Draft newsletter Feb 2009 - Territory Stories: Home · NEWSLETTER The Buddhist Society of the NT...

NEWSLETTER The Buddhist Society of the NT February 2009 1

NEWSLETTER

The Buddhist Society of the NT February 2009 Volume 17 (1)

IS YOUR MEMBERSHIP CURRENT?

www.ntbuddhist.org.au

International Buddhist Centre Postal Address:

37 Parkside Crescent PO Box 40755

LEANYER NT 0812 CASUARINA NT 0811

(08) 8945 3028

NEWSLETTER The Buddhist Society of the NT February 2009

Vale… Upali Ranasinghe 1931 - 2009

The BSNT extends its condolences to Shreeni and

the family and friends of Mr Upali Ranasinghe

who passed away on 12th

January in Darwin.

Upali was a key figure in the establishment of the

BSNT and as a community we continue to be the

beneficiaries of his and his companions’

generosity.

Venerable Dhammika, a good friend of Upali and

another long time supporter of BSNT, came from

Singapore to assist the family at this time.

A memorial service was held on 15th

January.

______________________________________________________________

Upali

(Eulogy presented at the memorial service by Mr Lalith Ramachandra)

I have known Upali since I was in my early 20ies, just after he and his family moved to

Katherine. And I’ve been a welcome friend into the Ranasinghe family ever since.

It is difficult to condense a man’s full life into five minutes but I would like to tell you how I

saw Upali through my eyes; the eyes of an impetuous young man who reluctantly became a

responsible adult.

I saw a man who loved his family more than anything in

the world. I saw a man who was proud of his family. I saw

a man who loved his wife dearly. I saw a man who loved

life and lived life to the fullest.

I saw a man who had the best interest of the

community at heart. I saw a man who tirelessly perused all

avenues to build the Buddhist temple. This was no mean

feat as the main water line ran under the building.

I saw how Upali and Shreeni worked at the temple every

evening cleaning or gardening just because it had to be

done.

I saw a man who understood the need within the

community for a crematorium and who single handedly

made it happen. Upali had the tenacity of an English

bulldog. He never gave up.


I saw an engineer who had earned the respect, sometimes grudgingly, of his peers. I know this

because I still meet people who had worked with Upali in Katherine and Darwin who speak

fondly of those days.

I saw a man who loved the outdoors. I remember the trips we did to Jim Jim falls in our four

wheel drives. They were fun. I saw a man who had a hunger for life that I’ve yet to see in

anyone else.

I saw a man who loved a good time. No party was complete without Upali. At the first baila

he was on the dance floor with Shreeni. I often wondered how Shreeni kept up the pace.

I now know why I remember these so clearly. It’s because I have been privileged to meet

someone whose zest for life was contagious. And I’m glad that I’ve been infected with his

bug.

Upali Ranasinghe

14 October 1931 – 12 January 2009 (from a chronology provided by Shreeni which has been uploaded in full on BSNT website)

Upali Ranasinghe who passed away

on 12 January 2009 was a very active

member of the Buddhist Society from

its foundation in 1983 until he became

ill in 2000. He was President or Vice-

President and Public Officer in all but

one year between 1984 and 1993,

during which time the Buddhist Centre

and its first buildings were established.

Born in Sri Lanka, Upali studied Civil

Engineering in Sri Lanka and the UK.

In 1972 he was appointed Municipal

Engineer in Colombo, then in 1976 he

moved to Fiji to work as Senior

Engineer with Suva City Council.

Upali’s first position in Australia was

in Katherine in 1980 as Engineer,

Roads with the NT Dept of Transport

and Works. He was soon promoted

and moved to Darwin in 1981.

His qualifications and experience as an

engineer were invaluable in the early

years of the Buddhist Society when the

NT Government granted the land and

the first buildings were erected. Upali

was Chairman of the Building

Committee and Project Manager for

the construction of the amenities

building.

On behalf of the Buddhist Society,

Upali successfully lobbied the NT

Government for the construction of a

crematorium in Darwin. His

community involvement was far wider

than the Society. At various times he

was an active member or office holder

in the United Nations Association of

the NT, the Sri Lanka-Australia

Friendship Association, The Diabetes

Association, the Multilingual

Broadcasting Association of NT

(where he won an award for the

program he presented). He was also at

times a member of the Police Ethnic

Advisory Group, a Justice of the Peace

and Honorary Consul for Sri Lanka in

the NT.

These are remarkable achievements in

the space of twenty years, made

possible by the love and support of

Shreeni. They married in 1956 and

raised a family of four: Kumudini,

Dheepthi, Darshaka and Anusha.

Shreeni joined Upali in many of his

activities also working tirelessly for

the Buddhist Society. These are

Upali’s achievements.


Welcome to Larrakia Country

The official program for BSNT food fairs usually includes a ‘Welcome to Country’ given by a

Larrakia person, representing the traditional custodians of the land on which Darwin has been

established. Its sometimes difficult to take in what’s being said in the hurly burly of the gathering and

so present here the text of the recent Welcome to Country provided by Ms Biliwara Lee, Larrakia

Elder and Indigenous Development Officer at Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin.

I would like to thank the organisers for

including the Larrakia Welcome in the

International Food Fare program and I

thank you for the respect you show us,

the traditional custodians of the land we

stand on today.

Aboriginal cultures are the oldest

continues surviving cultures on Earth.

We have a deep spiritual connection to

the land and while there are some

common values, different Aboriginal

groups live their culture and spirituality

through different languages, rituals and

ceremonies.

The Larrakia people are the traditional

custodians of the land and waters of the

greater Darwin region, including Darwin

Peninsula, the Cox Peninsula, most of

Gunn Point, rural Darwin, Darwin harbor

and adjacent Islands and land west of the

Howard River. There are approximately

2,000 Larrakia people living in the

Darwin region, made up of 8 major

family groups.

Many Larrakia people continue to

practice their culture as visual artists and

their works of art can be found in

galleries and homes locally, nationally

and internationally. Some families are

also involved with cultural tourism and

willingly share much of their Larrakia

culture with others. This includes spear

throwing, fire-lighting, making bush

string, traditional jewelry, bush foods

and they are happy to share their

knowledge of bush craft. They feel this is

their way to extend the hand of

friendship and reconciliation.

We have a strong cultural, economic and

spiritual relationship with the land and

sea, and although our boundaries extend

up to 50 km inland we are often referred

to as the Saltwater People.

(In the months since the Food Fair there has also been news that the Larrakia have finally reached

settlement on land claims which have been in process since first being lodged in 1979.)

__________________________________________________________________________

DONATIONS.... As well as fund-raising events, the BSNT relies strongly on the generosity of the community to

develop the Centre and its programs. You can donate to the BSNT by:

� Direct or periodic payments into WESTPAC ACC NO: 035 306 – 211 134

� Cash donations into Donation box at the Centre. BSNT is not able to offer tax deductibility


The BSNT Bodhi Tree (Episode 1….)

Compiled by Shreeni Ranasinghe 2008

The first meeting for the formation of a

Buddhist Society in Darwin was

convened by Sai Nyunt, of Burmese

origin and held at the Migrant resource

and Settlement Centre in Darwin City

on 3 March 1983. We did not have land

or a building then and made use of the

Centre and the Anula Primary School

Hall for our meetings, fund raising

events and celebrations. Ajahn Jagaro,

Abbott of the Bodhinyana Monastery in

WA officiated at our first Vesak

celebration, held at the Hall, by

courtesy of the Anula School.

Subsequently the NT Government

granted us the present land at 37

Parkside Crescent, Leanyer, and the

deeds were formally handed over on 15

November 1985. The members

undertook the serious task of raising

funds for the new Kuti or Monk’s

residence, by organising food fairs at

Dry season festivals and multicultural

dinners at the MRSC.

The Bodhi tree was a gift from Ven.

