My week at the Tibetan Buddhist Society Temple in Yuroke, Melbourne, VIC

25/6/07 to 1/7/07

I spent Monday reading the recent NT Child Sexual Abuse report and realizing that I could not in all good consciousness become a Buddhist nun right now because I have a part to play in the world and dedicating myself to the pursuit of Enlightenment is not as imminently important to me as having an active part in helping the world become a better place. Whilst the two are by no means mutually exclusive, the learning and time it would take to dedicate myself to the Dharma and Sangha initially would mean that this urgency I feel would dissipate. I am learning what parts of the Dharma I can take with me and share with the external world whilst still enlightening my own mind as opposed to meditating on attaining enlightenment and then giving it to all sentient beings. I would prefer to be active now whilst on the path to Enlightenment. I think this is a direct result of my ‘Western’ upbringing – my desire to be active and not miss a beat.

Finding a cause is important to ones sense of self - this is one of the 5 Aggregates. All sentient beings derive their sense of self from these. I have a sense of self that I desperately want to be seen as a worldly person who works on world causes and sees a bigger picture than just her own small space and she does this through dance, music, song, compassion and love. If you see me that way then I am proud and achieving something because you are seeing me in the way I desire. But is this really success? It’s a delusion. I am a sentient being equal to all other sentient beings. There is nothing that separates me from others as I was once everyone’s mother and everyone has been mine at some stage of existence. I am on a particular point in my path to release myself from Samsara (the endless cycle of suffering and delusion) as are we all. What makes me different is that I, like many others on the Buddhist path, realize we can all be released from Samsara and we wish to release everyone from it, not just ourselves. One thought and understanding – that is all that separates me. That is not very much. I find a lot of comfort in that thought. It makes me desire things less. It releases me from an ambitious drive to separate myself from others. Why would I want to be separate from other humans who have been connected to me through eons. We are all inter-dependent. We can not exist without each other. Yet we are impermanent… but that allows us to grow, change, realize and attain Enlightenment. It means we will never be stuck in the one form. We need never be bored as change is just around the corner. It is up to us whether it is a change for the better or worse.

Martin said that my place amongst all the current/ongoing issues for Aboriginal children is about having patience. I haven’t thought about it in regards to that but it makes sense to me and makes me feel more at ease about teaching in Katherine back in a classroom. I still want to look at alternative ways of educating though. I don’t believe the current method is working too well, but then not many people do. So the issue is not a blind one.

I am sincerely hoping that the recommendation from the report that all teachers, not just in remote communities but in regional settings – like Katherine, receive cultural and language training. The recommendations themselves from the report were not new ideas. I, and other educators I know, have been calling for this for years. Inaction does seem to be a major problem - including my own. I had to beg for over a year to do the Kriol course and then I paid for it myself but I never did write to the Education department to complain or demand something be done.

Noel Pearson and Louis Nowra are pro the current action but is it just because some action is better than none? Louis Nowra in his article in the Melbourne newspaper makes that point quite clearly. As of today I have not heard Mr Pearson’s response so can not comment yet.

I am FOR action but not for action that in now way attempts to reconcile and empower a culture/group of people who the government would just love to deny if it could get away with it – and indeed has done so for the past 11 years. Do not get sucked into Howards front. Did he say not 2-3 weeks ago that Indigenous people should assimilate into mainstream culture and should not be taught in Bi-lingual schools!!! The report clearly states that this would have disastrious consequences and does not meet the needs of young Indigenous children. We NEED bi-lingual schools and cross-cultural learning.

The report makes it clear that it will take a generation to work through these issues and that sexual abuse is the awful result of a myriad of other issues that have plagued Indigenous people. Yet Howards plan goes for 6 months – what can they hope to achieve? Do they have a quota they intend to fill of abusers within this time to prove their actions have been successful to the general, and uneducated, public of Australia?

I worry about the emotional aftermath on the children. As a primary teacher that is my focus because I have experience with the kids, as opposed to the older generations of parents and elders. I am desperately worried for these children who don’t know this behaviour as wrong, disruptive and damaging, including some of my former students whom I have good ongoing relationships with. For many their sexual actions are ‘learned’ and brought about through manipulation and/or desperation. Who is going to be there in 10 or 20 years when those children who are now 6 begin the cycle again?
I guess this is where in terms of my role Martin’s word – patience – comes into play.
Compassion, love and patience.

Geshe-La came through the kitchen with his entourage, of Toby, whilst I was making toast for lunch today. He turned to the other 2 people and told them to make sure I had everything I needed. He does that for everyone, makes them feel cared for and welcome. It made me feel really good.

I had a realisation that my confusion is within my own mind and is partly about the fact that no-one here gets really emotional. I get emotional! If I continue on this Buddhist path will I stop ranting at injustice, prejudice and abuse? I will feel more compassion for all parties on all sides of the fences however, I can't feel less strongly about it. Buddhists (Geshe-La and HH The Dalai Lama) feel strongly about many issues but it is the way they go about it that is different. After the Ugandan Watoto Choir performance in Katherine the other week (Wah-to-to NOT Wah-toe-toe you lazy Aussies) it reminded me how Christians often speak with fervour and passion. Buddhists do not. I should stop expecting it to happen one day because it won't happen. There is no outward fervent display, it is all to do with our mind and consciousness. These are inner concepts.

Here is the web address of the temple. On the home page you can just see the window of my room on the very left of the photo on the balcony. The photo of the altar in the temple must've been taken before all the banners, carpets and cushions were put in because now it really is very colourful and not as stark looking as in the photo. The cushions and carpets are deep red and the banners every colour of the rainbow.
www.tushita.org.au