, it can be adapted in many ways, to many different personalities. With diversity and growth persisting, the future looks bright for Tasmania Buddhist community.
