Peaceful Live in China- BUDDHISM 佛教
Chinese Buddhism has played an enormous role in shaping the mindset of the Chinese people, affecting their aesthetics, politics, literature, philosophy and medicine.[1]
Definition of Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion, originated in India by Buddha and later spreading to China, Burma, Japan, Tibet, and parts of southeast Asia, holding that life is full of suffering caused by desire and that the way to end this suffering is through enlightenment that enables one to halt the endless sequence of births and deaths to which one is otherwise subject. [2]
The Religion Creator- Buddha
Buddha was born Siddhartha Gautama, a prince of the Sakya trible of Nepal. In approximately 566 BC (Before Christ) when Buddha was 20, he left the comforts of his home to seek the meaning of the suffering he saw around him. When Buddha was 35, he abandoned the way of self-mortification and instead sat in mindful meditation beneath a bodhi tree (ficus religiosa or bo tree). The Buddha wandered the plains of northeastern India for 45 years more, teaching the path or Dharam he had realized in that moment, which is no desier, no pain. In approximately 486 BC, at the age of 80, the Buddha died. [3]
Basic Spiritual of Buddhism
Three major Fundamental Worry
Arrogance- having exaggerated self-opinion; Envy- jealousy; Greed- overwhelming desire for more.
“In the heavens above and (earth) beneath I alone am the honoured one.”[4]
1）every human being has his own spirit in the universe, everyone belongs to his own, determine his own destiny, without having to take orders from any person or the god;
2）No pain, no gain. Buddhism is a kind of education that educated people how to plant, people have to do the process by their own.
True Equality. [5]
Buddha stands taking humanity heart to all creation. Buddha stands being kindness and loving people who not only are your own families and relations, but also people who you don’t know about.
Everyone can be educated. Buddha believe in we are all normal people, if he could study, then anyone can study as he did.
Human natures are good. People made mistakes because nobody taught them how to be right. We lost our pure heart during the time we became adults.
Buddha didn’t create truth. Truth exist on its own. Buddha is the person who discover and spread the truth.
Harmony. Buddhism believes in all religions in the worldwide should respect each other. Because the truth they are spreading do not have borders or time limits. People use their minds to decide on their own that what they want to learn and which one they want to learn.
Pure Land Learning College
Located in Toowoomba, Australia, the Pure Land Learning College Association was founded in 2001 by Venerable Master Chin Kung.
The goal of the college is twofold: to provide a good learning environment for the students who aspire to learn and practice Pure Land Buddhism and the teachings of the sages, and to train and nurture successors to continue the propagation of Buddhism.
To accomplish this, the college first emphasizes the foundation studies of Changing Destiny, Guidelines for Being a Good Person, Accounts of Request and Response, the Ten Virtuous Karmas Sutra, and Precepts for Novice Monks.
These texts are the foundation in the study of morality, ethics, causality, wisdom, and science.
Building on this foundation, students will progress to advanced studies in the five Pure Land sutras and one treatise. [6]
How and Why they found the Pure Land Learning college
1. In the recent era, Buddhism has declined. This is primarily caused by the lack of Dharma lecturers and practitioners, and by not having enough qualified Dharma protectors. Thus, all Buddhists wish for talented and educated people who are trained in the teachings, and to have a true cultivation centre. This has been a long-held wish of Master Chin Kung as well.
2. Master Chin Kung is grateful to the Queensland government for approving the Pure Land Learning College Association, Inc. (PLLC) to be established as a college thus fulfilling his long-held wish to establish a centre to train future Buddhist lecturers. The Buddhist students are very grateful for the kindness of the Queensland government, and wish happiness and prosperity for all Australian leaders. We are in the initial stage of establishing the college.
3. Concerned about the need for trained educators in other Buddhist Schools as well, the PLLCA will not only train Pure Land propagators, but hopefully, also those of Theravada Buddhism, as well as the other Mahayana schools of Zen, Lotus, Flower Adornment, Three-Discourses, Mind Only, Precepts, Esoteric, and Agama. There will also be a program on Buddhist Learning Centre Administration to train Dharma protectors. In the future, when the students of the different schools have attained an acceptable level of cultivation and understanding in their specialized school, the college will become a university with ten individual schools. This will then become an excellent “Buddhist Teachers’ University” that will nurture future Dharma propagators, teachers, and administrative personnel.
4. The nine-year curriculum will include a two-year preliminary program, which will be compulsory for all students; a three-year major-specific program, which will focus on one’s specialized school and sutra; and a four-year graduate program on Multiculturalism. The study content for the courses will be based on the Buddhist Canon and reference materials will be the commentaries of ancient patriarchs. This will be a true Buddhist college because no other courses will be offered. The university educational system will combine the structure of today’s western educational system with the spirit of the traditional Chinese Buddhist educational system. The student’s understanding and practice must complement each other, and will be equally important. They must be virtuous in their conduct and diligent in their learning. All students in the college must cultivate understanding by spending eight hours a day on study and practice what has been learned in an additional eight hours of cultivation. Students may choose to cultivate in either the Chanting Hall or the Meditation Hall.
5. Students will not be recruited. Those who attend the college must have recommendations from Buddhist centres or organizations, which will vouch for the student’s character and take responsibility for the students they send here for strict training.
6. Living expenses for the students will be underwritten by the recommending centre, which may find a few laypeople to help support the students. At the end of each semester, students must send their semester results to the sponsoring organization. During the semester break, students will return to the sponsoring centre and exhibit their progress by giving lectures. This will provide the opportunity for the sponsors to also judge their progress. When their training is completed, students may return to their centres to develop multicultural and Buddhist teachings for the benefit of all beings.
7. The objective of the educational program is to train future propagators, protectors, and administrative personnel for the benefit of all people. This is the message to all Buddhist organizations. It is hoped that through concentrated study and practice that the students will accomplish their goals within nine years.
8. Full-time personnel will be responsible for all the administrative matters and routine work of the college. For other work such as general cleaning, kitchen duties, laundry, and daily chores, the college will employ local people. The benefits and salary of their locally hired personnel will be comparable to the motel industry in Toowoomba. The PLLC hopes to contribute to the local community by creating job opportunities for the local people.
9. With administration and daily chores given up to others, the students will then be able to focus singlemindedly on their studies and practice. Thus, the level of the student’s virtuous conduct, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and abilities as Dharma propagators will be elevated.
Master Chin Kung sincerely hopes that the implementation of the above nine points will help foster happiness and peace for all, and that the college will fulfil the goal of propagating the Buddha’s teachings to benefit all beings and to continue to pass on the Buddha’s wisdom to enlighten all beings. This is the way of repaying the kindness of others. [7]