Messages from Australia
Buddhacare
Office1: 2C Lancelot Street Punchbowl NSW 2196 Australia
Office 2: 5 Hercules Street Turramarine Victoria 3046 Australia
Postal address: PO Box 3041 Bankstown NSW 2200 Australia
Telephone: 61 3 9310 5120 – 61 417422171 – 61 432372607
Fax: 61 3 93105127 – 61 2 97931885
Email: hd.bcare@gmail.com buddhacaremelb@gmail.com
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From Vincent Cavuoto and Henry Dang, J.P, Australia
It is with great pleasure that Buddhacare extends its heartfelt greetings and congratulations to the Organising Committee of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2014, the International Council of the UN Day of Vesak and the National Vietnam Sangha as well as to all those attending this holy auspicious international Buddhist event.
As a lay Buddhist organisation, Buddhacare is committed to the ideal of Engaged Buddhism in order to address contemporary issues in today’s changing modern society.
In the contemporary world there is a great need for the appropriate practice and appreciation of the Buddha’s teachings in a refined and modernised way which enables us all – Buddhists and non-Buddhists - to live comfortably a meaningful life with greater peace, wisdom, compassion and sustainable development in harmony with all sentient beings of this earth.
At a time when people and governments confront the threat of climate change, the degradation of our environment and the difference and conflict of national interests, Vesak Day is a reminder to us all, especially the political leaders, that the Buddha’s teachings which remain as vital today as they have ever been can guide and give meaning to a best possible solution to these vital challenging issues. This holy Vesak Day also reminds us all of our responsibility to our fellow beings and our earthly home along with our duty to take care of and enlighten our own Buddha.
Buddhacare wishes you all the best success for this year’s Vesak celebrations and conference and looks forward to being an active contributor and participant to future celebrations.
Vincent Cavuoto Henry Dang, J.P
Vice-President and CEO President
7 Lichfield St, Victoria Park Western Australia 6100
Telephone/Fax: 61-8-9470 1251
Email: thienvientuecan@yahoo.com
ABN 46669009655
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From Luba Kambourakis, Australia
Respected Most Ven. Thich Thanh Nhieu,
Thien Tu Tue Can (also known as Sunyata Community and Meditation Centre Inc.) was established in 2000 and is the only nunnery in Western Australia that practices Vietnamese meditation. Our abbess, Ven. Hue Can, also runs regular Dharma talks and visits inmates in Western Australian prisons, demonstrating how the practice of Vietnamese Buddhist meditation can contribute to both physical and mental wellbeing.
Sunyata Community and Meditation Centre Inc. is pleased to accept your invitation for Ven. Hue Can to attend the 11th Anniversary Celebration and International Conference of United Nations Day of Vesak 2014 as a delegate. Confirmation has already been sent.
We wish to congratulate you and the National Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (NVBS) for hosting this auspicious event and thank you for taking on such a huge responsibility in organising and looking after delegates from all over the world.
It will be a great honour for Ven. Hue Can to attend and we hope that the celebrations and conference are a great success and significantly contribute to the body of knowledge about Buddhist practice.
With metta
Luba Kambourakis
Secretary
18th of March, 2014
180 Berkeley Road Berkeley NSW 2506 Australia
Tel: +61 (2) 4272 0648 Website: www.nantien.edu.au
PO Box 1336 Unanderra NSW 2526 Australia
Fax: +61 (2) 4271 7862 Email: info@nantien.edu.au
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From Venerable Abbess Man Ko, Australia
Vesak is the most important celebration of the year on the Buddhist calendar. Nan Tien Temple (the largest Buddhist Temple in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere and part of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order) and Nan Tien Institute (NTI), Australia’s first accredited tertiary institution grounded in Buddhist values and wisdom, hope that during this celebration of Vesak, the Buddha’s light will shine on the world, bringing prosperity, compassion, joy, universal peace and harmony.
