Category: Greetings

Year End Reflections 年末思旅

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It’s been a great year! Thanks for being a part of it.
Reflect over the year … no matter how great it was, it was possible only through the kind help and support of many others. Be Thankful and Grateful.

No matter how lousy some days were, we survived it. There are many others who did not. Be Strong!

No matter how we are sometimes impatient and lose our temper, we can and should try again … and again. Have more patience and compassion for others, but even more so, have patience and compassion with ourselves!

Join me in changing the world in 2015 … … starting with ourselves!
May all be safe, healthy and peaceful,
may all be guided and protected by the Buddha, Dharma and the Sangha in the new year! 阿彌陀佛！

 

过去的—年很美好！感谢您与我—同渡过。

回憶回憶　。。。
无论多么美好，也离不开他人的鼎力支持与协助。
致以由衷的谢意，感恩！

无论经历怎样的艰难困苦，我们不是—样挺过来了！然而不少人却没有这样的福气！让我们坚强如初吧！

无论有时多么沒耐心或发脾气，我们都可以也应该反复不断地努力克服。对他人充满耐心和慈悲，对我们自己更应如此。

来，与我—起在2015年改變這世界　。。。　。。。从我们自身做起!
祝愿大家，安康详和!
祝愿大家，得到佛法僧三寶的指引和庇祐！
阿弥陀佛！

(Susanna 譯)

https://www.facebook.com/wakeupnow/posts/10153406272454008

Volunteers’ Appreciation Dinner 2014 – Some reflections for the evening

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Got back from the retreat at noon, had a parents’ class, followed by children’s classes.  The day ended with the KMSPKS Volunteers’ Appreciation Dinner 2014! (Address by my shifu and my reflections down below)

The whole dinning hall on the 2nd floor of Venerable Hong Choon Memorial Hall is filled to the rim with volunteers tonight!

 

The night started with shifu’s address, emphasising on gratitude towards the volunteers’ contribution to the Buddhist community and the monastery.  He also highlighted how while lay buddhists come and volunteer, it is a form of giving (dana, 布施), and we should contribute happily.  And by happily, it means we must learn the Dharma (Buddha’s teachings) so that we can overcome our defilements (烦恼), which is the aim of Buddhism.

He then urge all to continue to serve the community and at the same time learn more of the Buddha Dharma, by attending the Dharma classes and talks, and concluded once again with much thanks and gratitude for the support and effort by the volunteers.

 

Performance by our monastery choir starting off the evening’s programme.  Feeling a crooning humming?  Come sign up with us http://youth.kmspks.org

Second performance by the lovely children from the Saturday Sunday School in KMSPKS ^.^

Our volunteer teacher instructor for their dance performance … wow!

More performances by our youths!!  woo hoo!! ^_^

 

And here comes the finale performances.

TIL* that instagram video capture requires you to press … AND HOLD!!  *face palm* myself. -.-“””

So the only video clip I took of the ACC performance during the KMSPKS Volunteers’ Appreciation Dinner was three short spurts … … o_O

TIL – Today I Learn

But what a night!  One thing that the students from ACC said about their choice of the song “龙的传人” touched me.  They heard that many Singaporean Chinese do not speak Mandarin, so they wanted to come here and share with us the Chinese song, to encourage us, that if they being Africans can sing the song “龙的传人” those “gan-dang” among us can also learn and appreciate Chinese language and culture.

Shifu used to be “gan-dang” too.  But after ordaining as a monk, I had to learn Chinese from scratch.  Sutras are in classical Chinese and all lessons were in Mandarin, taught by my late compassionate ordination teacher, Master Miu Jing.  Over the years, lugging around thick dictionaries (for Mandarin and Buddhist technical terms), and much much support and guidance from senior venerables, I’ve managed to shed my “gan-dang”ness to become more bi-lingual. ^_^ (y)

So, take up the challenge today!  Come learn Chinese, and unlock the marvel and wisdom within the Chinese culture and the Buddhist sutras (scriptures) translated by our lineage Masters!