bf newsletter (jul-sep 11)

MICA (P) 157/05/2011EVENTS & TALKS HIGHLIGHTS

WEDNESDAY TALKS24 AUG 2011

31 AUG 201107 SEP 201114 SEP 2011

21 SEP 201128 SEP 2011

SUNDAY TALKS28 AUG 2011

04 SEP 2011

11 SEP 201118 SEP 2011

25 SEP 2011

Rachel Lim Swee San | Introduction to Humanistic BuddhismBro. George Lim | To be advisedBro. Richard Chia | DesireBro. Richard Chia | Ill Will and Mental CultivationBro. Richard Chia | Goals and AspirationBro. Richard Chia | Meditation, Not Just Another Stress Reliever!

Ven Rathanasara | How To Dilute Your Negative KarmaBro. Piya Tan | How To Get Along With OthersBro.Tan Hun Tong| To be advisedVen. Rathanasara | What Happen To Liv-ing Beings When World Perishes?Ven. Shi Chun Zhi | To be advised

ONNECTIONCNEWSLETTER OF THE BUDDHIST FELLOWSHIP | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2011

*talks highlights are accurate at print time and continues on last page

INTERVIEW WITH AJAHN BRAHMALI17th MAY 2011 By C U Pinn

3rd Proof Title: Connection Buddhist Fellowship (Kep Media) Job No: CK0811-34 / YEE PEI #175

When Eng Chin (a well-known name in Buddhist Fellowship) called to ask if I would be interested in interviewing Ajahn Brahmali for a Vesak Day article, I jumped at the opportunity. Aft erall, it is not every day that one gets to have a one-to-one session with a revered monk. Furthermore, there were no restric-tions on the category of questions that I could ask. In other words, I had free reign to pose questions on any topic that I was curious about. What a delicious thought!

At the interview, I noted that Ajahn Brahmali pos-sessed a youthful countenance belying his years, and clear twinkling eyes that are the distinctive traits of a well-accomplished meditator. I was certain that his answers to my questions would therefore be laden with wisdom. I could not wait to begin fi ring my bar-rage of queries. However, since Vesak Day was just one day away, I thought I should at least have a ques-tion on Vesak Day even though I had other burning inquisitions on my mind.

Vesak DayFrom his personal perspective, Ajahn Brahmali

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opined that we should use Vesak Day to re-mind ourselves of the qualities of the Bud-dha, the most impor-tant being the Bud-dha’s compassion. As

Ajahn Brahmali emphasized, “It is aft erall the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion that ensures we can trust the teachings of the Buddha to be completely benefi cial to us.”. How very true. I could not help but nod in agreement.

As Vesak Day is the day that the Buddha gained enlightenment, I decided to ask about this topic too in relation to karma (discourses on karma always being a pet favourite of mine). Without a doubt, I would like to never have to be reborn again, but I have serious suspicions about my be-ing able to even attain anything near being a stream enterer, not to mention enlighten-ment. Th us, I asked Ajahn Brahmali if one needed a certain amount of good karma or type of karma to attain enlightenment.

Ajahn Brahmali replied solemnly that I should not think of enlightenment as be-ing based on karma only. Instead, spiritual qualities are more important, and that is something that everyone can build on. If we focus on karma, then we may become stuck on the idea that we cannot move forward in our practice of Buddhism. I was stunned by his perceptiveness, because deep down, I knew I was using karma as an excuse for not diligently persisting in my meditation prac-tice. I gaped like a fi sh for a few seconds.

Lust, Greed and AngerAbashed, I quickly moved on to more prac-tical questions that I felt would not only

benefi t myself, but also others. I enquired if there were methods that we could use at all times to let go of “sticky thoughts”, even at our workplace. For example, if I chanced upon a handbag that I really liked although I knew I should not buy it, how do I let go of that “lust for the bag” that keeps circulat-ing in my mind? Similarly, how do I let go of angry thoughts against a person?

Ajahn Brahmali replied that whether it is with regards to an item or a person, one must always practice loving kindness. Th ere is no short-cut (which is what I was secretly hoping for), but rather a slow steady process of cultivating loving kindness towards eve-ryone and everything, and understanding that every product or event is always tran-sient.

When I fi rst heard the above, to be honest, I was a little skeptical wondering how I could apply loving kindness towards a handbag. But as the days passed, and Ajahn Brahmali’s words stuck in my mind, I began to under-stand a little of the wisdom in his profound advice. For as I attempted to cultivate loving kindness towards all people and situations, I could feel my need to seek out temporary pleasures from material acquisitions de-crease. Th us, this is the real gem that I gleaned from my in-terview with Ajahn Brahmali. Indeed I hope this will be a lesson that will al-ways stay with me, because without even considering all the other won-derful benefi ts, it will at least help to preserve my bank account!

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Some 2500 years ago, along the bank of the Neranjara River, under a sprawling Bodhi tree, the course of human destiny was changed. A teaching so pristine and pure had emerged. It illuminated a world shrouded with superstition, hatred, fear and ignorance; a wellspring of wisdom, true love and happiness.