Phra Khantipalo (now Laurence Mills)

as he tells in the letter below.

Khantipalo was one of the earliest

Buddhist teachers to visit Darwin, and I

remember one of his Dhamma talks on

the still unbuilt site, sitting under an

existing tree, when he spoke about

Buddhism and its close connection with

trees. Prince Siddhartha was born to

Queen Mahamaya under a tree, His first

Jhana was under a Rose Apple Tree, he

attained Enlightenment under a Ficus

Religiosa, which is now called a Bodhi

tree by Buddhists, and he passed into

Parinirvana between two Sal trees.

Again when his closest disciple Ananda

asked him what his followers should

remember him by, when he was no

longer present, he pointed to the Bodhi

tree and said that it was the symbol he

would like to represent his Teaching,

the Dhamma.

Below is an excerpt from an email sent

by the then Phra Khantipalo of Wat

Buddha Dhamma, NSW, in reply to my

request for confirmation of the origin of

our Bodhi tree in Darwin:-

“Dear Shreeni,

I am replying to you via Nancy’s

computer. Yes, it is true that I gave the

Bodhi Tree to your Buddhist Society.

The seed for this and other trees (such

as the one at Wat Buddha Dhamma),

was given to me by a lady of Chinese

origin who had with her family lived for

many years in what was then Burma.

After moving to Australia she decided

as she was advancing in years to go on

pilgrimage to India. There, under the

Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya she collected

the small ‘figs’ enclosing the tiny seeds.

When she returned she showed me this

seed (quite illegally imported into

Australia!!) and I asked her to give me

some. At that time I lived at Wat

Buddha Dhamma and I remember that

it was the height of the summer. As I

have a love of gardens and growing

things I reduced some old Sydney bricks

to near powder and upon this sowed the

seeds in a large pot. I placed them on a

sunny window-sill with a sheet of glass

to keep them moist. They germinated in

hundred and thousands! As Buddhist


societies and groups with their own

land were rare in those days my only

problem was where to send them. One

was sent to you in Darwin where I

gather it has grown very well. Another

has done well in Cairns. So I can

assure you that this seed originated

under the present Bodhi Tree at Bodh

Gaya…

With my best wishes,

Laurence Khantipalo”

The Baby Tree was planted on 24 May

1986, with all due honours by Mrs Joan

Johnston, wife of the Administrator of

the Northern Territory, Commodore

Eric Johnston, who was the first Patron

of the BSNT. Ven Chao Khun

Suvirayan, of the Stanmore Thai temple

in Sydney, was invited by the BSNT to

officiate at the Ceremony, with

Chanting of Parittha and Blessings in

Pali and English.

In the early days we did not have a

fence round the site, and vandals on

bicycles had ridden in and broken off

stems of the young sapling. Two of

these stems were taken home by

Somsong and Trevor Albert and

lovingly tended, to be planted out later

to become the other two Bodhi Trees at

the Site. Prasad Senaratna later

replanted the main Bodhi tree in a

larger excavation, with more garden

soil.

*Scanned photos on courtesy of Upali and

Darshaka Ranasinghe


Venerable Chao Khun Suvirayan and Commodore Johnston, (then)

Administrator of NT & patron of BSNT 1986

___________________________________________________________________________

Mind

Whatever an enemy might do

to an enemy,

or a foe to a foe,

the ill-directed mind

can do to you

even worse.

Whatever a mother, father

or other kinsman

might do for you,

the well-directed mind

can do for you

even better.

(From The Dhammapada: The Buddha's Path of Wisdom, translated from the Pali by Acharya

Buddharakkhita,; this translation by Thanissaro Bikkhu 1997 (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1985).

_____________________________________________________________________________

From the Committee........... Acting Spiritual Advisor

Ven U Pyinnyawara has taken over this

role for the period February to May.

