Eight Precepts Cultivation by Students of Sekolah Menengah Perempuan Perak, Ipoh

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A group of 145 students of the Sekolah Menengah Perempuan Perak, Ipoh came by bus to Than Hsiang Temple for a day of Eight Precepts Cultivation. They arrived by bus in the evening and joined the evening service chanting at the Hall of Great Compassion (Da Bei Dian).

Early the next morning at 5.30am, the students joined in the morning chanting at Da Bei Dian. Later that morning they all received the Eight Precepts from Venerable Wei Wu. In the evening of the Eight Precepts Cultivation, everyone assembled at the Main Shrine Hall to listen to Venerable Tian Wen's Dharma talk. He encouraged the students to work hard in their school work and to practise Buddhism in their daily life. He advised them to be independent, to work on their own accord and not to rely on others.

Venerable Tian Wen then told them a story to illustrate his advice of being independent:

One rainy day, a man sheltering under a roof, saw a Bodhisattva passing by and ran after the Bodhisattva seeking help to attain Buddhahood. The Bodhisattva told him, “You stay under the roof and didn't get wet. I carry an umbrella and also didn't get wet. Why are you asking me for help? It is better for you to ask the umbrella for help.” A few days later, this man went to the temple's shrine hall and happened to meet the Bodhisattva again. He was surprised to see the Bodhisattva paying homage to the Bodhisattva's image. When asked, the Bodhisattva said, “I am so frustrated with no body to talk to, so I came and talk to myself.” The man then realized that one must cultivate one's Buddha nature on one's own.

Following the Dharma talk by Venerable Tian Wen, a special lamp lighting ceremony was held at the Main Shrine Hall. After some chanting of the sutras, the lights of the Main Shrine Hall were switched off leaving the Hall in the dark. Four students then carried in an oil lamp and placed it before the row of seated bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. Venerable Tian Wen and Venerable Zhen Chan lit their candles from this oil lamp and in turn lit the candles of the bhikkhunis next to them. This lighting of the candles, which symbolizes the transmission of Buddha's great wisdom and teachings that illuminates sentient beings' ignorance, was passed from person to person until finally the whole Main Shrine Hall was a sea of flickering lights. Everyone then knelt down to make a vow to practise Buddhism with full determination.

The Eight Precepts Cultivation for the students ended with a fast walking meditation session. It was a sight to behold a fast flowing line of body circumambulating the Main Shrine Hall in a disciplined and orderly manner. All the students were to be praised for their full concentration in performing this walking meditation.

The next morning, the students participated in the early morning service again and left for Ipoh after having a sumptuous lunch. We know they would keep their vows to practise Buddhism. May they be well and happy. Amituofo.

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