Graeme Lyall AM

(1931-2015)

 

After taking Refuge in the Triple Gem on the Holy Day of Vesak, May, 1953, Graeme Lyall served as Secretary of the Buddhist Society of New South Wales from 1953 until 1956. In 1982, he founded the Sydney University Buddhist Society, now known as UNIBODHI, and served as its President until 1986. In 1984, he served a short ordination as a novice monk at the Brickfields Temple, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. From 1986 until 1992, he was President of the Australian Buddhist Mission under its Spiritual Director, Venerable Mahinda. From 1992 until 1994, he was Founder Director of the Buddhist Library and Meditation Centre. From 1997 until the present he is a Committee Member of the World Conference of Religions for Peace(WCRP) New South Wales Chapter. Graeme Lyall was Chairman of the Buddhist Council of New South Wales from 1985 until 2006. Since 2001, he has been a Member of the Executive Council of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, President of the Amitabha Buddhist Association of New South Wales under the spiritual guidance of Venerable Master Chin Kung AM, since 2001 and is the current Chairman of the University Buddhist Education Foundation, which funds Buddhist Studies at the University of Sydney. He is also the Buddhist Chaplain at Parklea, Dilwynia and John Moroney Gaols, teaching inmates meditation and Buddhist philosophy. Having been practicing Buddhism since 1953, he is the oldest surviving AustralianBuddhist from this era. He has represented Australia at many international Buddhist conferences and was awarded the Award for Volunteering by the Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural New South Wales in 2001, the Membership of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2002 and the Centenary Medal in 2003.

The FABC Committee has learned with great sadness from the Buddhist Council of NSW that Graeme Lyall passed away on Sunday 3rd May 2015, aged 83. Graeme was the founding Chair of the Buddhist Council of NSW in 1985. Even after his retirement in 2006, he continued his active service to Buddhism and the Australian community.

"Graeme represented Australian Buddhism for more than six decades and was a pioneer of Buddhism in Australia", noted the current chair of the Buddhist Council, Brian White. "Graeme Lyall will be missed by the many Buddhist groups he assisted, the many hundreds of prison inmates he helped, and his loss will be felt across the Buddhist world" I personally learned so much from Graeme and will miss his inspiration and his sense of humour."
Graeme Lyall was lucid and clear thinking right up until his peaceful passing in Royal North Shore Hospital surrounded by family and friends, on this very auspicious Vesak full-moon day.

The FABC Committee acknowledges the great contributions by Graeme Lyall to the establishment of the Buddha Dharma in Australia over many decades, and note that even in his death he has shared the Dhamma with all who will listen.

Profile of Graeme Lyall AM

BORN: 8/10/31 at Ashfield, N.S.W., Australia

PRIMARY EDUCATION: Haberfield Demonstration School

SECONDARY EDUCATION: Sydney Technical High School

TERTIARY EDUCATION:

Sydney Technical College - Radio Trades Certificate

University of Sydney - Faculty of Arts (Psychology, Philosophy, Anthropology, Religious Studies)

University of New South Wales (Institute of Languages) TESOL Certificate (Teachers’ Journal yet to be submitted before Certificate is issued)

POSITIONS HELD:

1953 - 1956 - Secretary - Buddhist Society of New South Wales

1982 - 1986 - President - Sydney University Buddhist Society

1985 - present - Chairman - Buddhist Council of New South Wales

1986 - 1992 - President - Australian Buddhist Mission

1989 - 1992 - Discrimination Adviser - University of Sydney

1992 - Trustee - Wat Buddha Dhamma Foundation Trust

1992 – present - Trustee - Buddha Dharma Education Trust

1992 - 1993 Member - Management Committee - Wat Buddha Dhamma

1992 - 1994 Director - Buddhist Library and Education Centre

1993 - present - Adviser - Australian Buddhist Mission

1997 – 2002– Committee Member – World Conference of Religions for Peace (N.S.W. Chapter)

1999 – present – President – Amitabha Buddhist Association of New South Wales

1999 – 2001 President – Amitabha Buddhist Association of Queensland

2001 – Present – Honorary President – Amitabha Buddhist Association of Queensland

1999 – 2000 – Committee Member – Auburn Interfaith Forum

2000 - Trustee - University Buddhist Education Foundation

2001 - Executive Council Member, World Fellowship of Buddhists

2002 - Committee Member – Civil Chaplains’ Advisory Committee (CCAC)

2002 - Committee Member – CCAC Correctional Services Sub-Committee

2003 - Committee Member, Australian Partnership of Ethnic and Religious Organisations (APERO)

2004 - Accredited as Buddhist Chaplain, New South Wales Department of Corrective Services

2006 – Guest Lecturer - Mahachulalongkornrajvijaya University – Bangkok, Thailand

2011 – Guest Lecturer – Bond University – Two lectures per year – Buddhism and Social Action

2011 - Parklea Correctional Centre Local Community Consultative Committee

EMPLOYMENT:

1973 - 1992 - Technical Officer - University of Sydney

1992 - 1994 –Founder Director - Buddhist Library and Education Centre

2004 – Current – Buddhist Chaplain to Parklea Correctional Centre, John Morony 1 and John Morony 2 Correctional Centres and Dilwynia Women’s Correctional Centre

CONSULTANT:

1991 -1993 - Board of Studies, New South Wales - Studies in Religion Course for Higher School Certificate

OVERSEAS CONFERENCES:

1990 - Seoul, Korea - World Fellowship of Buddhists 17th General Conference

1991 - Taejon, Korea - Conference of World Religious Leaders for World Peace and Reunification of North and South Korea organised by Won Buddhism

1992 - Kaoshiung, Taiwan, R.O.C. - World Fellowship of Buddhists 18th General Conference

1993 - Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. - First International Conference on Buddhist Co-operation for World Peace

1994 - Bangkok, Thailand - World Fellowship of Buddhists 19th General Conference

1995 - Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. - Second International Conference on Buddhist Co-operation for World Peace.

1998- (Wollongong, NSW, Australia) - World Fellowship of Buddhists 20th General Conference

2000 - Bangkok, Thailand – World Fellowship of Buddhists 21st General Conference

2001- Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. - International Conference on Religious Cooperation

2000– Seoul, Korea – Lecture at Chogye Sa Temple

2001- Kyongju, Korea – Lecture to the Buddhist Association of Professors, Chosun University

2002- Seoul, Korea – Lecture at Chogye Sa Temple.

2002- Phnom Penh, Cambodia – World Buddhist Summit

2002- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 22nd Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists

2002- Australian Institute o International Affairs – Victorian Branch - Lecture: Spirituality in the World Today: What Has Buddhism to Offer.

2006- Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists – Bankok Thailand

2009- International day of Vesak Conference – Bangkok, Thailand

2010- Visit to Di Zi Gui Institute – Lujang Village, Anhui Province, China

2010- Tokyo, Japan – Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists

2011- Ground Breaking for the Institute for Han Studies – Melaka, Malaysia

AWARDS

2001 - Community Relations Commission For a multicultural New South Wales (N.S.W. Government) Award for Volunteering

2002 - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to the Buddhist community, promotion of multiculturalism, education and welfare from Her Majesty QueenElizabeth II

2003 - Awarded the Centenary Medal for services to the Buddhist Community

PUBLICATIONS

Ethnic Buddhists in New South Wales in Atta, Abe(Wade) Ed. Religion and Ethnic Identity - An Australian Study: Vol.3, Richmond, Spectrum, 1990

Buddhism: Australia’s Reaction to a New Phenomenon in Without Prejudice, No.7, April 1994, Melbourne, Australian Institute of Jewish Affairs.

The King Asoka: The Idealistic Leader of Buddhists in WFB Review, Vol.XXXI, No.4, Oct.-Dec., 1994, Bangkok, World Fellowship of Buddhists.

Religion, Racism and Tolerance in Without Prejudice, No.8, April 1995, Melbourne, Australian Institute of Jewish Affairs.

The Rise of the Mahayana in WFB Review, Vol.XXXII, No.1, Jan.-March., 1995, Bangkok, World Fellowship of Buddhists.

Exploring Religion Beck, Margie, Tatz, Pam, Lewin, Ruth (Eds.) 1997, Melbourne, Oxford University Press (Graeme Lyall is the author of the main chapter on Buddhismand sections of several other chapters on cross-religion studies). Second Edition Published 2000

Some other articles appear on his website: http://www.buddhismaustralia.org/articles.htm

Source

ananda76.wordpress.com
quangduc.com

 

Chairman - Standing Committee on Interfaith Dialogue - World Fellowship of Buddhists

Graeme Lyall was Chairman of the Buddhist Council of New South Wales from 1985 until 2006. He is currently Chairman of the Standing Committee on Interfaith Dialogue for the World Fellowship of Buddhists. President of the Amitabha Buddhist Association of New South Wales. Trustee of the University Buddhist Education Foundation. He is currently Buddhist Chaplain at Parklea and John Moroney gaols, teaching the prisoners meditation and Buddhist Philosophy. He has been practicing Buddhism since 1953, making him the oldest surviving Australian Buddhist of that era. He has and still does represent Australia at many international Buddhist conferences and was awarded Membership of the Order of Australia in 2002