FABC News

Religious bodies should not be allowed to discriminate

Under anti-discrimination law in Australia it is illegal to discriminate on grounds such as gender, sexuality, or belief. However, most states specifically exempt religious organizations from such anti-discrimination laws. For example, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Equal Rights Commission website states:

Religious institutions controlled or run by a body established for religious purposes (e.g. a catholic seminary, Jewish rabbinical school, or Buddhist monastery) may discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic when employing people, provided that discrimination is necessary to conform with religious beliefs or sensitivities. This covers schools run by religious bodies.

The Australian Sangha Association (ASA) and the Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils (FABC)  is strongly opposed to such religious exemptions from anti-discrimination legislation in Australia. While the rest of Australian society is expected to follow basic principles of fairness and equity, religious organizations may continue to enforce archaic, unjust forms of discrimination on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, or belief.

Such exemptions are opposed to Buddhist principles, as they cause harm to those who are discriminated against, those who discriminate, and the moral fabric of Australian society. Religious organizations are perpetuating divisions and suspicion, when they should be leading the way in creating a fairer, more loving and compassionate community.

The current exemptions, which grant free licence to religious organizations to discriminate, were created by Australia’s strong religious right lobby. It is curious that the Victorian website quoted above gives the example of a Buddhist monastery as an organization that may discriminate, when the Buddhist community has never supported such discrimination.

The ASA and FABC calls for all general exemptions for religious bodies to be repealed. Religious organizations, like anyone else, should be able to request permission to discriminate in certain circumstances, but only when they can prove that such discrimination is necessary or beneficial.

Vandalism and arson of Buddhist temples in Korea

by Emi hayakawa, BTN, Nov 6, 2012

Seoul, South Korea -- Vandalism and arson of Buddhist temples and treasures, and important cultural properties relating to Buddhism by the Korean Christian and Protestant communities continue. Although many legislative laws have changed to protect cultural properties and national treasure after the tragic arson of the Namdaemun gate, national treasure No.1, vandalism to Buddhist temples and Buddhist treasures continue in Korea.

On October 4th, 2012, an arson tried to burn down the Gakhwangjeon Hall of Hwaomsa Temple in Gurye County, Korea. Fortunately, the fire only made a small damage to the gate of the hall due to quick actions of the monks and the fire prevention restoration made in 2008. On the CCTV, the video captured a man pouring a flammable substance across the hall, and according to witnesses they smelt a very arsenic substance coming from the hall before the man threw in a match to burn down the Gakhwangjeon Hall.

Read more …

Sapling of World's Oldest Tree planted in WA Nuns Monastery

On Sunday 25th November 2012 a sapling of the oldest recorded tree in history from Sri Lanka was planted at the Dhammasara nun's monastery in Gidgeganup. This tree is called the Sri Maha Bodhi tree and was planted in 288 BC during the reign of India's King Asoka. This branch of the Bodhi tree was sent south to Sri Lanka as part of the King's effort to spread the Buddha Dhamma far and wide for the benefit of all sentient beings.

The Buddha gained full awakening approximately 2,500 years ago under the original Bodhi tree in India. After gaining the full awakening experience the Buddha remained under the tree for seven weeks to contemplate the finer points of reality (Dhammas).

It is said the Buddha gestured his appreciation to the Bodhi tree, and indeed to all of nature, by touching the earth below his feet as witness to his great achievement. The Bodhi tree (which is similar to the banyan tree of the ficus family) has since that time been respected by Buddhists around the world. The Bodhi tree is recognizable by its heart-shaped leaves, which is a popular Buddhist symbol.

The sapling that was planted at Dhammasara was a gift from the oldest Buddhist monastery in Sri Lanka which was formed in the same year 288 BC. And now in 2012 a sapling from that tree has been sent further south all the way to Australia as a special gift from the people of Sri Lanka to Australians.

A gathering of senior Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka and Australia officiated the planting of the Bodhi tree. This was great significance also because it showed the support by the Sri Lankan Buddhist community of the re-establishment the order of Theravadan nuns in WA in 2008. (The Buddha is the first religious teacher in history to have established a female clergy, but the order of Theravadan branch of nuns died off some centuries after Buddhism died out in India.).

To see photos of this event please click here.

Letter to Bangladeshi FM

Buddhist Minorities attacked in Bangladesh

The FABC has written a letter (see below) to the Foreign Minister of Bangaldesh Dr Dipu Moni on 14th Oct 2012 with our concerns over the attacks on Buddhist minorities that occured in late Sep 2012.

This news article taken from the Bangledeshi New Age newspaper which quotes the Bangladesh Foreign Minister:

Foreign minister Dipu Moni on Thursday said it was clear from preliminary evidence that the attacks on the Buddhist places of worship and homesteads were carried in a planned manner in Ramu on September 29.  Briefing members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of the UN and other international organisations at the foreign ministry on the Ramu violence, she said certain vested groups and individuals were instrumental in the riots.

Read more …

High Country Interfaith Live-in Weekend 2012

The FABC is happy to assist in publicising this inter-faith event:

The first High Country Interfaith Live-in Weekend offers an opportunity for guests from diverse cultural and faith communities to live together in harmony, to become familiar with the life style, family values, dietary requirements and dress codes of each other. Sharing meals, observing prayer times and practiced values will enable the participants to draw common denominators and to accept and respect the differences, what is the basis of harmonious co-existence. . It is also a valuable experience to be able to live under the same roof and share with the speakers of the Symposium, who are respected leaders of represented communities. After event, these insights will be shared with the members of represented communities, enhancing the understanding of each other’s reasons of living the way one lives and the respect of those reasons.

Read more …

Australian Association of Buddhist Counsellers and Psychotherapists Conference

BEING WITH DYING with keynote speaker Roshi Joan Halifax

AABCAP's 6th Annual Conference 'BEING WITH DYING' will be held in Sydney over the 15th and 16th of September 2012 - online early bird bookings available NOW... Venue: State Library of NSW, Macquarie St., Sydney

More info and online registrations here

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