If you have missed the first release, here is the url to part 1 ▶ https://goo.gl/gms2fH
Though I may have spent the wee hours of some nights to complete some of the props after the classmates had left, they are just objects to help us in our offering to the Buddhas. Even if the fate of the props were to end up in the dustbin, attachment to them will not benefit me.
One of our care co-ordinators knew how much work we put in to make the props and wanted to salvage one of the props which was already in the dustbin. I told her that it is fine. I have accepted it. The compassionate Buddha has found a home for the rest of the props to benefit more sentient beings in future events. Let this one prop be thrown away.
The significance of this is that the merits of our classmates’ offering have been accumulated. As shared by our Abbot Venerable Jing Yuan on 7th May 2017, the virtuous karma we created has been set. Thus, I realised that I should not be attached to the physical objects. They have served their purpose and it is no longer important if they were kept or not, putting aside the fact that we should try to be environmentally friendly and recycle.
Two days after the event, I sent a message to Monitor Sor Kheng to share my personal reflections. In my message, I OMAK the whole team in the “Auspicious Paradise Studio” and created a short video clip for their great teamwork and her leadership! Monitor Sor Kheng was also very compassionate and encouraged me to continue practicing the teachings of Buddha in my life journey.
On 14th May 2017, in the “Auspicious Vesak” debrief message by our Abbot, I once again discover the beauty of Dharma to the lay practitioner like me.
After reading the message, I sent another message to my monitor. The message is translated below:
Dear Monitor,
Our plight is as described by our Abbot in his “Auspicious Vesak” debrief message! He is indeed wise!
Thankfully, both of us have conquered our ordeal and emerged victorious! Rejoice to both of us. Still, there is a need to further meditate on the wise words by our Abbot.
I have learned and will remind myself of this lesson on attachment and letting go. Perhaps, it is a tailored lesson for me. Often, our weakest link is where Dharma helps us to seal the gap and make us stronger and more importantly wiser.
Indeed, we need to OMAK each other. You led the team and the class volunteered for the event because we have made the aspiration to establish and propagate the Teachings to benefit all sentient beings. We did not do it for personal gains.
Inevitably, both of us had our afflictions in the process, but our initial aspiration is the same. Gratefully we both had this in mind.
In the process, we had our friction arising from the fate of the handmade props, but we both did not want this to damage or worse end our 3-year relationship. We each did our reflections and sought understanding from the other party. We tried to our best ability not to take it too personally. It was not easy. Really not easy!
I got to understand that you did not want to make my life difficult, but you could not find a better solution to the problem other than throwing away the handmade props. The constraints were that of transportation and future storage.
I now appreciate the opportunity arising as it helped me to clear my obscuration and accumulate merits, serve others and ultimately attain Buddhahood. It became an excellent opportunity for me to practice the Dharma. I am so glad that we succeeded in this challenge!
Our Abbot shared that establishing the Teachings requires a collective effort and you are part of this group of people, who had made the aspiration to contribute to the Teachings. You are indeed precious to me. Now that we have met, I must learn to see your special strengths and good qualities. I cannot allow myself to focus on your faults and look for your weaknesses. This will be the biggest disadvantage to my spiritual learning and practice if I do so. Indeed, I have always had a deep respect for you and will continue to do so!
Thankful that I could OMAK and see the merits of our classmates in our 6-week preparation and how your plan created an opportunity for all of us to accumulate merits.
REJOICE to you!
I told myself that the Joyous Insightful Praise class has collectively sowed virtuous seeds regardless of the fate of the props.
“This event had received more than 30 000 people, who, because of what we have done, will in the future learn the Stages of the Path, and eventually gain Buddhahood.”
It is really a wonderfully happy occasion!
Taming the “attachment monster” in my heart is the challenge which Buddha, our lineage masters, Dharma and Sangha accomplished. The process was filled with tears, afflictions, pain, suffering and also prayers to the Buddhas seeking Compassion and Wisdom. But the Triple Gem allowed me to share with you my personal reflections, salvaged our relationship and allowed me to continue my practice on this pathway of enlightenment. I am ever grateful!
We also had a beautifully heartwarming finale to the project and our graduation from the Joyous Insightful Praise Class. The handmade pop-out cards and carnations express my gratitude to you and the other monitors as well as care co-ordinators during our course.
Thanks once again for the opportunity to be one more step nearer to Buddhahood! Let’s aspire to help each other on our path to Buddhahood.
Three years ago, the Joyous Insightful Praise Class was launched. The target audience was non-Lamrim students.
As my aunt knew that I love to sing, she used this skilful medium to get me to sign up for the class and return to the somewhat familiar society, which was not my first class here. In 2010, I attended a Lamrim class after a few months, but gave it up due to my busy work schedule amongst other reasons.
We did not have many students in the Joyous Insightful Praise Class. The class enrolment was less than ten. Nonetheless, in the three years of our course, six of us took up Lamrim courses. Over time, some of us even successfully introduced our family members or friends to take Lamrim classes.
This could be attributed to the structure of the Joyous Insightful Praise. During the lessons, not only did we sing melodious Insightful Praises, we learned more about the Dharma weaved within the lyrics. We too learned about the efforts of Master Jih-Chang and Teacher Zhen-Ru in propagating the Dharma.
Like all classes, we too had two classmates who stopped attending as they had to serve their “National Service” at home to care for grandchildren.
In the three years, our course curriculum evolved. We added time slots for watching short video clips from the Enlightenment Program on the LucidiTV Channel.
These clips included the series from “A Spiritual Dialogue with our Virtuous Practitioner” and “Protect your Life in Just Three Minutes”.
We too enjoyed the weekly treat of yummy guava, shared our little virtuous deeds and takeaways of experiences gathered on our Dharma Seeking trips and spiritual expeditions.
In 2016 and 2017, nearing the Lunar New Year season, we even had two outreach activities to the community by performing action songs: “Thank You for your Compassionate Heart” and “Fill the world with Loving Trees” for the residents at the Man Fut Tong Nursing Home.
This year, knowing that our monitor, Sister Neo Sor Kheng is going to set up an “Auspicious Paradise Studio” booth at the 2017 Auspicious Vesak, I too felt that this was a very good form of entertainment for non-Lamrim students as well as providing studio services to BWM members. This would capture their joyous moments with their family and friends at our Vesak event.
Thus, six weeks before the event, we started to do research and conceptualise the props that we want to create for the photo booth. As our Monitor Sor Kheng has always given her best in caring for our class, the class in return also puts their best foot forward for the plan.
Together, we aspired to make our offering in time and effort to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and benefit all sentient beings. We are not craft experts, but we learnt from the internet. At times when we failed to create crafts as beautiful as those in the demo videos, we improvised.
After hearing news that some committees are keen to use our props after our event, we had an even stronger drive to produce our props. As a class, we learnt a lot. As envisioned by our Master Venerable Jih-Chang, our pathway to enlightenment will not be a lonely one as we have virtuous friends and practitioners to walk with us.
When facing challenges which is expected in the process, I have always tried to keep in mind the sincere motivation of benefiting all sentient beings and seek resolutions. Even in times of tiredness and tight schedule, our class forged ahead courageously. When facing the challenge of props storage after the event, I had agreed to keep the props in my residence till August after the monastery is ready.
However, a bigger challenge awaits. News came that there is no transport for all the props and their fate may be to have them being thrown away. When I heard that these props which the class has painstakingly created over six weeks will be thrown away straight after the event, I was stunned and lost for words.
Immediately, I reached out to a family member who has transport, but he has a work assignment and my Plan A could not work. Thankfully, another cousin gave me a Plan B of calling for a larger capacity taxi via a taxi application. That gave me some consolation.
Thankfully, Buddha gave me an even better Plan C. I was able to locate two BWM members who would like to adopt the photo booth props for their future events and thus would transport them back after the event. I was so thankful that my prayers were heard and answered.
Though the props had finally found their respective homes, I reflected to ask myself: “What is my learning from this incident?”
My answer: ATTACHMENT! I can only gain by letting go.
Why do I say this? Let me continue to share my learning journey in the next release.
On 22nd April 2017, our class 14广006C gathered at our classmate, Mr Steven Teo’s office to participate in vast offering, assembly of Buddha figures, and the convocation for our completion of the path of small capacity. Earlier this year, our Abbot Venerable Jing Yuan, has accepted Steven’s kind offer to make 22 Buddha figures for the 2017 Auspicious Vesak day. After manufacturing the different components of the Buddha artefacts, Steven has generously arranged for our class to partake in the final assembly of the Buddha figures so that we can all benefit from this sublimely merit deed.
The joyous and auspicious event kicked off with a sumptuous lunch of vegetarian delights. Everyone was feeling extremely grateful and fortuitous to participate in this special occasion, for the joy was truly triple fold and the merits immeasurable. After lunch, it was time to start working. Steven and his assistants explained the procedure for the Buddha assembly and the class was subsequently split into two working groups. By the grace of Buddha and Master Jih-Chang, we managed not only to complete the Buddha artefacts in time but also had time to construct an additional number of poster frames.
After the Buddha assembly session, our class adjourned to the lounge where we began our praying session. We recited the various mantras, the 35 Buddha’s’ repentance, and other prayers. Then we had a sharing session of the work that we did today. The Buddha assembly session has brought a tremendous sense of camaraderie and we are very grateful to our classmate Steven for this rare opportunity. Notably, monitor Koh Lee Hoon, pointed out many instances in the Lamrim that state the merits of Buddha construction; the CEO of BW Monastery, Dr Oh Kheng Hoe, recounted a story of a young monk who had his longevity extended through his virtuous merit of redrawing the Buddha figure in a decrepit temple.
For our convocation for the completion of the path of small capacity, we invited the honorary chairman of BW Monastary, Mr Tan Tong Eng, to present to us our certificates. Even though we have only completed 1/3 of the Lamrim, it is still a very significant milestone for the class, and we took the opportunity to congratulate one another and be thankful for all the blessings we have received from Buddha. May we always be guided under the direction of our dearest Master Jih-Chang, Teacher Zhen-Ru, and the Triple Gems till we attain Buddhahood. The memory of this wonderful day will forever be etched in our heart.
It is certainly not one of those usual lazy Sunday afternoons that I normally have. 15th April 2017 is a special day for me. Special in a sense that this Sunday was actually Inter-Racial and Religious Conference Circle (IRCC) day. By attending such an event made me aware that this activity was actually about promoting racial and religious harmony in Singapore. I went with absolutely not knowing what to expect from the event.
Upon invitation by my class monitor, Hui Ling, I met her outside the newly built BW Monastery at Woodlands Drive 16. I was simply enthralled by the majestic design that comes with matching tinted window panes. The whole building exudes a grand aura that captivates any passer-by and is definitely an iconic 4 storey building up in the north. There were others outside the building, equally immersed by the grandeur of the Monastery.
We had a very unique opportunity to stand outside the newly built Monastery and have that memorable moment captured.
Many hands made light work. Our classmates gathered in the kitchen of Ace Community Centre, Woodlands Drive Ave 1 all helping out to prepare the ingredients needed for cooking meal for IRCC’s invited guests.
As I left that day’s event after a hearty meal, I cannot help but feel that this IRCC day has made me aware that Singapore has such the use of multiple forms of languages and dialects, thus forming the rich social and communication fabric of the country,
Different Races. Many Beliefs. One Nation.
By Chong Lee
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