The Premier of Victoria, John Brumby, hosted a reception for Buddhist community of Victoria on 21 May 2008. Click here to read the Premier's speech or scroll down.
The Buddhist Council of Victoria Chairperson, Laura Chan, made a speech and monks chanted in Pali. Click here to reat Laura Chan's welcome speech.
BCV Chair, Laura Chan and Premier John Brumby
From left : Michael Wells, Maureen French, Di Cousens, Premier John Brumby, Laura Chan
and Minister James Merlino MP
Premier John Brumby with Venerables and Community Leaders
Speech by Victorian Premier John Brumby on the occasion of the Buddhist Reception,
21 May 2008
Welcome to this special State reception in celebration of Vesak Day, recognising Buddha’s:
Birth;
Liberation;
Enlightenment; and
Passing.
BUDDHISM AND ITS GROWTH IN VICTORIA
Buddhism is a philosophy as much as a faith that teaches wisdom, moderation, tolerance, contemplation and harmony. Values that have helped in the development of our multicultural society. As one of the world’s oldest religions, the Buddhist settlements in Australia date back to the gold rushes in the 1890s.
During the past 2,000 years Buddhism has spread across the globe. Including in Victoria where Buddhism is now one of the fastest growing religions in the State, practised by Victorians of diverse backgrounds. With over 130,000 Buddhists in Victoria, we have the largest Buddhist community in Australia.
The philosophical and religious teaching of Buddhism has strong universal appeal. So much so that the number of Buddhist organisations in Victoria has flourished, with more than 70 operating in Victoria today. These organisations work to preserve the Buddhist religion, identity and heritage.
They support Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike through qualities such as generosity, respect and compassion. These qualities are human qualities we can all learn from.
MULTICULTURAL VICTORIA
Indeed, learning about each others’ beliefs and backgrounds is crucial in our shared pursuit of peace. And in December 2009, religious and spiritual leaders from around the world will travel to Melbourne for the Parliament of the World’s Religions.
I was delighted to hear that His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be speaking at the conclusion of the conference. Victoria won the right to host this remarkable event because we have led the way globally in supporting and embracing our incredibly diverse communities. We protect and support these communities fully through our policies, programs and funding and, importantly, through our legislation.
For example, Victoria’s Racial and Religious Tolerance Act – an Act which prohibits extreme racial and religious vilification. And in 2006 Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities formally recognised that all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights. And the Multicultural Victoria Act acknowledged in law the social, cultural and economic contribution of Victoria’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
CONCLUSION
Vesak Day provides an opportunity for Buddhists and Victorians of all backgrounds to appreciate our remarkable diversity. And this reception is the Victorian Government’s way of formally acknowledging the valuable contribution Buddhism has made to our great State. It is also an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to diversity and multicultural unity in Victoria.
On behalf of the Victorian Government, I extend my best wishes in celebrating today’s Vesak Day.
Premier of Victoria, The Hon John Brumby
Speech by Chairperson of the Buddhist Council of Victoria, Laura Chan,
on the occasion of the Premier’s Reception, 21 May 2008
Firstly, I would like to thank the Premier John Brumby for his invitation to this auspicious event. Thank you for hosting this reception in honour of the Buddha’s birthday and the Buddhist community of Victoria. We appreciate your recognition and your generosity.
Thank you also to our long standing good friend, George Lekakis, Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission. We have a long standing friendship with George and the VMC and it is a fruitful collaboration.
As the Chair of the Buddhist Council of Victoria, I am proud to be representing the Buddhist community of Victoria. It is a tremendously diverse community. It includes people from many parts of the world as well as people who are fifth generation Australians. It is a growing community and our visible presence is perhaps best expressed through our temples. You will find in Melbourne temples and centres representing the Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Burmese, Sri Lankan, Tibetan and other traditions of Buddhism. These are places of ceremony, education and community. Buddhists of all ages and walks of life come together at the temples and learn about the Dharma - how to live in a more ethical and non violent way in society. They also learn something of the deeper wisdom of the Buddha, the principles of universal compassion and loving kindness.
The temples are also a focus for rituals and ceremonies, including end of life ceremonies. The monks and nuns and centre directors and teachers who run the temples and centres also make available a vast heritage of Buddhist learning. They offer libraries, courses, meditation classes, and in this way our tradition is a vibrant one. Last year we partnered with the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund and hosted the Buddha 2550 exhibition at the Melbourne Town Hall. This was attended by about 5000 people and brought together all the different Buddhist traditions under one roof. It was a huge and successful event that enabled us to make available to the general public something of the diversity of Buddhist culture in the heart of Melbourne.
Buddhists in Victoria are fully integrated into the mainstream of society. We are doctors, lawyers, teachers, community workers, artists, mothers, fathers and children. We are your next door neighbours and your friends at work.
At this time we are celebrating Vesak, the birth of the Buddha, and we deeply appreciate the Victorian government’s recognition of this significant event. We are grateful that you acknowledge not just our community, but the spiritual dimension of life. We look forward to our ongoing partnership with the Victorian Multicultural Commission in different projects, and with government at all levels as the opportunity arises. Thank you again for this invitation.
Laura Chan
Chairperson
Buddhist Council of Victoria
