Nearly 1,000 people, including monks, scholars, and laypersons from the Buddhist community, attended this conference. The program was ambitious. Ten different themes were explored, one in each two-hour session. After guest speakers completed their speeches, limited time was allocated for questions and discussion from the floor.
The first theme was presented in a keynote address by the Venerable Dr. Sri Dhammananda, in which he spoke passionately about cultivating tolerance and harmony while practicing Buddhism in the face of religious diversity. This was particularly related to communities like Singapore and Malaysia. The Venerable Dr. Sri Dhammananda has been the chief Sri Lankan teacher in Malaysia for over forty years and has resided at the prestigious Brickfields Vihara in Kuala Lumpur. He has published extremely widely in the field of Buddhism, particularly on its application to the lay community.
This talk was followed by a theme exploring the spread of "Buddhism in the West and Its Revival in the East." Dr. Betty Champlin, Professor of Law and Literature at Western State University, outlined current developments in the United States and integrated within this presentation film clips of non-ethnic Americans who have become Buddhists speaking of the relevance of Buddhism in their lives. Dr. Patricia Sherwood from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia portrayed current developments in Buddhism's spread in Australia. Mr. Low Teck Suan addressed current Buddhist revival movements in the East, such as the Buddha's Light International Association.
The theme of "Buddhist Ethics and Life's Difficult Issues" attempted to encompass abortion, euthanasia, and the healing process after violence and killing. Dr. Damien Keown, Reader in Buddhism at the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths College, University of London, who is widely known for his work on Buddhist ethics, gave an erudite outline of the complexity of the issue in relation to abortion. The Venerable Dhammavihari, who until the age of sixty-nine was well-known as Professor Jotiya Dhrasekaera of the Universities of Colombo and Toronto, gave a textual analysis of the Paali Canon's position in relation to abortion. However, the lack of a female view on the issue was notable and regrettable. The Venerable Claude Anshin Thomas, a Zen Buddhist monk, spoke about healing after violence based on his own experiences as a soldier in Vietnam and his own recovery. It became evident that such complex moral issues required substantially more time for discussion and presentation because many issues were raised and few resolved.
A lucid and progressive presentation on "Buddhist Ethics and Homosexuality" by Ajahn Brahmavamso was appreciated by a largely Singaporean audience confronting the issue of legalization of homosexuality in their own country. Ajahn Brahm trained under Ajahn Chah in Thailand and is currently Abbot of the Bodhinayana Monastery in Western Australia. He has published on the Vinaya code. Chatsumarn Kabilsingh, professor at Thammasat University, Thailand, is founder of the Home of Peace and Love that looks after impoverished women and children in Thailand. She gave a critical view of prostitution in Thailand and called on the Thai Buddhist community to review their sexual mores, particularly in relation to the Third Precept.
The first day concluded with a session on health. Contributions to this sessions were made by a Buddhist medical doctor, Dr. Phang Cheng Kar, and Ms. Doris Ang, a layperson and counselor who spoke on the use of the Dharma in counseling. Dr. How Kim Chuan outlined the contribution of humanistic Buddhism to human welfare.
The second day's keynote address, "Buddhism: One Truth for All," was written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of the Buddha's Light International Association and was delivered by Dr. Yifa. This organization is the fastest growing Buddhist organization in the West, the East, and in Africa. It also has an unbroken history of providing full ordination for men and women in the Ch'an Buddhist tradition. This talk provided an inspiring call to Buddhists to devote themselves to the Dharma work for the well-being of all persons. Venerable Master Hsing Yun has an impressive applied record in spreading the Dharma. He has established more than 170 temples worldwide and founded four universities, sixteen colleges, twenty libraries, two publishing houses, nine art galleries, free mobile health clinics, and a television station.
A thought-provoking session on "Buddhist's View on Science and Technology" was given by Professor David Loy, a scholar and practitioner of Zen, who spoke from a Buddhist perspective on biotechnology. Venerable George Churinoff, a Tibetan monk and graduate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, spoke effectively on scientific advancement and the dilemma between ethics and morality. This session was followed by an entertaining session on Buddhism's impact on social life where Dr. Whalen Bridge, from the National University of Singapore, showed cinematic representations of enlightenment. Dr. May Lwin, a marketing research analyst, presented her research findings on the measurement of religiosity among Buddhists. Dr. Michelle Spuler, from Victoria University of Wellington, spoke of the differences and similarities between convert and ethnic Buddhists. Dr. Damien Keown addressed the broader issues of Buddhism's contribution to human rights. This was followed by a session on Buddhist economics presented by Dr. Colin Ash of Reading University and Dr. Victor Wee from the Buddhist Gem Fellowship in Malaysia.
In the session "The World Beyond," a range of issues were addressed, again raising complex issues around the process of death and dying. Venerable Sangye Khadro, a Tibetan nun, presented an enlightening Tibetan Buddhist perspective on the subject, and Professor Cheng Chen Huang outlined the Buddhist view on dying. Venerable Kwang Phing, Abbot of the Leong San Si Temple, addressed the issues of Feng Shui and superstitions. He questioned their relevance to Buddhists.
The final session focused on monastic Buddhist life. Venerable Ajahn Brahmavamso spoke on monastic training. He currently heads a training monastery in Western Australia with more than eighteen monks. Venerable Dhammavihari, who entered the monastic life at age sixty-nine, spoke eloquently on its benefits. It was rewarding to listen to Tenzin Palmo, a female monastic famed for her "Cave in the Snow" experience, discuss the pitiful history of women in Buddhism and point to essential changes and encouraging opportunities beginning to emerge for female monastics in Buddhism.
In addition to this banquet of Buddhist scholars and monks, a cultural feast was provided. The conference opened with a musical performance by the Phor Kak See monastery. It was meditatively inspiring. There was also a fine rendition of Buddhist mantras and songs by recently ordained African monks who are members of the Buddha's Light International Association in South Africa. The conference concluded with Buddhist dance dramas provided by a Buddhist theatre troupe that proved engaging and powerful presentations of Buddhist ideals.
Overall, this conference provided a meeting place for Buddhist monks, scholars, and laypersons to develop networks of mutual interest and ongoing support. It exposed the range of issues relevant to Buddhists today and indicated the range of possible responses provided by Buddhism to such issues. However, such a rich and ambitious program could well have done with five days rather than two.