Tu Viện Quảng Đức105 Lynch Rd, Fawkner, Vic 3060. Australia. Tel: 9357 3544. quangduc@quangduc.com* Viện Chủ: HT Tâm Phương, Trụ Trì: TT Nguyên Tạng   

1. Preface

23/04/202020:25(Xem: 2497)
1. Preface


Duc The Ton 1

1 – PREFACE

In June of 1957, the senior members of the Youth Circle of the Penang Buddhist Association formed a committee to explore the possibilities of forming a Dharma school to convene each Sunday morning for the systematic instruction of Buddhist children in the truths of our religion. Fifteen members of this committee volunteered to prepare themselves to take over teaching duties. This group of volunteers found no great lack of material suitable for instructing adults in the Dharma, but when they turned their search towards lesson material for children, they found a most startling lack of anything remotely approaching the needs of a modern Sunday school. A certain amount of Buddhist literature for children was found in Chinese and Japanese language presentations, but there are few Chinese in Malaya who are completely at home in written Chinese. Moreover, even the children enrolled in the Dharma classes are well versed only in colloquial Chinese, in Penang usually the Hokkien dialect, and the terminology of Buddhism, when expressed to them in Chinese, might as well be in classical Greek or Hittite. Most of the children of P.B.A. members attend English-language schools and are better adjusted to any system of study that is carried on via the language-medium of English.

The Dharma-School General Committee intensified and broadened the search for suitable lesson material in English. The task was somewhat like looking for a lake in the Sahara Desert. Such material as we found was published from fifty to seventy-five years ago and tended to be of the dry-as-dust variety. Moreover, these so-called “lessons for children” bristled with terms in dead languages. The Jataka Stories, too, were found to be largely valueless, even for amusement, to children of the modern world. Such morals as they point up are either rather thin or else far-fetched and unrelated to the lives of normal human beings. Practically all books and pamphlets offering instruction to beginners turn out to be written for adults and, almost without exception, they contain altogether too much terminology in dead languages, a fact which seems to take the holier it is. The committee, not desiring to lend any encouragement to a continuation of this naïve tradition, decided to prepare a series of systematically conceived lessons aimed at the level of understanding of our own Dharma-school children, whose average age is twelve years.

We are quite well aware that these lessons are less than perfect. We shall be only too happy to consider suggestions from our well-wishers and, in future editions, we hope to have more material, particularly story-material, for inclusion. We shall be most grateful for any such help offered to us.

For an opportunity to work on these lessons in a quiet place, undisturbed by the many distractions of Penang, we are greatly indebted to Mr. Lim Sin Hock, who very graciously placed at our disposal, for several weeks, his commodious, comfortable and beautiful beach-villa at Tanjong Bungah. Our sincere thanks are also due to President Yeoh Cheang Aun, Honorary Secretary Fong Yet Mai and the Directors of the Penang Buddhist Association for having provided us with a plenteous supply of food and all other supplies necessary to our task. Mr. Ong Phoot Aun greatly facilitated our work by making available to us as many typewriters as we could use. We are grateful to Mr. Ong.

Mr. Tan Gin Chong enabled us to give our full attention to this work by assuming responsibility for supervising all the domestic arrangements at the villa. “Uncle Gin Chong”, as he is known to the members of the Youth Circle, is a true friend of the Buddhist youth and he has our heartfelt thanks for his kindly and keen interest in our welfare.

The advisers of the Youth Circle have earned our affectionate appreciation of their kindly attitudes towards our efforts. We are happy to thank Mr. Lim Say Eng, Mr. Khaw Cheng Joey, Mr. Lim Eng Joo, Madame Goh Quee Ee and Madame Ho Guat Joo. Likewise we extend our gratitude to the genial Mr. Lim Teong Aik, the honorary interpreter for P.B.A., for aid in rendering difficult Chinese terms into English and for his unfailing faith in us.

For the line drawing that are specially drawn for each lesson, we are grateful to Mr. Andrew Lim who gave us his talented services gladly and freely. The fine spirit shown by senior officers of numerous of the leading Buddhist organizations in Malaya, Thailand, Singapore, England, Hawaii and the United States has been most heartening to us and we are grateful to them for promising to accept the finished work in a charitable spirit. We offer our kindest thoughts to Mr. Tan Keng Lock of the Singapore Buddhist Union, Mr. Lim Tat Tean of Selangor Buddhist Association, the Buddhist Youth Circle of Malacca, Miss Pitt Chin Hui of Maha Bodhi School of Singapore, Miss Tan Siew Eng of the Phor Tay School in Penang, Dr. Ong Liang Seang of the Perak Buddhist Association, the Reverend Fun Yin of Everlasting Light, a Buddhist monthly magazine, Singapore, and Mr. Yap Kim Fatt, also of Singapore, who is well-known for his activity in promoting Buddhist youth movements.

