Charity Food Fair 2013 @ Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple

On 8 December 2013, we participated in the Charity Food Fair 2013 @ Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple, Sentul by sponsoring and operating a food stall. The proceeds of the Food Fair would be contributed to the following charity program:

• Educare (in support of needy students)
• Srijayanti Free Clinics
• Srijayanti Free Tuition
• Srijayanti Metta Home
• Maha Karuna Mobile Free Clinics
• Senior Citizen Appreciation

We sold dhall fritters, herbal eggs, revive isotonic drinks, Ipoh white coffee, leongfun (grass jelly) drink and orange punch. All our food items were sold out by 1:00pm. We collected RM1,414 worth of coupon.

We acknowledge with metta and hereby record our sincere gratitude to the following sponsors who sponsored all the food items for sales:

1. Sis. Evon Wong for sponsoring 50 packets of Ipoh White Coffee.
2. Mrs. Kow, Sis Sally Teh and Sis Dora Lau for sponsoring ginger ale for orange punch and all the ingredients for the dhall vegetarian fritters. 
3. Bro. Chan Tuck Lock for sponsoring 3 cartons of Revive Istonic canned drink.
4. Mdm. Lim Saw Bee for sponsoring 240 herbal eggs.
5. Mrs. Tang for sponsoring 2 bottles of orange concentrate.
6. Sis Sherry for sponsoring the grass jelly (leongfun).

Group photo of volunteers

Preparing orange punch

Dhall vegetable fritters made by Sis. Sally Teh.

Herbal eggs made by Mdm Lim Saw Bee (Bro. Koy's mother)

Leongfun (grass jelly) and orange punch

Bro. Wong Ong received certification of appreciation from Bhante on behalf of BMSM Welfare

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Our sales collected RM1,414 worth of coupon.

Perak Religious/Charitable Trip 2013

We made our annual religious/charitable trip to Perak on 30 November - 1 December 2013. Our group consists of 42 welfare members and supporters.

Moving the provision to the bus before departure

On 30 November 2013, we departed from Buddhist Maha Vihara at around 9:00am. The bus driver took the Jalan Kuching way thinking that we were going to Raub. Most of us were paying attention to Bro. Tan's announcement in the bus, we only aware of the driver's mistake when we saw the signboard to Batu Caves. As a result of this delay, we reached our first destination, Vihara Bu Gotama in Temoh at about 12:10pm. Nevertheless, we were blessed to have an hour Q&A dhamma session with Bhante Hye. The session was very uplifting which recharged us with new source of energy to live in accordance with the dhamma.

Q&A dhamma session with Bhante Hye

After having our lunch at Yau Kee Restaurant in Kampar, we proceed to Batu Gajah Handicapped Children Welfare Home. A total of 42 "children" of various disabilities (i.e. cerebral epilepsy, severe mental retardation, speech disabilites, autism, etc) are being taken care full time in this home. We were glad to see many improvements in this home. It is equiped  with physiotherapy equipment and is  in the process of setting up a Special Multi-Sensory Therapy Room with Musical Light Therapy. This special therapy room would provide better treatment for residents who are hyperactive or with behavioral problem. We also noticed that the staff are uniformed which gave a more professional outlook.

The provision we donated to the Batu Gajah Children Home

Photograph session with the Batu Gajah Children Home Staff

Snapshot with the Batu Gajah Home "children"

Our next destination was Yayasan Latihan Insan Istimewa in Taman Camay, Pasir Putih. This home takes care of about 35 children of various disabilities. It runs a recycling centre next to the home  to generate additional fund for the home.  Many members enjoyed talking to the helpful and compassionate Indian lady caretaker to find out more about the "children". She is very fluent in Cantonese.

At Yayasan Latihan Insan Istimewa in Pasir Putih

Conversing with the caretaker to find out the condition of the "children" 

Bidding farewell to the Yayasan children

We gave our coordinator, Ipoh Buddhist Dhamma Association (IBDA) committee members a dinner treat  at Sun Marpoh Restaurant in Greentown.

