PHBS Wesak Day brings charity and blessings

NST Streets 280511 KUALA LUMPUR: The sound of chanting rose from a tent at the roadside in Putra Heights in the early morning of May 16. But this was not unusual for Wesak Day.

Putra Heights Buddhist Society (PBHS) celebrated Wesak Day with a programme that began with puja and blessings by the Sangha for the devotees, who later made offerings of flowers and lights. There was a dhamma talk entitled Ancient Wisdom for Modern Minds as well as performances and the singing of hymns.

PHBS president Chua Teck Seong explained the significance of the day.

"Wesak is a thrice sacred day for Buddhists as it marks the birth, enlightenment and passing of Shakyamuni Buddha. The day was officially recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in 1999."

The Buddhist Film Festival sheds light on Buddhism and its teachings. The documentaries screened during the festival featured big names like Jet Li and Richard Gere sharing their experiences as practicing Buddhists.

The documentaries were a hit with the visitors who sat on the floor to watch the video projections on the wall

Non-Buddhists living nearby also turn up to participate in the Wesak celebration and enjoy the assortment of delicious food sold at the large tent near the PHBS centre in Jalan Putra Mahkota 7/8C.

Chua said the society members were in the midst of raising funds to help orphans living in Loving Home in Sungai Nibong, Klang. The money would be used to buy medical equipment and medicines for the home's clinic.

The free clinic treats between 150 to 170 poor families in Klang, he explained.

"Many poor families cannot afford treatment when they fall ill and this free clinic serves them well," he said.

Chua said that was one of PHSB's many activities to give back to the community and help the needy.

The stalls on the road sold candles, vegetarian food, religious books, Nyonya dumplings, homemade wholemeal pies, pumpkin pao, yam cakes, tau foo fa, muffins, jelly, soya bean milk and other good things, all of which went down well with the hungry crowd.

Some of the food was sponsored, but some hardworking housewives turned volunteers woke up as early as 3am to prepare the food fresh.

A few women at the PHBS kitchen prepared hot rice for the free vegetarian lunch for devotees.

Others were hard at work making bouquets of carnations, chrysanthemums, daisies, lotus and jasmine to be sold to raise funds.

The money, Chua said, would be used for food donations to monks who could not afford to buy food, to educate Buddhist students at the Sunday school, and to buy religious books and other essential items for them.

Besides praying, Buddhists bowed at the feet of monks as a sign of reverence and to receive their blessings.

Others took turns to bathe a statue of the Buddha -- a Wesak Day cleansing ritual to purify the mind.

The society is open from 10am to 1pm on Sundays, 8.30pm to 10pm on Tuesdays (meditation) and 9am to 11am on new moon or full moon days.

PHBS also offers lessons on chanting, guided meditation, Sutta studies and Sunday dhamma school.

Read more: Wesak Day brings charity and blessings http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/nvputra2/Article/#ixzz1NhItRbTz

The Wesak International Film Festival 2011 (WIFF 2011) @ MTC, KL June 11~12 & 18~19

The Wesak International Film Festival 2011 (WIFF 2011)

Petaling Jaya (Sat May 7, 2011): Continuing from its previous successes in 2006 and 2008, the third installment of the Wesak International Film Festival (WIFF) will be organized on June 11-12 and 18-19, 2011 at the Malaysia Tourism Center (MTC), Kuala Lumpur.

This event is organized by four leading Buddhist organizations in Malaysia: Bandar Utama Buddhist Society, Buddhist Gem Fellowship, Nalanda Buddhist Society, and Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia. Another 15 other Buddhist societies in Malaysia are supporting organizations of this major event.

WIFF 2011 will again present Buddhist-themed and inspired cinema of all kinds: full-length movies, documentaries, animation, and children’s films. For WIFF 2011, a total of 19 Buddhist organizations in the Klang Valley have combined their resources to organize the event with one main objective: to create greater awareness of Buddhism among the general public through the medium of films.

A total of 18 films, comprising full-length movies, documentaries, and animation, will be screened over the two weekends in June. To cater for a crowd expected to be much bigger than in 2006 or 2008, the Organizers have booked three theatres at MTC for the event.

WIFF 2011 will be screening three full-length feature films. Enlightenment Guaranteed is an acclaimed Zen comedy by award winning director Doris Dorrie about two brothers searching for meaning in their lives by going to a Zen monastery in Tokyo, Japan.

Then there is Zen, a movie about Dogen, a Japanese Zen master, born in Kyoto in the 13th century and founder of the Soto school of Zen. Dogen, well-known for his extensive writings on Zen, traveled to China as a young monk to find his true master. Making his film debut in an authentic performance of Dogen is Nakamura Kantaro, the 19th generation Kabuki actor.

The third feature film Uppalavanna is about the compassion of a Buddhist nun set during the Sri Lankan civil war in 1989. It is a moving story that tells of how the Buddha’s teachings on kindness and forgiveness can be the antidote to fear and hatred, especially during very difficult times.

Besides the three full-length movies, WIFF will also feature a score of award winning documentaries. This includes the 2008 documentary Unmistaken Child directed by Nati Baratz which follows Geshe Tenzin Zopa’s search for the reincarnation of his beloved teacher, Geshe Lama Konchog, in Nepal. Unmistaken Child was selected for and aired on the award-winning Public Broadcasting Series (USA) Independent Lens in April 2010.

WIFF 2011 will also feature Bhutan: Taking the Middle Path to Happiness by Tom Vendetti about how Bhutan’s government creates “Gross National Happiness” (and not Gross National Product) for its people by promoting the four pillars of Environmental Preservation, Cultural Development, Economic Development through hydroelectric power, and Good Governance. The film won two Emmy Awards in 2009-2010

For an intimate portrait of the nuns of Kala Rongo Nunnery in remote northeastern Tibet, there is Bari Pearlman’s production of Daughters of Wisdom which depict how 300 nuns receive religious and educational training previously unavailable to women. The film won the Audience Award and Certificate of Excellence at the 2007 Brooklyn International Film Festival.

Dalai Lama Renaissance, winner of 12 film awards, and narrated by Hollywood actor Harrison Ford, is another documentary WIFF 2011 will screen in June. This film is the official selection of over 40 international film festivals, and has thus been screened in cinemas globally. The film tells the story of 40 Western thinkers who travel to Dharamsala in India in 1999 to discuss with The Dalai Lama on how to solve many of the world’s problems. The film features two of the starring quantum physicists from the hit theatrical documentary ‘What the Bleep Do We Know,’ Fred Alan Wolf and Amit Goswami.

Another documentary long awaited by many Malaysians is The Devotion of Matthieu Ricard, the story of Matthieu Ricard who left his native France and a promising career in cellular genetics to become a monk in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in Nepal. He is now a translator, photographer and bestselling author (The Monk and the Philosopher, Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill) and an active participant in scientific research on the effects of meditation on the brain. He was nominated “the happiest man alive” by TIME magazine recently.

Filmed entirely in Burma, Dhamma Dana delves deep into the monastic tradition and reveals how the Burmese Buddhists find inner freedom. This film by Theodore Martland presents Buddhism with a serene rhythm, documenting a powerfully peaceful ancient tradition that few experience first hand. This film won the 2009 Queens International Film Festival in New York City, where it was selected as “Best Domestic Documentary.”

Another WIFF 2011 classic is Words of my Perfect Teacher, a poignant and hilarious tale of students who follow Khyentse Norbu - a Buddhist monk, film producer (The Cup and Travelers and Magicians) and a Dharma teacher who defies convention. Shot in the UK, Bhutan, Germany, Canada and US, the film features appearances by Benardo Bertolucci and Steven Segal and music by Sting, Joy Drop, Manu Chao, Eva Casidy, and Laur Fugere.

The life story of Dr Ambedkar is told in Dr David Blundell’s film Arising Light. A peer of Gandhi and Nehru, Ambedkar was born an untouchable who uplifted himself from his community by educating himself in the West to become India’s first Minister of Law. On October 14, 1956 Ambedkar embraced Buddhism with 500,000 followers.

Another interesting documentary is Gorkyeo Buddhist Paintings which is an exhibition of 108 Korean Buddhist Paintings from around the world held at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul in 2010. Produced by the Buddhist Television Network World, the film captures among them 61 paintings — 27 from Japanese, 10 from U.S., five from Europe, and 19 from Korean collections, including the famous “Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara,” by Hyeheo, currently housed at Japan’s Senso-ji temple, and paintings of Amitabha and Kshitigarbha.

WIFF 2011 will also screen two documentaries about Buddhism in America and Buddhism in Europe, produced by the Buddhist Television Network World. Both documentaries showcase the popularity of Buddhism in the West and this is clear from the 2008 Pew Religious Landscape Survey which states that Buddhism had climbed to the 3rd most practiced religion in America. Similarly, Buddhism has become a living religion in Europe.

Followers of world famous Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh will be happy to watch Plum Village about the meditation center he founded in the Dordogne, southern France. The film explores the beauty of this wonderful village where families and friends, lay practitioners and monastics, children and old parents, live together in peace and harmony, guided by precepts of mindfulness in their everyday life.

WIFF 2011 will also showcase a touching short story titled Little Note with themes of encouragement and resilience, inspiring everyone impacted by life’s uncertainties, to soldier on with hope and courage. Living with little wants in the countryside, Zhiren and his mother expressed their love and support for each other in a simple way - by exchanging little notes. These words of encouragement spurred their every step forward in life, helping them cast aside fear and despair in times of uncertainty.

The story of Angulimala, a ruthless killer who was about to kill his own mother but repented and later became enlightened after being taught by the Buddha is a story that tells us that even the worst of people can undo the faults and return to the right path. This short film is produced by Gemkids, a Sunday School initiative of the Buddhist Gem Fellowship.

WIFF 2011 will also feature Oil Lamp, an animated cartoon that clinched the first prize in the International Short Film Competition at the Vesak 2009 International Buddhist Film Festival in Sri Lanka. Produced by the Buddhist Institute Sunday Dhamma School of the Buddhist Maha Vihara in Kuala Lumpur, Oil Lamp tells the tale of a devotional offering of light to Buddha by an old beggar woman. The moral of the story is that it is not how much you give but how you give it.

A special attraction of WIFF 2011 will be a live performance by world renowned Tibetan Buddhist nun and singer Venerable Choying Drolma from Nepal whose songs have won rave reviews internationally. She will sing some of her best known songs from her various CDs that she has recorded over the years and. Her CD Recording include “Cho” in 1997 for Worldwide release by an American CD company, "Time" in 2007, "Selwa" in 1998, “Dancing Dakini” in 1999, “Choying” in 2000, “Moments Of Bliss” in 2004, “Smile” in 2005, and “Inner Peace” in 2006. Her songs and original music have also appeared on various albums, including “Head Massage” by Soul Flip. Details are available from her website: http://www.choying.com

As WIFF 2011 is a non-profit educational event, there is no entrance charge to the public to attend any of our screenings.

Enquiries:

For details on the screening time, please refer to our website: http://www.wiff.org.my or contact +603-7804 9154, or email wiff.my@gmail.com

Wesak @ Nalanda Buddhist Society

CELEBRATING 2,600 YEARS OF BUDDHISM
Wesak 2011 marks the 2,600th year of the Buddha’s enlightenment and the preaching of His Dharma.

Every year, on the full-moon day in May, Buddhists the world over celebrate Wesak to commemorate three significant events in the life of Lord Buddha – birth, enlightenment and passing away. This year’s Wesak Day falls on the 17th of May. The Buddha gained enlightenment in 588 BCE. Thus, this year marks the 2,600 years of his enlightenment and propagation of Dharma teachings.
Buddhism is the second largest religion in Malaysia after Islam. There are approximately 5.4 million Buddhists in the country. Throughout the world, there are 500 million followers. Despite Buddhism’s long history of destruction and revival due to persecution and calamities, it is gaining wide spread adoption across the world. This proves that the Dharma taught by the Buddha is as relevant and practicable then and now.
Hence, NALANDA Buddhist Society, a leading Malaysian Buddhist establishment, plans to observe this sacred occasion with keen appreciation of the Dharma. More emphasis is placed on learning and understanding the Dharma through various programmes including courses, seminars, exhibition, drama, and movie screenings.
Wesak, therefore, is no longer a one-day affair but a month long devotional programme spanning from May through to June for Nalanda devotees.
The Wesak observance at Nalanda will begin on 15 May with an introductory course to the “Significance of Wesak”. This short course will prepare one for a more meaningful Wesak observance and is vastly suitable for the general public.
Buddhist friends and devotees are also encouraged to participate in the devotional activities such as alms-giving, blood donation, chanting, meditation, and Dharma talks, which will be held from 15 – 17 May.
“The Journey of Dharmaraja” exhibition, which relates the spread of Buddhism from its root place in India to Sri Lanka, South East Asia, Central and East Asia, will be held for three days from 15 – 17 May. The exhibition will also feature major events and teachings of the Buddha during his 45 years of Dharma preaching.

In the evening of Wesak Day, Nalanda will hold a “Dharma Appreciation Night” incorporating Dharma verse recitation, heritage procession, drama, and meditation on loving kindness. Highlight of the evening is a sketch on “The Story of Patacara” staged by the students of the Nalanda Dharma School. It was said that during the time of the Buddha, there was a fine lady by the name of Patacara who lost her mind after all her family members perished in a single day. The tragic story came to a joyful end with Patacara attaining sainthood after listening to a discourse by the Buddha.
More notable programmes come post Wesak Day, namely the “The Path to Liberation Seminar”, “Dhammacakkappavattana and Anattalakkhana Sutta Camps”, “The Sigalovada Sutta Seminar”, and “2011 Wesak International Film Festival”.
Liberation from suffering is the ultimate goal for all Buddhists, regardless of schools and traditions. The “Path to Liberation” seminar will clarify the similarities and differences in teachings and practices seen from three main Buddhist traditions - the Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana.
The “Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta” and “Anattalakkhana Sutta” weekend sutta camps will shed light on the first two sermons preached by the Lord Buddha immediately following his enlightenment. Participants will be taken on a thorough tour of the two discourses also known as the discourse on ‘Turning the Wheel of Dharma’ and the discourse on ‘The Characteristic of Non-Self’, respectively.
The “Sigalovada Sutta” seminar has high relevance to the general public as it focuses on the code of ethics and happiness for lay people. The discourse was given to Sigala, a middle-class young man, who dutifully paid homage to the six directions out of obeisance for his late father. The Buddha expounded the meaning of the six directions as respect and support for parents, teachers, wife, friends, employees, and religious figures, which gives rise to a blissful householder’s life.
The much-anticipated “2011 Wesak International Film Festival” featuring popular big-screen Buddhist movies, documentaries and animations will be held on 11 - 12 and 18 - 19 June. This free movie screening is a collaborative effort by several Buddhist organizations with the main objective of increasing public awareness on Buddhist arts and culture.
Majority of the activities will be held at the Nalanda Centre, a centre of educational excellence, located in Sri Serdang, Selangor. Whilst, out-campus programmes in collaboration with other Buddhist associations will be held at various places within the Klang Valley.
For more information on Nalanda’s Wesak programme and how you may participate or contribute, please contact Ms Nandini Tan at 03-8938 1500 or 8939 1501. You may also e-mail your enquiries to info@nalanda.org.my. For detailed programme of Wesak Observance at Nalanda, kindly log on to www.nalanda.org.my/wesak.

HIGHLIGHTS OF WESAK 2011
DATE & TIME
ACTIVITY
TYPE
LOCATION
15 May 2011, Sunday
3pm - 6pm
The Significance of Wesak
Short Course
Nalanda Centre,
Sri Serdang
10am – 6pm
The Journey of Dharmaraja
Exhibition

16 May 2011, Monday
10am – 6pm
The Journey of Dharmaraja
Exhibition
Nalanda Centre,
Sri Serdang
17 May 2011, Tuesday
10am – 6pm
The Journey of Dharmaraja
Exhibition
Nalanda Centre,Sri Serdang
7pm – 10pm
Dharma Appreciation Night
Performance

22 May 2011, Sunday
9am – 1pm
The Path to Liberation Seminar
(A dialogue of Three Buddhist Traditions)
Seminar
Nalanda Centre, Sri Serdang
28 May 2011, Saturday
9am – 4pm
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
(Discourse on the Turning of the Dharma Wheel)
Sutta Camp
Nalanda Centre,
Sri Serdang
29 May 2011, Sunday
9am – 4pm
Anattalakkhana Sutta
(Discourse on the Characteristic of Non-Self)
Sutta Camp
Nalanda Centre, Sri Serdang
5 June 2011, Sunday
8am – 6pm
The Sigalovada Sutta Seminar
(Discourse for the Householders)
Seminar
Sun Tau Jing Sheh, Petaling Jaya
11, 12, 18, 19 June 2011, Saturdays & Sundays
10am – 10pm
2011 Wesak International Film Festival
Free Movie Screening
Malaysia Tourism Centre, Jalan Ampang

In line with its non-profit objectives, all programmes are provided free to the public. Enquire within for more information on the programmes or visit www.nalanda.org.my/wesak.


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ABOUT NALANDA BUDDHIST SOCIETY & ITS AFFILIATES

Nalanda Buddhist Society is a leading Buddhist establishment in Malaysia. Established in early 2003, Nalanda aims to be a centre of excellence for Buddhist education, development and propagation. A non-profit, service-oriented organization, Nalanda focuses on promoting holistic Buddhist education for integral human development.

As part of its effort to reach out to the wider public with varied social and spiritual needs, the Society subsequently extended its operations to include Nalanda Vidyalaya – Dhamma school for teenagers and youths, Nalanda Institute – Buddhist educational centre for adults, and Nalanda Book Café – a community service centre and café.

With the increasing demand for its effective educational programmes and valuable services offered to the community nationwide, the Society has expanded its building facilities with the opening of the new Nalanda Centre in December 2009. For more info, visit http://www.nalanda.org.my