#virtuous act

修习妙乐善行的一天

我们北区广论研讨班（16广003C）在6月的第三个星期日（18/6/17）主办户外活动。在班长的安排下我们应邀到陈美玲同学刚搬迁的公寓做客。一行人浩浩荡荡来到坐落于海军部地铁附近的住宅楼宇，并邀请本闻法师和道慈法师带领我们进行洒净及主持广大供养。我们有机会进行这些事项，又能斋僧、用斋，对我们而言的确能够产生净罪集资及成佛资粮的作用。

美玲同学、她的家人，以及在场的同学与法师们一起持诵，进行洒净仪式。大家怀着清净之心，希望随着心和行皆得清净，周围的环境就会自然地流露出祥和的气氛及磁场。

接下来是进行广大供养，虽然我班还未读到广论109页第6 行所提到的“随念大恩恒勤修供养”的进度，但是从班长等的引导，我们略知报三宝恩的10大供养事：1） 供养身，2） 供养塔 ，3） 现前供养，4）不现前供养，5）自作供养，6）教他供养，7）财敬供养，8）广大供养，9）非染汙供养，10）正行供养。而我们正在进行的就是第8项的广大供养，若能随力修妙供养，就能够获得如广论告诉我们的：“能起无量广大果利，圆满众多资粮”。真是太妙了！

斋僧也是积功累德的一种方便——佛法二宝有赖于僧宝扶持，佛陀已经涅磐了，如果没有僧人说法，法就不能流布人间，人们的善根就无处培植。因此僧人继承与传递佛法的功德无可限量，所以能够服务僧人用斋是一种布施；另外自己用斋也是一种修行——为自他祈福能够修习感恩、惜福、慈悲的心，借此内观自省，策发我们珍惜眼前拥有的一切。可见佛法与生活本来就是一体，随时随处皆是我们修行的胜缘。

最后，我们和法师合照做为记念，大家也齐心帮忙收拾、善后。这一堂户外广论研讨课对我们的收获真是好多好多啊！

To gain, one must let go – Part 2

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.

With Metta,

Irene Lee

To gain, one must let go – Part 1

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.

挥汗合心力 布置妙会场

5月3日早上，12广001C班换上课地点——到Big Box 参与吉祥佛诞会场的布置工作。早到的同学还参与了法师们主持的洒净仪式。

正行时，大家自动自发分担工作，除了扫地、拉地毯，我们还合力把一辆辆叠着椅子的推车推到舞台前。每一位同学都做得特别开心、特别起劲，一点都不觉得累，原来今天是四月初八，是佛诞！

回向之前，大家在惠丽的带领下，学习 “我喜欢你——致佛陀的告白曲"的动作，希望在佛诞会中可以秀一下！

最后大家和丽娇同学拍照留念，因为她即将到美国陪伴待产的女儿，要半年后才能回来。

后来大家去喝茶，丽娇特意选了Roti Prata来吃，深怕未来半年无法吃到，除了新加坡美食之外，她一定会更想念同班的善友，以及吉祥宝聚寺的一切。

裱装佛像  共造善业

4月22日这一天，14广006C的同学抱着欢喜心到张金辉同学的工厂裱装佛像。活动的缘起是从净远法师让我们班的张金辉同学为5月的吉祥佛诞制作佛像开始的。金辉同学在与许丽芬班长讨论后，决定保留11尊佛像让同班同学们能参与最后的制作和组装，从而共造善业，得到师长、三宝的摄受。

当天中午左右，大家怀着一颗颗欢喜心，陆续抵达金辉同学的工厂。设供礼佛后，我们就开始享用同学们带来的斋菜。此时大家的心情都很愉悦，毕竟制作佛像是千载难逢的机会。饭后我们全班分成两组，金辉同学及他的员工就开始讲解今天制作佛像的步骤。平面佛像的零件事先都已做好，我们主要是将印有佛像的帆布裱在装有LED灯的木框上。大家怀着虔诚的心，在和谐愉快的气氛中，仔细地裱装佛像。在佛菩萨的加持下，过程一切顺利，我们甚至有多余的时间裱装展览用的海报。

裱装完毕后，我们把佛像安置在会议室，接上电源后，成排的佛像与师父的法像散发金黄色的光辉。大家内心都感到非常的殊胜与庄严。我们虔诚地摆放鲜花与各式的供品，开始礼佛、诵经、持咒、拜35佛忏，以及恭颂七支供养。在整个过程中，真是法喜充满。之后，我们分享了制作佛像的感想，大家都很随喜金辉同学发心让我们参与这样殊胜的功德。丽芬班长也带领我们复习《广论》所提到建寺与制造佛像的殊胜。

My Unusual Sunday

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

吉祥孔雀

孔雀为百鸟之王，它象征祥瑞，代表善良、华贵、圣洁……是供养佛、菩萨最上的圣品。

照片中的三位同学，分别为12广012C班的丽月、朱莉和14增028C班的丽珍，还有幕后的一些同学这段日子调整时间，互相配合，以欢喜、恭敬的心一笔一彩地为孔雀上色。所绘的孔雀翎羽清晰，神、韵尤佳。随喜！

抄经修行培福

大般若波罗蜜多经是诸佛之母，一切经典根本，般若通译为智慧代表。在师父上师的引导之下，爸爸学广论后就会读诵大般若经。2017年1月1日开始，爸爸每晚用大约一小时抄经，坚持之下已一个月零一天了，尽管视力欠佳，万籁寂静时，窗外一片漆黑，书房里桌灯下，正襟危坐，一笔一画笔耕种智慧之因。。。

感恩大师当年翻译之壮举，才有今日之美事。。。抄经，读经，与佛菩萨相知相惜的美妙时光。。。随喜啊！随喜啊！