旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 쿥ho were the earliest members of the Sangha to visit Australia ? � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� In 1915, five Buddhist monks of German origin arrived in Sydney. They were part of a consignment of foreign internees sent from Sri Lanka for impriosnment in Australia, as England and its colonies were at war with Germany at that time. One of these monks was a former world famous violinist, Anton Gueth, who as Venerable Nyanatiloka, was a prolific author and one of the great pioneers of western Buddhism. In 1952, a seventy year old, American born, Buddhist nun, Dhammadinna, arrived in Sydney. She had been living in Sri Lanka for nearly thirty years. On Sunday evenings, she conducted Dhamma talks and meditation in the home of Mr. & Mrs. Leo Berkley. Usually fifteen to twenty people attended these lectures. She did not accept all of those who attended these meetings for personal instruction. She chose eight persons whom she considered were 'ready for the Dhamma'. She refered to them as "my Buddhists". She administered the Three Refuges and eight precepts to this group on the Holy day of Vesak, 29th of May, 1953. Sister Dhammadinna's visa expired during 1953 and she left later that year for a short vist to the United States and thence to Hawaii where she was to spend the following five years. She returned to Australia in 1958. She stayed for almost a year before returning to Hawaii, where she passed away in 1967. .PA 1954 heralded the arrival of a saintly meditation master from Burma, Ven. Sayadaw U Thittila. Ven. U Thittila gave several public lectures which were the first steps in dispelling the many misconceptions, concerning the Buddha's teaching, plaguing Australian Society. He visited a second time in 1956. The highlight of this visit was his conducting of a three week meditation retreat at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Leo Berkley, who were living in the Sydney suburb of Belrose. Thirty five people participated in this retreat. On Tuesday, February the 1st, 1955, to a fanfare of newspaper publicity, arrived the legendary Venerable Narada Maha Thera. The 'Sydney Sun', next evening, featured a photograph of Venerable Narada, with his umbrella raised, under the caption "Cool Customer". That the Sydney press were unused to the appearance of Buddhist monks in that city is evident from the accompanying article which commenced: Bald, bespectacled and smiling and wearing a heavy orange robe, Narada Maha Thera said "I am here to explain Buddha's teachings to those interested."---- The priest is in Sydney at the invitation of the Buddhist Society of N.S.W. which plans to build a temple. Venerable Narada was a kindly monk who was well versed in the Dhamma. He was an eloquent exponent of the Buddha's message and had captivated audiences everywhere he went. He passed away, after a long period of illness, on October the 2nd, 1983 aged 86 years. .PA In February 1956 two monks arrived from Thailand. One was an abbot of a monastery in Thailand, Phra Dhammadiraja Muni, who spoke little English and his companion was an American, Phra Sumangalo. Phra Sumangalo, who was on his first visit to Australia, was the author of many articles and his activities were regularly reported in the Buddhist magazines at that time. Several years later, he visited Malasia where he founded the Young Buddhist Association of Malasia. He passed away in 1962. In November, 1960, a lineage holder in the Chinese Cha'an tradition arrived in Sydney, where he stayed until the end of 1961. He was the famous master Hsuan Hua. He gained the impression that there were no Buddhists among the local Chinese community as he was largely ignored and, was, at one stage on the verge of starvation due to lack of support. At the end of 1961, he left for California, where, with the support of many followers he established a monastic centre known as the 'City of Ten Thousand Buddhas'.