Sangha travels

Geshe Tenzin has returned for a 3 month

stay at Sera Mey monastery in South

India. This is Geshe-la’s ‘home

monastery’ where he was based before

he came to Darwin in 1997. He will

return to Darwin in late April. Ven Tri

Dinh has returned after a lengthy stay in

Melbourne and Geshe Kunkhen has

returned to India for 5 weeks to visit his

family and celebrate Tibetan New Year


with them in Delhi. Geshe Kunkhen

will be back in Darwin on March 16th

.

Venerable U Pyinnyawara had a short

break in Sydney after Christmas.

Facilities grant (2007/08)

The facilities grant (2007/08) works

are almost completed. Pathways have

been laid however the cost of making

them fully covered was more than was

left in the grant (primarily because the

structures needed to be covered by

permits and certification processes).

The committee therefore has decided

to re-direct the money to paint the

inside of the Sala including the

library/office and the outside metal

framework. On the weekend of 14th

February an energetic crew assembled

to clear the Sala of furniture, clear

walls and empty the mezzanine

storage spaces in the library. This also

gives the community an opportunity to

consider what to do with items that are

no longer in good condition, or have

been damaged in some way. The

committee would appreciate hearing

from those who know the history of

pictures, paintings or other items.

The final task to be completed under

that grant is the installation of new

(cork) notice boards and whiteboards.

This facilities grant is now being

audited as part of the acquittal

process. BSNT will not receive further

grant money until this process is

complete. Community members

who would like a more detailed

rundown on all that has been achieved

under this grant are invited to contact

the President or the Treasurer.

Painting the Sala well underway……………

A thorough ‘spring clean’ needed!


ABOUT THE BUDDHIST SOCIETY OF THE NT

The Buddhist Society of the Northern Territory was

founded in 1983 by members of the Darwin Buddhist

community. Our aim is to provide for the spiritual

needs of Northern Territory Buddhists, providing a

place where people may come to learn about

Buddhism, meditate or simply enjoy the peace and

tranquility of a unique and special place.

To fulfill this aim, the Society :

∗ facilitates and promotes the cultural and religious

activities of Buddhist communities of the

Northern Territory;

∗ promotes the Buddhist traditions of living in

peace and harmony with all beings;

∗ welcomes new members, educates members and

the general community, and assists them in their

religious and spiritual needs;

∗ pursues these objectives without discriminating

on the grounds of ethnicity, culture, nationality or

Buddhist tradition or sect;

∗ provides facilities for the achievement of the

above purposes; and

∗ establishes and supports residential facilities for

the Sangha, and takes responsibility for their

welfare.

CONTACTS ______________________________________ A/SPIRITUAL ADVISOR

Ven U Pyinnyawara ASSOCIATE ADVISOR

Geshe Thupten Kunkhen RESIDENT SANGHA

Ven. Tri Dinh

Geshe Thupten Tenzin

2008/09 Committee President: Surya Silva (8985 4596) Vice President: Robin Clark

Treasurer: Bac Lam

Secretary: Carolyn Pearce

Public Officer: Robin Clark

Committee members: George Tint

Rachel Cohen

Thuy Thai

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES _________________________________________

Monday

6:00 pm Osan Martial Arts (8945 3416)

7:30-9 pm Meditation - Therevada (8945 3028)

Tuesday

7:30 pm Meditation – Introductory*

7:30 pm Library Open

Wednesday

6:00 pm Osan Martial Arts (8945 3416)

7:30 pm Zen* please phone 8985 3781beforehand

8:00 pm Tai Chi class (8945 4825)

Thursday

7:30 pm Meditation & Dharma* (Tibetan

tradition - 8945 3028)

Friday

6:30 pm Osan Martial Arts

Saturday

10:00 am Chanting (Vietnamese)

7:00 pm Chanting (Mandarin)

Sunday

8:00 am Tai Chi Class (8945 4825)

9:00 am Dharma Class for children * English language


NEWSLETTER February 2009

Buddhist Society of the NT Inc.

PO Box 40755

CASUARINA NT 0811

Printed Publication Number

PP545393/00026

POSTAGE

PAID

AUSTRALIA

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