With the school examinations season approaching at the last quarter of the year, the candidates, as usual, found themselves in a state of exam phobia. The standard six students sat for their assessment on 9th September 2008. To ease and relieve their tension and calm their nerves for their final preparation before the exam, Than Hsiang Sunday school specially organized a simple yet meaningful blessing session on the morning of 31st August at 9.30am at Than Hsiang fifth floor multipurpose hall.

A total of 105 persons comprising of Sunday Dharma School students, Ai Xin Ba Ma and Than Qing members joined in the second outing of the year, visit to Ang Hock See Buddhist Temple (洪福寺). After gathering at Da Bei Dian at 8am, Ven Zhen Xin gave us a Dharma talk.

The first International Buddhist College( IBC) convocation, since its inception in2002, was convened on 20th August 2008 at 1pm in IBC Multipurpose hall The convocation attracted both local and foreign dignitaries in the Buddhist and academic fields to witness the event.
IBC is the realization of the vision of establishing an international institute of higher learning offering quality education within a spiritually dedicated, non-sectarian, modern and scholastic environment.

In commemoration of the enlightenment day of the Bodhisattva Avalosteswara which fell on the 19th day of the sixth moon of the lunar calendar( 20th July 2008), a taking of Three Refuges and five precepts ceremony was held at the great compassion hall of Than Hsiang Temple. About twenty devotees took part in the ceremony.

While Beijing kicked off the opening of the Olympic game on August 8, 2008-at 08:08:08 p.m., the auspicious date and time chosen for the 29th Game, couples tying the knots in Than Hsiang are joining thousands of people around the world looking forward to the good fortune promised by the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008. On such an occasion, not only Chinese couples who jumped on the eights, but others as well.

A wesak international film festival was held from the 28 to 29 June 2008 at the Wawasan Open University in conjunction with the 2008 wesak day celebration. The biennial festival was jointly organized by Buddhist organizations in Penang and co-sponsored by Yayasan Belia Buddhist Malaysia, YBAM Penang state liaison committee and Than Hsiang temple.

A series of Dharma talks spread over three nights consecutively was held in Than Hsiang Temple in conjunction with the annual Mahasanghikadana organized by the Malaysian Buddhist Sangha Association. The speakers were: Ven. Zhi Teng , Ven. Zhi Zunand Ven. Boon Kean with the following topics:“snow view”, “the choices on the path of cultivation” and “the Fouthfold Noble Path” respectively.

The Malaysian Sangha Association held its AGM in conjunction with the annual successfully-organised Mahasanghikadana on 15 June 2008 (Sunday) at Than Hsiang Temple.

Than Hsiang Sunday school successfully convened its 2008 Buddhist youth camp from 29 May to 1 June at the 5th floor Multi-purpose hall. The total 130 participants were seperated into 10 groups, named after the Paramita classifications.

The theme of the camp is “search, discover and grow”. The camp was declared opened by Ven. Zhen Xin, accompanied by the chairman of the organizing committee and the camp superintendent at 7.30pm in the evening of 29 May, followed by offerings to the Buddha and dharma-sharing by the Venerable.

About one hundred people attended this year’s Fo San (the three-day Amitabha name-recitation retreat) from the 5th to 8th of June held at Than Hsiang temple.