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Sydney residents oppose Buddhist monastery development
Australian News.Net
Tuesday 19th August, 2008 (IANS)
A Buddhist society's plans to build a temple in south-western Sydney is facing an outcry from residents, coming as it does close on the heels of the recent furore over a proposed Islamic school in suburban Sydney.
A resident of suburban Wedderburn, a 40-minute drive south west of Sydney, has lodged her opposition with the city council against the Da Bao Monastery's plans to expand its four-bedroom meditation retreat, raising concerns about noise, traffic and amenities.
'It will really disturb our neighbours. It's going to take away our peace, harmony, tranquillity and privacy,' the resident, Beatrice Alderden, was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald.
The United Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Australia monastery, built eight years ago for monks and nuns, is seeking permission to build two prayer halls, a single-storey accommodation building, two cottages, toilets, a five-metre-high stupa and a car park.
'You don't go building big halls and accommodation out here. It's a winding road and very narrow and it's hazardous at the best of times,' Alderden told the newspaper.
In recent years, immigration from Southeast Asia and the Middle East to Australia has expanded Buddhist and Muslim numbers considerably. Since the 2001 census, the number of people affiliated with Buddhism increased by 17 percent, with Hinduism by 55 percent and Islam by 21 percent.
According to the 2006 census conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia's three most common non-Christian religious affiliations were Buddhism (2.1 percent of the population), Islam (1.7 percent) and Hinduism (0.7 percent).
Of these groups, Hinduism experienced the fastest proportional growth since 1996, more than doubling to 150,000, followed by Buddhism that doubled to 420,000.
With the number of Buddhist followers growing, the monastery has outgrown its capacity and stressed that its expansion would not disturb the neighbourhood.
Sister Giac Anh, a nun with the monastery, told Sydney Morning Herald: 'The planned retreat would not be open to the public or host noisy celebrations. We are very, very, quiet and practice walking meditation in the hall.'  Email this story to a friend
Comments on this story
Gorenpisang
08-19-08, 12:58 PM |
Sydney residents oppose Buddhist monastery development
Australians should not fear Buddhists because in Buddha' Teaching it mentioned the 2 principal guildin light of humanity i.e. Moral Dread and Moral Shame.They have better things to do than issuing fatwas.
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Monica Qing
08-24-09, 09:26 AM |
For the good and benefit Australia
It’s a good things to see Buddhist temples developing and expanding in Australia; why? Because Buddhist is a moral religion; also a psychological and very sciencific way of human life. It’s the highest teaching of all; the moral aspect, the practice aspect to bring harmony and healthy to all mankind; therefore; I all australian should support it for this is the benefit to yourself; your family; your family future generations as at large. In actual buddhism is the highest education which covered all aspects of mankind. As science in today agreed with it; It’s the teaching beyond humankind. The ways of moral; honest; harmony; healthy; wealthy and happiness to humankind. It’s the real truth of morality and the absolute value of family and life. I suggest; all of us should read more and research more into buddhism; to gain a good understanding of it and practices it in our everyday life; than you all will see the real benefit. Do not go oppose it with you blind eyes.
Please, view yourself with your open door for the good and benefit of yourself,yr family and all humankind. Buddhist, is the ways of peace;the way of harmony; the way to happiness; healthy and wealthy.
Open your heart and door; be a wise-humankind to support the expanding of Buddhism for the seek of the happy;wealthy and the highest morallity of humankind.
May I bless for the good, the benifit, the and happiness and the peacefully and harmony of all humankind.
Ma Monica
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