Outside South-East Asia, we owe thanks for much encouragement to the Venerable Ernest K. S. Hunt of Honolulu and to the Reverend James E. Wagner of the same city. Many of the poems used in these lessons are from a book of devotions originally compiled by Dr. Hunt. The Reverend Jack Austin, Editor of Western Buddhist, of London, has warmed our hearts by expressing complete confidence in our ability to carry through with this task. We can only hope the finished product will not leave him with a let-down feeling. We are deeply appreciative of encouragement from almost all the Buddhist organizations in the United States, and notably the Friends of Buddhism Society of Washington, D.C., the Friends of Buddhism, New York City, and Golden Lotus magazine of Philadelphia. Our sincere gratitude to all these exemplary Buddhists. May their tribe increase!

We should be very remiss, indeed, if we failed to express our thanks to the many hundreds of parents of the youngsters in our P.B.A. Dharma school for the encouraging “egging on” they  have given us to get at these lessons at all costs. “At all costs” has meant discontinuation of all lectures and sermons for three weeks, temporary recess of the Senior Dharma-class and a temporary complete abandonment of the usual daily activities of each of us engaged in this compilation of lessons.

We wish it to be clearly understood that we do not offer this course of study as being “the last word” in Buddhist thought. We totally disclaim any ideas of infallibility. If this result of our labours offends anyone, we ask that person the help us with constructive suggestions. Finding fault is so easy; giving constructive criticism is quite something else. It’s that “something else” we, the undersigned, are after.

                                                      MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY!

(The Venerable) SUMANGALO

Cheah Kim Swee

Tan Seng Huat

Tan Kheng Huat

Lee Keat Lye

Oh Seong Tit

Tan Song Kean

Lim Swee Leong

Chuah Beng Hock

Gửi ý kiến của bạn
Tắt
Telex
VNI
Tên của bạn
Email của bạn
14/10/2023(Xem: 2381)
For the sake of many, Dr. Ven. Buddha Priya Mahathero (Abbot and Secretary of Siddharth United Social Welfare Mission, Chinar Park, Kolkata, India) and Dr. Ven. Bhikṣuṇī TN Gioi Huong (English Lecturer at the Vietnam Buddhist University in HCM City and Abbess of Hương Sen Buddhist Temple, California, USA) have co-organized an international seminar with the theme, “Contributions of Buddhism for World Peace & Social Harmony,” on July 2, 2023 at the Siddharth United Social Welfare Mission, Chinar Park, Kolkata, India. At this Kolkata Seminar, there were twenty-three renowned speakers-spiritual peace leaders, eminent writers, and researchers presented their meaningful papers, such as Dr Siddharth M. Jondhale (Former Chancellor of Trinity World University), Professor Kishore Bhattacharjee (Viswabharati University, Shantiniketan), Professor Mahuya Mukherjee (Rabindrabharati University, Kolkata), Professor Swarnali Barua (Presidency University), Dr. Surajit Barua (Seth Anandram Jaipur Co
14/10/2023(Xem: 2352)
Our immense pleasure is to present to you this remarkable conference book – Buddhism: A Historical and Practical Vision. Inside these pages lies a stunning tapestry of wisdom created by the joint dedication and hard work of young Vietnamese Buddhist monks and nuns scholars who have explored the legacy of Buddhism in depth. From exploring the compatibility and integration of Mahāyāna Buddhism’s teachings with realistic political theory on leadership and the introduction Buddhist philosophy and the establishment and significance of Buddhist universities in the United States, each paper stands as a testament to the vibrant diversity and enduring relevance of Buddhist thought. Among the thought-provoking papers, you will discover insightful investigations into the practical theory of impermanence as a means to enhance one’s own living experience. Additionally, a critical interpretation of Nibbāna from Dr. Ambedkar’s perspective in the Indian Engaged Buddhist Movement sheds light
25/07/2023(Xem: 2731)
Dealing with the chosen work, I observe that a puggala has been present in the world because of dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda) or continuity of change (santāna). The five masses of elements (pañcakkhandhā), which constitute the puggala and the world around him, are without any substance (anattā), impermanent (anicca) and they are really causes of grief (dukkha)...
20/07/2023(Xem: 1166)
During his recent visit to Melbourne, Australia to attend the Conference on Sociology, at the Melbourne Convention Centre. Professor Dr. Ryushun Kiyofuji visited Quang Duc Monastery, 30 minutes from downtown Melbourne. On this occasion, I had the chance to interview him about the current situation of Buddhism in Japan.
12/06/2023(Xem: 2684)
“One person, mendicants, arises in the world for the welfare and happiness of the people, out of compassion for the world, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans. What one person? The Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. This is the one person, mendicants, who arises in the world for the welfare and happiness of the people, out of compassion for the world, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans.” *
30/03/2023(Xem: 2843)
War - we all know this word. There were too many battles in this world since we were the nomads, wandering over sea and land up to the time when the acquisition of material goods increased over time and possession became more powerful in their desire to master and dominate the world. In family and society, from the young to the dignitary, none of them want to give up possession but always to get more. The more assets, the greater desire. The more one tries to get, the stronger greed and selfishness fortifies.
10/12/2022(Xem: 1742)
There can be no success in getting happiness out of Lord Buddha’s Dharma until we understand and use ‘Sila’, which is a Pali-Sanskrit word meaning morality. The Five Precepts are often called ‘Pancasila’, which means ‘the Five Moralities’. As a rule, these five moralities are recited after the Three Refuges, and are usually considered as a necessary part of the ceremony of becoming a Buddhist. Everyone who understands these rules knows it is good and wise to follow them all, but many persons have weak characters and do not make a real attempt to be guided by these Five Rules that all Buddhists must follow. They are:
07/08/2021(Xem: 9832)
The Eight Precepts with Right Livelihood as the Eighth (Ājīvatthamaka Sīla) Dhamma Teachers Certificate EN074 -__ Feb2010 5 8 Precepts Diacritials Requirements and Ceremonies for the Five Precepts (Panca Sila), The Eight Precepts with Right Livelihood as the Eighth (Ajivatthamaka Sila), Dhamma Teachers Certificate, issued by the Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada) and Ketumati Buddhist Vihara at Wesak 2006). Updated February 2010
07/08/2021(Xem: 7392)
Venerable Rewata Dhamma born in Myanmar [Burma], was head of the Birmingham Buddhist Vihara until his death in 2004. His book Maha Paritta: The Discourses of the Great Protection (With the Threefold Refuges, Precepts, Salutations to the Triple Gem, Dependent Origination and Metta Bhavana), gives the formula in Pali and English for requesting Ajivatthamaka Sila (The Eight Precepts with Right Livelihood as the Eighth). (pages 9-12) Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Mahanayaka Thera Abhidhaja Maharatthaguru Agga Maha Pandita (1896-1998) Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maitreya, born in Sri Lanka, attended the Sixth Buddhist Council held in Myanmar [Burma] (1954-56). In 1956, during the third session of the Council, he served as Chairman of the Convocation for a few weeks. The Council was convened by the Myanmar [Burmese] government to prepare an authorized re-edit and reprint of the entire Tipitaka (the Pali Canon) and its commentaries. Venerable Ananda Maitreya was appointed the Sri
facebook youtube google-plus linkedin twitter blog
Nguyện đem công đức này, trang nghiêm Phật Tịnh Độ, trên đền bốn ơn nặng, dưới cứu khổ ba đường,
nếu có người thấy nghe, đều phát lòng Bồ Đề, hết một báo thân này, sinh qua cõi Cực Lạc.

May the Merit and virtue,accrued from this work, adorn the Buddhas pureland,
Repay the four great kindnesses above, andrelieve the suffering of those on the three paths below,
may those who see or hear of these efforts generates Bodhi Mind, spend their lives devoted to the Buddha Dharma,
the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Quang Duc Buddhist Welfare Association of Victoria
Tu Viện Quảng Đức | Quang Duc Monastery
Senior Venerable Thich Tam Phuong | Senior Venerable Thich Nguyen Tang
Address: Quang Duc Monastery, 105 Lynch Road, Fawkner, Vic.3060 Australia
Tel: 61.03.9357 3544 ; Fax: 61.03.9357 3600
Website: http://www.quangduc.com ; http://www.tuvienquangduc.com.au (old)
Xin gửi Xin gửi bài mới và ý kiến đóng góp đến Ban Biên Tập qua địa chỉ:
quangduc@quangduc.com , tvquangduc@bigpond.com
VISITOR
110,220,567