After dinner, we listened to a dhamma talk entitled "You can be a dhamma preacher" by Dato Ang Choo Hong at IBDA centre in Canning Garden. He said the first step to be a dhamma preacher is to learn the dhamma and share it with our friends.  We should also develop spiritual friendship (kalyanamitta) to one another to pursue the noble eight fold path.  Being a kalyanamitta, we should possess the following qualities : approachable, a good listener,  skilled in counselling, able to expound dhamma in depth and not to be engaged in dispute. In addition, we should listen to the dhamma and lead others to listen to the dhamma; remember the dhamma and lead others to remember the dhama; contemplate over the dhamma and lead other to contemplate over the dhamma.  This talk resonated well with the audience as shown by a lively Q&A session after the talk.

Listening to dhamma talk by Dato' Ang Choo Hog

We ended the night with a sing together session with our host (IBDA members). The session was superb in bringing us closer together. Singing in a group made us feel good. It's got health benefits too. "The Telegraph" reported on 6 December 2013 that Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden found that our heartbeats synchronise when we sing together, bringing about a calming effect that is as beneficial to our health as yoga.

Sing together session with IBDA members

Group photograph with IBDA members

On the following day (1/12/2013), we visited two welfare homes and two  cave monasteries.

Bao En Shi Anning Old Folk Home

Our first destination was Bao En Shi Anning Old Folk Home and Children Home located at Ampang Baru New Village. The place is serene and the atmosphere is lovely. The centre is very well organised, neat and clean. There are full time and part time volunteers and fully and partly paid staff help to administer the centre.  It has a medical department which provide free healthcare and medical services to the needy. It also runs a free food department located in Ipoh city centre which distributes 150 packets of  lunch box to the homeless around Ipoh on daily basis. The Old Folk Home has about 45 residents. The Children Home takes care of about 30 children who come from poor and single parent home.

A very scenic view surrounding Bao En Shi

Scenic landscaping at Bao En Shi Anning Old Folk Home

The provision donated to Bao En Shi Anning Old Folk Home

Briefing by Bao En Shi administrator about the Old Folk Home

Briefing by the administrator of the Bao En Shi Children Welfare Home

We then  proceed to Dhammapiti Meditation Monastery in Gunung Lang. It is built in the cave. There is a pond few meters located before the entrance. The water is so clear that we could see the reflection of the hill. The surrounding atmosphere offers precious serenity to visitors and is an ideal setting for quiet reflection and solitude. We paid respect to the abbot, Venerable Tikkhyana.  We had a dhamma Q&A with him for about half an hour. The session was very beneficial as it uplifted our spirits to learn and practise the dhamma.

The gate of the  Dhammapiti Meditation Monastery

 The pond inside the compound of Dhammapiti Monastery

A kuti inside the compound of Dhammapiti Meditation Monastery

Ven. Tikhayana, the abbot of Dhammapiti Meditation Monastery

We then visited the Loyal handicapped and Disabled Children Home in Silibin. It provides full time care for about 39 "children". Due to time constraint, we stopped by at the home for about 15 minutes only.

Group photograph with the children and the founder of Loyal Handicapped & Disabled Children Welfare Home

Our last stop was at Sukhavana Meditation Monastery in Bercham. It is also built in the cave. The shrine hall is  located at ground level. There are several kutis built between the hills. Some parts of the steps leading up to the hills are slippery. One members slipped and fell while climbing up the steps to see the kutis. Fortunately,   she sustained minor skin injury only. We were informed by the administrator that the kutis were designed and built by a resident Thai monk.  The venerable is also good at making medicated oil, which are freely distributed to the visitors.

The entrance of Sukkhavana Meditation Monastery

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The shrine hall

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The resident Thai monk distributing the medicated oil

The steps leading to the kutis between the hills

A kuti in the hill

We are pleased to acknowledge with metta and hereby record our sincere gratitude to:

1. The Chief Reverend of Tung Lin Shao Chuk for providing us with accommodation for a night on 30/11/2013.
2. Dato' Ang Choo Hong for sharing his dhamma at IBDA centre on 30/11/2013 despite his busy schedule. Gift of dhamma excels all gifts.
3. The committee of Ipoh Buddhist Dhamma Association, particularly Bro. Fong Chin On for their thoughtful and kind assistance in planning our welfare in Ipoh and our visits to 3 monasteries.
4. Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple and Buddhist Maha Vihara for donating rice, cooking oil and beehoon.
5. Sis. Alice Lai & Bro. A.K. Lee for donating 10 packs of milo.
6. Bro. Gan Boon Heap for donating 30 sets of baked bean/sardines/sugar/soaps
7. Sis. Margarette Tan for donating 10 packs of adult pampers
8. Sis. Sherry Teh for donating 5 packs of washing powders
9. A fruit seller for donating 5 tins of biscuits.
10. The following cash donors: Mrs Kow, Sherine Peh, Dato Oh Bak Kim, Bro. Ooi Soon Kok, Sis. Sally Teh, Sis. Leong Lan Yin,Dhamma Family, Bro. Chow Kam Phoon, Sis. Chan Kwai Ying, Bro Tommy Teo, Sis Cheah Chooi Hwa, Sis Ooi Geok Looi and Bro. Ooi Huat Hoe
11. All participants of this trip, for their valuable support and kind participation.

Visit to Kim Loo Ting Hong Ying Home

We paid a visit to Kim Loo Ting Hong Ying Home on 15 October 2013.

The home currently provides full time care for about 20 old folks. It is an old folk home that deserves to be supported as it sincerely helps the elderly patients who are single and homeless or the terminally-ill without any dependents but have to leave the hospital(s).  The patients are given a decent and clean place to stay with proper care until they leave this world. The operating expenditure of the home is about RM10,000 per month. We donated RM1,600 towards the home's bereavement fund.

The home also provides free clinics (traditional Chinese medicine) to the needy every Sunday.

Buddhist Mahavihara Carnival 2013

On 28 July, 2013, Buddhist Mahavihara held its Carnival 2013 to raise fund to build additional Sunday School classrooms. It was a great opportunity for us to get involved in a good cause. We took up a stall and sponsored to sell variety of cakes, candy, bubur caca, leongfun and punch.

Cakes made by Sis. Chan/
Candies made by Mrs Kow

Suji cake made by Mrs Kow
Chiffon cakes made by Sis. Chan

Herbal eggs made by Bro. Koy's
mother and butter cup cake made
by Sis. Chan

Bro. Koy, Bro. Wong Ong and Sis. Selvi were manning the stall

Sis. Chan was making a sales

Mrs. Tang and Mrs. Kow were attending to a customer

We had a brisk business. All items were sold by 1:00pm.

A Tribute To the late Bro. Pheng Kian Guan

Our beloved friend and ex-Treasurer, the late Bro. Pheng Kian Guan passed away on 10 July 2013. 

It is with great sadness that he was taken away from us so soon and it is hard to understand why such a good person died before his due time. However, his death taught us that death is certain but the time of death is very uncertain. Hence, we must always try to do something good or we may miss the opportunity to do so. In our busy lives, we sometimes tend to take each other and things for granted.

Bro. Pheng had contributed invaluable service to the needy community through his involvement in Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia – Welfare Section. He had also played an active role in the Buddhist Maha Vihara Chanting Group, of which he was the leader every Tuesday. He had been a people’s person in Buddhist Maha Vihara. He was warm, caring and a delight to be around. He loved to share dhmma with any one he came in contact with, particularly new acquaintances and had touched many of them in a positive way. 

Bro. Pheng served the Welfare Committee as an ordinary committee member from 1999 to 2005 and  as the Honorary Treasurer since 1 January 2006until he passed away on 10 July 2013. He had all the good qualities of a good treasurer –attentive to details and meticulous in recording the funds down to the cents. He was very transparent in his accounts. During every welfare trip, he announced to the participants the detailed receipts and payments and  balances  for the trip even before the bus reached Kuala Lumpur.

Being physically strongest among all of us, he wasn’t just our treasurer, but also our frontman providing physical support for all our welfare activities. During Wesak Day, he helped to put up the banners for our stalls and fetching water for the food stall. During the charity trips, he ensured that all the provisions were moved from the store to the bus and distributed to each beneficiary correctly. Our bus journey was full of fun because of him. He was always the first to sing and he got other participants to join in the fun.

He certainly left his mark and no-one will forget his kindness, dedication and commitment. A big crowd turned up during his wake at Kwang Tung Funeral Parlour Kuala Lumpur on 12 July 2013 and the 7thday  memorial service at Buddhist Maha Vihara on 17 July 2013.

We wish him a good rebirth and the earliest opportunity to attain the bliss of Nibbana.