Venerable Wei Wu explained the meaning of Sangha to illustrate the concept of forming the lay sangha in Than Hsiang Temple. Historically, Sangha means an assembly or community that encompasses the four fold followers of the Buddha, namely the bhikshus, the bhikshunis, the upasakas and upasikas. Therefore the concept of lay sangha is not new.

The main distinction between a monastic sangha and a lay sangha is the number of precepts observed. In the case of a lay sangha, he or she should observe the basic Five Precepts and the 10 Moral Precepts.

Shifu further allayed the misconception and fear of some would be 10 Moral Preceptors that once taken, failure to uphold the precepts would result in serious karmic retribution. In Buddhism, Karma is a natural law that explains how an action begets a result in consonance with the intention of the doer. The taking of the Ten Moral Precepts serves as a positive commitment or reminder that keeps one in a constant state of being mindful of one's action through the mental, oral or physical faculties.

Thus cultivation of wholesome actions is realized with foresight. In any event, even if one has inadvertently done something unwholesome, the hindsight gained will still serve as an invaluable lesson for future action. Shifu reiterated the importance of keeping track with the Ten Moral Precepts daily and urged the preceptors to always reflect on their observance of the Ten Moral Precepts at the end of the day.

Venerable Wei Wu informed that a naming ceremony would be held on the 8 th day of the 4 th lunar month for the first batch of the Lay Sangha members of Than Hsiang Temple.