Vesak not only marks the day of Birth, Enlightenment, and Death of the Buddha, but more importantly, it celebrates the life message of the Buddha, the message of de-liverance through one’s eff orts of right wis-dom, right conduct, and right concentra-tion. And on this day, we seek to renew our dedication to the practice of the Dhamma.Th is year, Buddhist Fellowship organised a host of Vesak programmes to foster the values of gratitude, loving kindness, peace and harmony among its members.

As exhorted by the Buddha, there are 2 kinds of people who are rare in this world – the one who is fi rst to do kindness, and the one who is grateful and thankful for a kind-ness done (AN 2.118). Such paucity not only urges greater appreciation for people of such qualities, but more importantly, encourages one to aspire towards them, and it was in this spirit that the Vesak Mother’s Day Lunch was celebrated. Th e act of grat-itude was not only showered upon moth-ers, but it was also extended to other mem-bers of the family, friends, colleagues, and ardent volunteers of the Buddhist Fellow-

Vesak Overview By Loh Wenjie

ship. Guests were treated to a sump-tuous unadulter-ated spread of food for lunch, but it was made replete with the teachings of the Buddha, when Ajahn Brahmali gave a talk on “Celebrating A Parent’s Love”. Th e repayment of kindness towards one’s parents, Ajahn emphasised, is the hardest, and the best way to show one’s gratitude is not just by well-intent acts of care and love, but by rousing them to strengthen the qualities of conviction, virtue, generosity, and dis-cernment. But more importantly, the Buddha urges one to develop these qualities himself. Th is way, one repays the kindness of the parents by spread-ing the goodness from the small circle of the family into the greater world at large.

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Th e joy of sharing and loving swathed the Buddhist Fel-lowship Vesak Carnival when c e l e b r a t i o n s carried on through the weekend. Th e

happiness was al-most palpable as members engaged in a range of games, food, snacks, music, and performances. However, such happiness was short lived when Ajahn Brahmali re-minded us on its ephemeral nature when he gave a talk on “Peace is the Highest Happiness”, a timely reminder on how one should not be lost in rounds of merriment before it’s too late to practice the Dhamma. Adding on, Ajahn also shared with the youths on the wisdom of true love when he gave a talk on “Power of the Unconditional Love”, a fi tting complement to the previous talk as both peace and love are inextricably interlaced, just as night follows day. And it is through the cultivation of peace & love that one gets closer to the highest state of happiness, the bliss of Nibbana.

Aft er much talk about peace & love, the teachings were put into practice during the Buddhist Fellowship Vesak Interfaith Cel-ebration at the Asian Civilisation Museum, where leaders from the Bahai, Catholic, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Taoist faiths were invited to share their teachings and performances with the crowd. As noted by Guest-of-Honour, Member of Parliament Zaqy Mohamad, it is very important to embrace diversity in a society, and the best

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way to do it is to meet people of diff erent faiths face-to-face. And aptly, the event served as a wonderful platform for such an interaction to foster understanding and respect, a truly inspir-ing moment of love and harmony when some parts of the world are still mired in bigoted wars and crusades.

As the fun and laughter subside, and as the Vesak celebrations draw to an end, what re-mains is the ringing truth of the Dhamma expounded during the course of the cel-ebrations. A truth that does not fi nd its rel-evance only on the day of Vesak, but a uni-versal truth that permeates all boundaries, time, and existences, a truth truly worth celebrating for every single day.

Special thanks to all the organisers, donors, volunteers, and supporters of the Vesak Celebrations.


Zaqy: Don’t Forget Inter-Faith Eff orts(mypaper, Wednesday May 18, 2011

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Vesak@Orchard Vesak@Orchard By Jan Tan

One would normally associate Orchard Road with shopping and fashion. Howev-er, it was a completely diff erent case on 31 April and 1 May 2011, as various Buddhist societies in Singapore gathered at the Ngee Ann City concourse to celebrate the most important event in the Buddhist calendar.

Coined “Vesak@Orchard”, this event aims to promote a better understanding of Bud-dhism among Singaporeans, especially the youths, and to clear the many misconcep-tions people usually have about it. Many Buddhist organizations collaborated to-gether, coming up with a myriad of attrac-tive activities.

Th ere were stalls of delicious food (veg-etarian, of course!) such as laksa, as well as handicraft stalls selling beautiful orna-ments. And what would a Buddhist festival be without a Buddha statue? Th e centre of attraction for this year was a majestic ivory Buddhist statue in the middle of the tent-age, surrounded by colourful twinkling lights and fragrant fl owers.

Th ough the area was a hive of activity, the statue’s presence brought about a certain sense of calm and serenity amidst all the enthusiasm and noise, reminding us the reason for the joyous occasion.

Th roughout the two days, there were exciting performances by various Buddhist societies - showing off the cool and engaging side of the Buddhist society. Th ese included K-pop dances and song performances by groups such as Singapore Buddhist Mission and SOKA.

Our very own BFY Dance Interest Group put up a highly-anticipated and energetic performance choreographed by Sister Siew Fong. Th e group’s countless weeks of prac-tice paid off as the routine was met with rousing applause and cheers. Other youths had also worked hard for this event, coming up with an eye-catching fl yer for the public to get to know more about BF.