Nan Tien Temple hosts a celebratory event in most of the capital cities around Australia each year to share the timelessness and universality of Buddha’s teachings. Brisbane’s Buddha Birth Day Festival is one of Queensland’s most prestigious cultural events, now recognised as the largest annual Buddhist Birth Day / Vesak Festival in Australia.
NTI is a secular university-level Institute, providing a unique and innovative range of courses designed to educate non-Buddhists, and the world’s growing Buddhist community. It caters to those interested in subjects that are connected to Buddhist values and culture, and those whose careers link them with Buddhist philosophy, culture, practices and international relations, as well as all who look for sustainable practice in their lives . NTI continues to develop courses that impart practical and functional knowledge to apply Buddhist wisdom in the community.
Nan Tien Institute (NTI) was founded by Grand Master Hsing Yun as part of his objective: “to foster talent through education”. Throughout 40 years, the founder of Fo Guang Shan (FGS) has founded an international university consortium and sixteen Buddhist Colleges around the world. The primary aim of these is to share the wisdom of Buddhism and to create a holistic and well-informed society. Australia is a country that fosters and respects cultural diversity, similarly in spirit of the Buddha’s teachings of equality and peace.
We congratulate all who organised and joined in the 2014 Vesak celebrations to commemorate the 2,602th Anniversary of the Enlightenment of the Lord Buddha.
Venerable Abbess Man Ko Professor Grier Lin
Abbess of Nan Tien Temple and Institute, Australia Fo Guang Shan President, Nan Tien Australia
Bodhinyana Buddhist Monastery
P.OBox475, Serpentine, Western Australia 6125
Tel: +61 (0 ) 8 9 525 24 20
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From Most Venerable Ajahn Brahmavamso, Australia
Dear Venerables of the National Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha,
On behalf of the many Buddhists in Australia, and in the other countries where I serve, I send my warm congratulations to the organizers of the 2 014 UN Day of Vesak in Vietnam. The Buddha often stated that Buddhist leaders should meet together regularly to discuss important matters and that such meetings will be a major cause for the Buddha-Dharma to flourish in our world. In particular, it is impressive that the theme for this conference has been chosen to be the UN Millenium Development Goals (UNMDV)
A few years ago at an interfaith meeting in Australia, the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, (second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury) interrogated each of the Australian Buddhist leaders on what they were doing to further the UNMDV. Happily, I could answer that the Buddhist community in Australia was making a significant contribution to implementing the UNMDV It is one of the fundamental principles of Buddhism to work for the happiness and wellbeing of all peoples in our world. Therefore, I am glad that we are meeting our social responsibilities as Buddhists by discussing these matters at this 2014 UNDV in Vietnam.
May the conference and celebrations encourage us all to work even more diligently, and may we enjoy meeting old friends and making many new noble acquaintances.
Yours in the Dharma,
Most Venerable Aahn Brahmavamso
Abbot of Bodhinyana Buddhist Monastery
Spiritual Director of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia
Chair of the Australian Sangha Association
Monash University
Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology
School of Philosophical, Historical & International Studies
Box 11A Monash University (Clayton Campus)
Monash University VIC 3800, Australia
13 March 2014
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From Professor Constant Mews, Australia
To Most Ven. Thich Thanh Nhieu
Chairman, ICDV – UNDV 2014 International Organizing Committee
Standing Vice President of National Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Vietnam
Dear Chairman
As Director of the Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology, Monash University (Australia), I am delighted to learn that the 11th Anniversary Celebration and International Buddhist Conference of United Nations Day of Vesak 2014 will be held for the second time in Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam and to be hosted by the National Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (NVBS). It is an excellent project to reflect on the theme, The Buddhist Contribution to Achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals. We have learned about this project through Prof. Padamasiri de Silva, an eminent philosopher of Buddhist ethics and psychology, who does excellent work in connection with our Centre. On behalf of Monash University, I offer warmest best wishes for the success of your conference.
Professor Constant Mews,
Director of Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology
