We were conducting our Sunday Dharma School (SDS) morning service like normal on 30th September 2007 until Venerable Wei Wu surprisingly walked into the Hall of Great Compassion (Da Bei Dian) when we were just about to finish chanting The Heart Sutra. Shifu prostrated three times and proceeded to request that he be allotted some time to talk to the SDS family. Curious and surprised, everyone listened attentively.

Shifu started by asking whether the students were aware of the recent happenings in Myanmar to which the students replied that there were on-going peaceful protests against the Myanmar government. Shifu then continued to describe in detail the location of the country and provided some general information regarding Myanmar. Despite being rich with gems, minerals and petroleum resources, poverty is widespread in Myanmar. According to media sources, a quarter of its 56 million people live on US$1 (RM3.40) a day. Wages are meager, basic amenities are inadequate and unemployment is high. Hence, when the prices of goods went sky-high caused by a huge fuel hike, the people led by the monks took to the streets to protest against the corrupt and oppressive regime. The military rulers known as the junta simply crushed the protest. It was a reminiscence of the junta's brutal crackdown and massacre of 3,000 civilians during the 1988 uprising staged by students then.

The fact that Shifu wanted to emphasize was the sufferings endured by the people of Myanmar and most frightening indeed is that the junta no longer believe or fear the effects of karma anymore. They kill to protect their own selves. They are very attached to their wealth and they just cannot let go of everything for they are afraid that they will lose all when a new government is formed.

Shifu was really saddened and he felt very sorry for Myanmar. Shifu reminded the SDS family to be grateful that we are blessed to be living in a peaceful and harmonious country and he then taught the assembly to perform the following:

• Care, concern and send our loving kindness / metta to the people of Myanmar. May the people be free from the ordeal and anguish suffered all this while and may their country attain peace as soon as possible.

• Transfer the merits amassed from our morning service to the Myanmar people. May the dead be reborn in a higher realm and the injured and the rest of the people be blessed with a speedy recovery and good health.

• Last but not least, transfer the merits to the military junta. May they repent, stop creating evil karma, be enlightened and be able to be rid of their greed, hatred and ignorance.

Shifu apologized for interrupting and taking up the students' class time but told them to treat the dharma talk as a classroom lesson. Moving on to complete the morning service, Shifu led the SDS assembly in invoking the Buddha-name, Refuge-taking in The Triple Gem and Transference of Merits. Everyone was feeling good and was happily rejoicing at the invaluable lesson and meritorious deed as they marched up the stairs to their respective classrooms. Aixin Teachers were reminded to reinforce in class what Shifu had spoken so that all students really understood the message conveyed.

It was another rare opportunity to be able to encounter Venerable Wei Wu, The Compassionate One, who shared and taught us the proper and right way on how to deal with such situations like those in Myanmar. The SDS family is blessed with the affinity and good fortune to be able to learn form Shifu's dharma talk and we look forward to another “surprise” to come.