Altogether, the event was an exciting and appealing one as it fulfi lled its aim of get-ting Singaporeans to understand Buddhism better, and also for the Buddhist society to forge better ties and increase solidarity with one other. We are defi nitely looking forward to Vesak@Orchard 2012, where another two days of fun and action await us!

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Vesak Day is a celebration of Bud-dha’s birth, enlightenment and death, world peace and harmony, and a good opportunity to practice the dhamma, including dana. On that note, the Bud-dhist Fellowship Youth Group took part in Buddhist Fellowship’s carnival for a day of fund-raising, during which many forked out their pocket money or fresh salaries to support the stalls for a good cause.

The youths were in charge of the two game stalls – the dunk-ing machine and basketball. At the basketball stall, youths pitted their basketball skills against each other. We spotted young basketball talents who swept away quite a few of our prizes! As the stall was situated at the edge of the road, some of us who were less well-versed in the art of bouncing a ball ended up hitting the ball off the road onto the grass and even into the drain, resulting in nasty expeditions to retrieve the ball with unwanted em-bellishments from the grass.

The dunking machine received the most attention, awakening a lit-tle mischief in us as we aimed pieces of rolled-up wet cloths at the trigger to bring our friends down into the black pool of water. But perhaps the ones having the greatest fun were the ones

being dunked, especially since it was a warm day.

Fellow youth member Jen Tan recalled, “It was so scary sitting up there, knowing you’re going to drop in anytime! But it was fun!”

Many of the youths also helped out at their parents’ stalls - with face-painting, selling bal-loon sculptures, lem-on grass drinks and other assorted food. Some even stayed up the night before to prepare! Of course,

the hard work was duly rewarded with delicious Katong laksa and mee siam from the famous Katong stall itself. It was also a good opportunity for family bonding - echoing the family-oriented environment of Buddhist Fellowship itself!

The Music Interest Group and Dance Interest Group of the Buddhist Fellowship Youth Group showcased their efforts in a lunchtime concert, with fl autist Rit and pi-anist August performing a light-heart-ed duet and

Buddhist Fellowship Vesak Carnival 2011

By Kiew Su Yun


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the dancers p u m p i n ’ and lockin’ and a little shuffl in’ to the beats of Lady Gaga.

P h i o n n a and I took the opportunity to prompt the audience to buy sculpted balloon fl owers for the dancers, which yielded good response. We had to take orders as supply was insuffi cient! Most pop-ular were the wrist-strapped fl owers, especially among girls.

Outdoors, some of the youths ran the “car rim shine” stall, which was a

scaled down version of a car-wash. The youths had the most fun out of the idea - scrubbing and polishing the cars. Scrubbing the inte-rior of the wheels was the toughest job of all, having to pick at the stubborn stains! Most drivers were very sup-portive and agreed to

have their rims polished, which gave us good business.

The carnival ended with a game of bingo, during which participants excitedly cringed or cheered at every number called. There was a sense of suspense in between every number that was called out as host Thow would give hints to the number and the spon-taneous audience would shout out their desired numbers, following which they would excitedly strike off the number or whine at a less desired outcome.

At the close of the carnival, the youths, along with other participants of the carnival, attended a talk on “Un-conditional Love” by Ajahn Brahmali. In the midst of a busy day of entrepre-neurship and laughter, it was lovely to have time for refl ection and introspec-tion, as encouraged by the dhamma –to cultivate peace within oneself. Inter-estingly, parents spoke of how they would be more affectionate to-wards a child if he studied hard as compared to if he played c o m p u t e r games.

A j a h n Brahmali re-plied that one should accept and love peo-ple for who they are. As to the method of care or discipline for the child, that would be a separate issue. Another in-teresting point was about the decisions one makes in social networking, such as which friends we choose to confi de in or form closer bonds with – is that decision-making process contrary to unconditional love?

Ajahn Brahmali answered that as long as there is always goodwill and kindness towards a friend, it is uncon-ditional love. I believe Ajahn Brah-mali’s words resonated within us for we all have experienced somewhat, though perhaps not perfectly, uncondi-tional love from people around us. The talk enlightened the listeners on the nobility and power of love and kind-ness without strings attached.


“If you are a student above 15, come join the Youth Camp!”

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“Don’t run!” exclaimed the Luang Pee (a Th ai term for a young venerable). “Monks don’t run. They only walk fast if there is a need to!”

Being typically “kan-cheong” (a hokkien term to denote a person with a nervous disposition or eas-ily fl ustered), it was a rather daunting start to my monkhood, especially when I was ordained as a monk just a couple of hours ago.

Before I talk about my experiences in monkhood, it is essential to explain the conditions that led to my decision. While I was working (5 years in the civil aviation industry) during the past 7 years, I oft en asked myself what I really wanted to pursue in my life.

As the years passed, most of my peers had “progressed” in the lives - they had climbed the corporate ladder, got married, have kids, owned property, bought cars and grew their sav-ings (through all sorts of investments). Somehow, neither of these attracted me. One might say that I am not an ambitious person - all I was interested in is to travel around the world and fi nd a place where true peace awaits.

As naive as I was, I backpacked to all 6 continents (29 countries and counting) whenever I could in search of this little piece of haven for myself. Well, this must be a very secret place and most diffi cult to get to. Th us I travelled (a 96-hour journey by air and land) to the furthest place I could travel to and came to this town called Ushuaia.

Located at the most southern tip of the South America continent, Ushuaia is better known as the Fin Del Mundo (or the “End of the World”) as it is the most southern city in the 6 main continents). When I got there, I had expected to find real peace “littered” on the streets. But all I found on the streets were frozen pavements with beer bottles and a very harsh weather as it was the middle of winter.

There was clearly no true peace here and I was bitterly disappointed!!

S u d d e n l y , a thought arose in my mind and made me realize how foolish I was. True happiness does not exist externally, it arises with-in our hearts. If I was not peaceful inside, I will never fi nd any peace wherever I go. From then on, I became more aware and went on searching for peace in myself rather than externally.

I believe there is this non-sensical aspect in every one of us and in this case, it overcame me, which led me to a decision to quit my job and do a sabbatical. Most of my peers thought I was out of my mind to do this at this stage of my life.

Aft er being travelling in Laos for a month, I went to Bangkok and was ordained as a Bikkhu (YES!! 227 precepts!) in April 2011. Just before I left, many friends and fellow Dhamma brothers asked me what I would expect to gain after be-ing a monk. The question took me by surprise as I had no expectations whatsoever and just wanted to experience what it was like to be a monk.

I tried to exorcise the fears and doubts - aft er all, being a monk was defi nitely something new for me - by treating this experience as an adventure; that is, a backpacking trip into my MIND.

As there were several chants to be memorized and recited during the ordination ceremony, I duti-fully made sure that I knew the chanting by hard. I thought that the dust would settle af-ter the ordination ceremony but I was in for a “rude” shock.

A Backpacking Adventure into My Mind…By: Bro Pei Chong (formerly Bikkhu Indhawangso)


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Everything was new to me and I felt like an infant who had just arrived in this world. I had difficulty in do-ing everything - walking mindfully (that was a huge challenge as I was so used to running around), wearing my robe (my arms felt so sore aft er 3 days!), going barefoot during the morning alms round and

waiting to be off ered food.

Worst of all, my mind was fl ying everywhere (except being still) – from lust (I was still a man aft er all), to desire to use the Internet and for my mother’s home cooked meals. I never knew that I was at-tracted to so much sensual pleasures!

But surprisingly, being in the monastery is very much like being in an army camp with well laid-out rules without anyone shouting at you though. My fellow monks were the nicest and most patient human beings I had ever met in this world. They were always smiling, calm (even when my robe was about to fall off) and assisted me when I needed help.

While I attended the orientation course - which was arranged for newly ordained monks - during the day, I read Dhamma books during the night. As time passes, I became more and more adapted to monastic life and started slowing myself down. I looked forward to reading Ajahn Chah’s books in the evenings as he dwelled on seemingly simple (but very profound) topics on the three charac-teristics of existence (impermanence, suff ering & non-self).

Somehow, the doubts and uncertainty I experienced during the day were accurately addressed by Ajahn Chah’s Dhamma speeches. I calmed down im-mensely, even though the bright lights of Bangkok were always just outside the windows of my little kuti.

I was also fortunate enough to stay in a for-est monastery in Loei province (Northeastern Thailand). Monastics lived a much simpler

life here, with no television, newspaper and the bright lights (or temptations) of the city. All we had here were kutis on a hill surrounded by a tranquil forest.

In the midst of the cool mountain breeze, I spent my time walking around the monastery while sweeping the withered leaves off the path leading to the inner sala (hall). I never thought that I could be so aware of the surroundings; I could hear branches falling while birds chirped in the background. Everything was like Dhamma to me. It was an amazing experience!

While things were slowly falling in place, I knew deep inside me that I was not ready to let go of my worldly commitments. I decided that rather than forcing myself to keep the Vinaya (the disciplinary rules for Buddhist monastics) and be constantly bothered by thoughts of the outside world, it would be better for me to be a good lay-person who keeps his five precepts strictly and contribute his eff orts to supporting the Buddhist community.

Aft er spending 23 days as a monk (prior to that, another 5 days as an 8-preceptor), I disrobed and left the Sangha community. Although the time I spent as a monk was hardly considered as lengthy, the experiences gathered were much more valu-able and vital to my spiritual growth - though I know this is only the start to a long, tough but possible journey towards the ultimate destination of Nibbana.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Bro Henry Baey and Sis Angie Chew, the current and previous BF presidents respectively, for the unlimited patience and support given to me in my pursuit of true peace and happiness. I must also thank my god-aunty (you know who you are) for being always being around and so supportive (especially with your motivational messages from Perth). Without you, none of this would have been possible indeed.

EEaahhIIiimmccrrrr33tt


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We all have our secret relationships. Maybe it is with someone we regard as our soul-mate, with whom we wish to share our lives. If we are married, or have been married, we are likely to know that people, especially our spouses, partners, or children, are not always predictable.

Even with friends or anyone we know, our words have oft en enough been taken the wrong way.

Or, worse, we try to anticipate others, only to find that they fall short of our expec-tations. We may tr y to define a person, to take an emotional snapshot of someone, but that person remains forever indefi nable; for, his journey is not yet done; nor ours. More oft en, however, we do not really know how to read people.

We do not always really know what others, even those whom we truly love, are thinking or feeling. If we could do all this, perhaps we would never have had any relationship problem, marriage strife, or family difficulty. Friendships would not break up. Communications would be happier.

On the other hand, if we think that we “know” others ver y well, we might, in reality, be manipulative, or be only looking at those aspects of people that we choose to look at. Th e problem here is that we tend to have fi xed views of people, and of ourselves, too. We have practically stopped learning about them, or even about ourselves.

Our lives then lack the surprises of others’ goodness and genius. The reality is that people change; we change. We might notice such happy surprises (let us leave out the sad ones) during happy occasions, such as family reunions or

meeting old friends a f t e r a l o n g a b -s e n c e .

We might notice that their goodness have ma-tured with age, and it is a great pleasure to be in their company. A benefi t of such an encounter is that we know we can trust such people. We can truly connect with them. In fact, we can learn a lot from such positive people. Such goodness rises above family and blood relations. We have a sense of comfort and joy even to think of them. It is towards such people that the Buddha says, “Th ose we can trust are the best of relatives” (Dh 204).

If we think we “know” people, it is likely that we have some fixed ideas about them, even regarding them as being unchanged or unchangeable, like an antique table or the hills. Yet, all things, especially people, change. The more we are open to people, the more we are likely to notice the positive changes in them, to our joy. This is appre-ciative joy (muditā). Then, our lives are enriched by the goodness of others.

Th e Buddha speaks of four ways in which we can truly know a person, that is:

1. through living with a person, we would know his moral virtue (in terms of his actions and speech);

2. through dealings with a person, we would know his honesty;

3. in times of trouble, we would know his strength or integrity; and

4. through discussing, we would know his wisdom.

I’m reminded of one of the most beautiful family movies ever made, “On Golden Pond” (1981) (starring the elderly Hen-ry Fonda as his swan song ).

SECRET RELATIONSHIPS By Piya Tan


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A total of 45 BF members went to Perth to cele-brate Ajahn Brahm’s 60th Birthday. Th irty seven of us stayed at Jhana Grove together with disciples that came from Malaysia, Th ailand and the USA. On Saturday, 6th of August, there was a welcome tea party for the overseas visitors that included a special guest from London – Ajahn Brahm’s brother! (images on the right) Ajahn Brahm and his monks joined in for tea but of course, they didn’t eat the cakes and sandwiches.

On Sunday, 7th August, BSWA members streamed in with off ering of foods and gift s from about 8am. Th e birthday celebration kicked off at about 10am with Opening Words by the BSWA President Dennis Shepherd and a song by the Sunday School children. Th e guests then lined the corridors to off er rice to Ajahn Brahm and the monks. Th e tables in the dining room were cov-ered with dishes of great variety of food, sweets and birthday cakes!

A ceremony of presentation of gift s ensued and a 3-foot golden Buddha statue from the King of Th ailand was presented to Ajahn Brahm by the World Fellowship of Buddhist Secretary General. BF President Henry Baey introduced a video made by the Rahula Sunday School teachers and pre-sented a collage of Bodhi leaves with wishes made by the Rahula students to Ajahn Brahm. Th is was followed by a presentation of the Birthday Wish video from BF Young People and a folder dedi-cated to Ajahn Brahm. Angie Monksfield read the Dedication Letter and presented com-bined cheques totalling AUD60,000 compris-ing of donations from members and also from BF and Brahm Education Centre.

Th e Th ai members then broke out in their dance and music in the courtyard and the celebration ended with a Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Brahm. It was a wonderful celebration for an awesome man who has inspired many people to change for the better!

BF members went to Perth to cele-Brahm’s 60th Birthday. Th irty seven

Jhana Grove together with disciples

Ajahn Brahm’s 60th Birthday Ajahn Brahm’s 60th Birthday CelebrationsCelebrations By Angie

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Hey Champ,Hey Champ,

It warms my heart learning about your concern for Nainai’s condition.It warms my heart learning about your concern for Nainai’s condition.

A few months back, I cried learning that Nainai has stage four cancer. The tumours have since spread to her bones and A few months back, I cried learning that Nainai has stage four cancer. The tumours have since spread to her bones and lungs. Today I cry because of your compassion and your show of love. It is the tears of joy knowing that our family is full of lungs. Today I cry because of your compassion and your show of love. It is the tears of joy knowing that our family is full of love and we care for each other. I rejoice at the DNA of hard work, honesty and compassion that Nainai has infused in us.love and we care for each other. I rejoice at the DNA of hard work, honesty and compassion that Nainai has infused in us.

Nainai has always led a dignifi ed life. She came to Penang at the age of four, survived the Second World War, endured an Nainai has always led a dignifi ed life. She came to Penang at the age of four, survived the Second World War, endured an unhappy marriage and brought up seven children in an upright manner. We were poor but always honourable. Each member unhappy marriage and brought up seven children in an upright manner. We were poor but always honourable. Each member of the family was always prepared to sacrifi ce for the good of the rest.of the family was always prepared to sacrifi ce for the good of the rest. When she passes on, we will of cause be saddened because we will never see Nainai again, but let’s celebrate her life. How When she passes on, we will of cause be saddened because we will never see Nainai again, but let’s celebrate her life. How long will Nainai survive is not important, what is important is the quality of her life from now on and the lessons Nainai long will Nainai survive is not important, what is important is the quality of her life from now on and the lessons Nainai teaches us. Treasure life now, make the best of it, put in the right effort, be good, be generous and be up right.teaches us. Treasure life now, make the best of it, put in the right effort, be good, be generous and be up right.

Children,Nainai's body is unwell but her mind radiates equanimity. She says that this body of ours will fall sick and grow old. The body is not us, for if it is us then we can tell the body to stop falling sick and stop growing old. It is more important to practice for a strong mind. You can cheer her up by recounting the happy moments you had with her - like how she used to care for you when you were little, the holiday trips that we did together and the way she used to pamper you. Tell her about some of your in-teresting daily activities. Grieving is a process, it starts with denial, anger, bargaining, depression and at last acceptance. Investigate which part of the grieving process you are in and take care of the health of your mind. Working as a volun-teer, I have come across cases where people stayed in the depression state for a long time. It is both not healthy and not benefi cial.We hope Nainai will recover but let's prepare for the worst. If you need to say something to Nainai, say it now. If you need to do something for Nainai, do it now. For tomorrow may be too late. We do not want to carry the burden of guilt for the rest of our life regretting not doing what is right.

Children,Children,She is prepared for death, has made alterations to her will and stated her preference for funeral and wake arrangements. She is prepared for death, has made alterations to her will and stated her preference for funeral and wake arrangements. She told me that she plans to draw her last breath with a smile on her face. I am sure she will!She told me that she plans to draw her last breath with a smile on her face. I am sure she will!

We often relate giving to donating money. Giving is much deeper than that. Nainai’s condition is a good opportunity for us We often relate giving to donating money. Giving is much deeper than that. Nainai’s condition is a good opportunity for us to practice giving. Give her time, give her love, and give her the smoothing and tender moments of chanting and touching. to practice giving. Give her time, give her love, and give her the smoothing and tender moments of chanting and touching. You will experience the true meaning of happiness and realize that happiness spreads.You will experience the true meaning of happiness and realize that happiness spreads.

We do not often have an opportunity to see death and many do not like to talk about death. Nainai’s dying process is a good We do not often have an opportunity to see death and many do not like to talk about death. Nainai’s dying process is a good opportunity to see a loved one dying. Dying is a natural life process, it is not something fearful. Sickness is painful but opportunity to see a loved one dying. Dying is a natural life process, it is not something fearful. Sickness is painful but we have experienced occasional sickness since we were born. Dying can be peaceful and joyful.we have experienced occasional sickness since we were born. Dying can be peaceful and joyful.

Children,Nainai has decided that enough is enough. She said that she knows her own body well and has decided not to seek further treatment. HOPE and CURE must now be replaced with just CARE. We discussed Nainai’s decision with the specialist doctor and he agrees with her decision. We are all in the same wavelength now.

Nainai sleeps most of the time but when awake she continues to have fun. She cracks jokes; makes fun of the two GuGus who put in the most effort caring for her. Ha! Nainai needs your support now; the two GuGus need your support now. Treasure this remaining month, treasure every moment. Tomorrow may never be.

Dad

By James Khoo

Excerpts taken from Brother James Khoo’s letters to his children from February to May 2011 regarding his mother who was Excerpts taken from Brother James Khoo’s letters to his children from February to May 2011 regarding his mother who was dying from cancer. Members who wish to read the complete letters can fi nd them on Buddhist Fellowship’s website.dying from cancer. Members who wish to read the complete letters can fi nd them on Buddhist Fellowship’s website.


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YOUNG PEOPLE

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Joining this Kukup trip in Pontian, Johor was a last minute decision due to work schedule. However, we were glad that we didn't miss it. Some experiences of the trip may have al-ready been shared by many of the brothers and sisters who were on the trip, so here I would like to share something diff erent.

During the trip, we (my sister Surbrina, her husband’s brother Andrew, their two kids and I) were given the opportunity to take part in a Pindapata (monks going for alms food).

In the Th eravada tradition, the monks go around the neighbourhood for alms round in the morning before returning to the monastery to share and consume the food.

Brother Chun Sing had arranged for us to be there in one of the food centres/coff ee shops to off er food to the monks. Aft er

paying our respects to the venerables who were on alms round, we mindfully and heartily put the food in their bowls while on our kneeling position.

Th e feeling of happiness from this act of dana is beyond words. Having seen the Bhantes with their alms bowls in a public place and the off ering of food by the lay people there is something which we have yet to see here in Singapore, where we only do it in a monastery or temple.

We managed to follow them to some of the coff ee shops and one house dana during their alms round. Seeing this practice of alms gathering in the quiet town of Pontain makes us ponder or realize a few things:

1. Do people need to live lavishly?2. Can we live simply to survive?3. How much can we let go?4. How much can we give in terms of worldly things or our time?

Enjoyable and insightful experiencePindapata In Pontian Town By Yap Kheng Yeow


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5. Are we just too busy in our hectic lives that we forget about our need for spiritual growth more than anything else?

Th e sacrifi ce of the venerables in going forth to practice and seek the truth, and in turn contribute back to society by spreading the Dhamma for all beings’ happiness are most commendable.

For the time being, those few ques-tions above may require more realization of wisdom on my part to answer while I continue to practice the Dhamma and walk the path.

It was really thoughtful of Sis Bita and Sis Katherine for giving us the opportunity to participate in the Pindapata. I believe this will help Sis Surbrina,

Bro Andrew and their kids in one way or another – whether physically and spiritu-ally. For myself, I just feel very blessed to be able to participate.

Th e above are solely my own contempla-tion of the event I had seen, heard and felt. Please forgive my ignorance if there is any-thing that I have written wrongly here or did wrongly in body, speech and mind dur-ing the trip.

YOUNG PEOPLE

IIttSSKKggoottiiIh

May all the merits that I have accumulated in this wonderful event generate the good causes and conditions and be shared with all Dhamma brothers and sisters in the Buddhist Fellowship and all other sentient beings.

May these merits also be transferred to all our departed relatives, especially my late parents.

May All be well and happy, healthy and strong always.

May All be free from mental and physical suff ering.

May All be at ease.

May All be at PEACE.

May All walk the path towards ENLIGHTENMENT!

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“If your child is between 13 - 14, sign them up to be part of BF YP!”

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FEATURE

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Saturday, May 21, was the day of the AMAZING RACE with some of our new friends who have muscular dystrophy. Th e night before, my sisters and I were so ex-cited that we could not sleep. Th en morn-ing came. Th e Rahula participants and the children from the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Singapore (MDAS) gath-ered at the level above Cheers and the food court at Terminal 3 of Changi Airport.

Our team was called Respect, with our team leader Teacher Tai Wee. In our team, our new friends were Teng Quan whom we called TQ for short, and Bao Yang. Th ere were also my younger sisters Jamielyn & Janessa, both my parents & myself - so all together there were 8 of us.

Teacher Lawrence & Teacher Chrissie briefed us on rules for the Amazing Race, which included working as a team which meant we should not leave anyone behind. As our new friends were in wheelchairs we would have to use the lift s rather than the stairs or escalators. Our new friends were both 18 years old. Bao Yang is applying to study Mathematics in NUS, while TQ has to stay home most of the time.

All the teachers in charge of each team took the instructions for the fi rst station. I was very nervous as Teacher Tai Wee had made me the assistant team leader. Th e fi rst batch of participants was fl agged off fi rst, to avoid

RAHULA’S AMAZING RACE AT CHANGI AIRPORT

overcrowding as there were about 100 of us in total! Aft er they have gone, the sec-ond batch – we were in that batch - went off about 20 minutes later. Th e fi rst station was near a big red fan, which is a robotic daisy. Th ere, we met the team from the fi rst batch with the station master - Teacher Ying Ying. Here, we had to pair up with one of the muscular dystrophy children to search for a toy dragon. I teamed up with TQ and my two younger sisters paired up with Bao Yang.

Aft er pairing up, Teacher Ying Ying took the toy dragon and hid it aft er one of us was blind folded. Th e other person will then direct the person with the blind fold to where the dragon was hidden to pick it up. Th e next team repeated the same cycle. It was a scary and nerve-wrecking experi-ence when I had the blind-fold on and TQ had to give me the directions. It gave me some understanding and insight on how it felt to be disabled/blind. Luckily for me, it was only temporary … phew! Aft er com-pleting the task, Teacher Ying Ying gave us


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FEATURE

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some questions to answer and the clue to the next station.

When we fi nished answering all the questions, we opened the clue to the next station. Our adventure led us to the next sta-tion which looked like a white onion stat-ue. We handed in the answers to the station master - Teacher Tang. Th is time, our task was totally diff erent from the previous sta-tion. It was a memory game.

For this game, we had to repeat what the fi rst person said. Here are some examples: the fi rst person will say “When I went to Changi Airport, I saw some plants.” Th en the next person will say “When I went to Changi Airport, I saw some plants and aer-oplanes.” We were able to give each other clues by signing and pointing, but not say-ing it aloud. Th e cycle would continue un-til it was broken. Th e memory game was over once that occurred. Aft er the cycle was broken, Teacher Tang gave us a set of questions/assignments and a clue to the next station.

In one of the assignments, we had to take photos with a tourist together with his or her luggage. We had to wait quite a long time before we could fi nd one. I was a bit frightened as I thought the tourist might scold us, but in the end, the tourist was quite friendly.

Th e next sta-tion’s clue was “a man sit-ting down on a bench 24 hours a day”. We decided that it could be Mr MacDonald’s at Terminal 2. We had to take the sky train to Terminal 2. We moved much slower as TQ’s wheelchair could not go very fast and we had to make sure that all of us were able to get into the sky train.

I could see that TQ and Bao Yang were very excited. I think that was their fi rst time in the airport sky train. Before getting to our 3rd station, we had to stop because TQ’s back was hurting and he needed help to ad-just his back and pull it upright. It looked painful!

At MacDonalds, we had to split and drink two cups of BIG milk shakes, but we were told that TQ could only drink a little bit of it. While I was drinking my second cup of milk shake in a small cup, I had a brain freeze, which can happen if you drink a cold liquid too fast! When we fi nished, we got the clues to the next station and some questions.

By then, we were already behind time. So we had to speed up and answer the questions as fast as possible. We did this set of questions


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FEATUREtogether as a group. It was not easy a s there were math questions. We de-cided that Bao Yang would be the main person as he is good in math-ematics, but it was even too diffi cult for him. We ended up asking for help from a counter girl regarding a question on mon-ey exchange, which Teacher Tai Wee said was okay.

Th e 4th station was at the Terminal 2 Changi Airport Gallery. We gave the an-swers to the questions to the station mas-ter - Teacher Yap & Linda. Th ere we had to fold and make two model paper planes. It was quite challenging but we managed to complete our task. Aft er we had fi nished making the model planes, we had to see if they could fl y. If they could not fl y, we had to remake the airplanes. But we succeeded - they fl ew quite far too!

Aft er completing the 4th sta-tion, we had to go back to Ter-minal 3 Changi Airport Gal-lery, which was out 5th and fi nal station. We took a while to get there as the lift was ex-tremely slow and could not fi t all of us with 2 wheelchairs. In the end, we had to split up - TQ and Bao Yang took the lift while the rest of us took the escalator.

At the Airport Gallery, we could see a close up of the biggest plane in Singapore, which

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is the Airbus A380. As the assistant team leader, Teach-er Tai Wee made me de-cide who would do what – and it was not an easy thing for me. Th ere, we had to answer a set of questions straight away. For some of the questions, we had to watch a few videos to fi nd the answers - like how Paya Lebar Airport was replaced by Changi Airport. It was quite challeng-ing but in the end, we (my team) could com-plete our tasks and fi nish the race. Th e station master was Teacher Chrissie.

I was glad that I had signed up for the Amazing race as it was very fun, exciting

and challenging. Even though we all went to diff erent stations at diff er-ent times, we all got to experience the same things and interact with people who were diff erent from us. Bao Yang even took the MRT train all the way from Jurong to Changi Airport. I really hope Rahula can or-ganize another exciting activity

like this one soon.


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INFORMATION PAGE

CONNECTION (JULY - SEPTEMBER 2011)Offi cicial Newsletter of Buddhist FellowshipThank you to all for contributing articles and information.VP Public Affairs : Angie Monksfi eldTraffi c : Yier ChuaEditor : Lim Ai LingLayout & Design : Shirley Goh

Articles or information to be considered for next issue must reach Traffi c by 10 September 2011 by postal mail / email.

Please provide articles/information in WORD documents and images in JPEG format separately where possible.

(C) BF August 2011

EVENTS & TALKS HIGHLIGHTSMONTHLY INDONESIAN SERVICE21 AUG 201118 SEP 2011

INDO DHAMMA DISCUSSION24 JUL 2011

SERVICESBedside Support GroupEhipassiko Chanting GroupCounselling ServicesLegal Advisory ServicesMarriage Solemnisation

ACTIVITIESSutta Discovery TUE | 7.30PM - 9.30PMWednesday Night Service WED | 7.45PM - 9.30PMVisit to Ren Ci Nursing Home FRI | 2.30PM - 4.30PMGroup Meditation FRI | 8.00PM - 9.00PMRahula Sunday Children SErvice SUN | 11.00AM - 12.30NNSunday Morning Service SUN | 11.00AM = 12.30NNSunday Youth Service SUN | 1.30PM - 5.00PMVisit to Gelang East Home for the Aged 4TH SAT | 3.30PM - 6.00PMClub Meditation at Fort Canning 1ST SUN | 6.45AM - 8.00AMFamily Club Meditation 2NDSUN | 9.15AM - 10.30AM

Sis. Caroline Lestari | Filial PietyBro. Herman Susantio | Sharing on Ajahn Chah’s teachings

Bro Luis Lioe | Impermanence, Suffering & Non-Self

2011 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERSPresidentVP - AdministrationVP - Members & Public AffairsVP - Resource DevelopmentHon. SecretaryHon. TreasurerCommittee Members

BUDDHIST FELLOWSHIP MANAGEMENT TEAMCentre ManagerCentre AdministratorCommunity & Corp. Devt.Manager

Spiritual Patrons

Advisor PatronPatrons

ULY SEPTEMBER 2011)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

: Henry Baey: Bita Seow: Angie Monksfi eld

: Jerry Ong: Vera Santiboon: Jayson Goh: Lim Ai Ling Poh Joo Tung Henry Yeo Teo Yew Thong Luis Tirtasanjaya George Lim (co-opted) Joycelyn Bay (co-opted) Lam Cheng Poh (co-opted)

: Ho Eng Chin: Kwok Poe Yin: Yier Chua

: Ven.Ajahn Brahmavamso: Ven. Rathanasara: Mr. Low Teck Suan: Dr. Ang Beng Choo Dr. Tan Choon Kim Mr Yeo Guat Kwang

If you wish to offer a programme / workshop in collaboration with Brahm Education Centre.

Feel free to contact us at 6275 5007 via [email protected]


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Ajahn Brahm will be in Singapore on 4 & 29 December 2011!


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bf newsletter (jul-sep 11)

Documents