Month: December 2021

12月18日因連續的大雨，座于泗岩沫及聖淘沙之間的Kasipillay 甘榜遭河水暴漲而造成嚴重水災。當收到訊息災民眾申請物資有食物及生活物品及、口罩及自行唾液心冠肺炎检验器，尤其是床褥。在佛光山文教中心副住持如行法的號召下，英文護法分會及八打靈分會的兩位會長帶領了委員和會員共12人于早上10點半出發前往發放物資和便當。共有11家遭受嚴重水浸而申請物資。據災民描述，河水在半夜12點多開始入浸，而且是快速的上升。很多東西都來不及垫高起来。水深至腰部，比較地洼的地區水深達到7尺。有些家庭被迫離開到親戚的家暫住，損失慘重。當收到物資時，他們都展開了笑容，尤其是看到床褥時更是鞠躬致谢連連。我們在尋找這些家庭的時，受到衛星導航系統的問題，导致延誤了送便當的時間。一些路更是因為垃圾的阻碍不能前進，而且沒有其他人口。所幸遇到村長。村長告訴我們有2戶人家還在收留中心還沒回家。他可以代收並交給他們。他也幫我們領路到其他災民的家。剩下的一些物質我們交給村裏的一間廟，讓廟裏的負責人派發給須要的村民。雖然我們能給予的遠遠超過他們的所須，但是今天所發放的便當、三好食物籃、簡單的生活用品及床褥已是足夠讓他們暫時安住身心。脤災活動在中午1點半結束。

（人間社記者馬來西亞沙亞南25日報導）
在雪蘭莪州大水災中受到重創的沙亞南太子園，受災雖已一周，但災民仍需要各方面的協助；因此馬來西亞佛光山佛光文教中心副住持如行法師秉持星雲大師「三好四给」的精神，在12月25日帶領佛光人到災區發放三好食物籃。
參與這次賑災行動者有佛光文教中心及国际佛光會马来西亚中马协会旗下的6个分会，也就是大学园第一分会、大学园第二分会、英文分会、加里尔峰分会、冼都分会及蒲种分会的幹部及義工共100人，出動19辆皮卡（Pick Up ）分6區发放1000個食物篮。
行動的总指导是馬來西亞佛光山總住持觉诚法师，由佛光文教中心副住持如行法师帶領，中马协会副会长谢木辉指導，而巴生分會會長陈山林和巴生新镇会长张锦华則是執行長。
發放團隊在9時出發前，做了新冠病毒自我检测，以确保大家的安全。3個小時后，1000個食物籃在中午12時全數發完。
马来西亚巴生河流域多個城鎮自上周五（19日）經歷连續36個小時的豪雨之后，頓成澤國，水位超過10尺，许多居民仓猝逃离，一夜之间无家可归，唯有暂时住進疏散中心，一些災民在雨停後甚至被迫爬到屋顶挨过一晚。佛光人本着菩萨慈悲精神，在新马泰印总住持觉诚法师带领下，多日来进出重灾区救济灾民。
今天的活动旨在分发1000份 “三好食物篮“ 给 雪州莎亚南太子园的居民。此住宅区居民说他们多年不曾遭水灾之苦，但这回家园被淹没数日，积水于24日方才全退，是巴生谷此次水灾最严重地区之一。
行动开始前，副主持如行法师开示， 感谢大家在聖誕節假期仍然发心出力，把礼物（食物篮）送给灾民，并叮咛大家务必照顾好自己，那才有能力照顾别人。中马协会会长杨翠蓮致词時給予鼓励，她说「大家都是一条心，共患难，为了做有意义的事而来。加油！」
灾後的积水雖然已在23日消退，但是屋內屋外到處都是泥泞，而且沿路盡是堆积如小丘的丢弃家具、电器、书本、破磚破瓦。许多车子在泡水後仍留在原地，覆盖着一层褐土。
佛光人开车进入灾区时，有些道路和小巷因堵塞或道路破坏，車子无法进入，尽管食物篮甚重（近15公斤），佛光人还是一箱箱抬着步行到有需要的居民府上。
放眼看去，許多災民正在清洗家园，虽然苦恼房子满是泥泞，但看见佛光人發放三好食物籃，他们都绽开笑容，聲聲感谢。一些災民说干粮来得正是時候，這都是所需要的，鼓舞了佛光人更发心地分发食物篮。

South Asia Humanistic Buddhist Study Group Report
Report writer: Dr. Karuna Laxmi Shakya
Name of Chapter: Kathmandu Sub- Chapter
The session was started by reading each paragraph by participants turn by turn. After that discussion started and participants participated in the group discussion. There were nine different guiding questions put by Ven. Mia Ru for discussion smoothly. The flow of report is accordingly each guiding question.
The first question was “What are four Immeasurables? Could anyone answer this?” – in this regard, participants told that the four Immeasurbles are loving kindness, compassion, Joy and Equanimity. Upholding four measurables not only will one’s merit and wisdom increases, it also eliminates afflictions.
The second question was on “How does the Immeasurable loving kindness benefit in your life? Any incidents that you want to share with us regarding this question?”. Participants shared their experiences in different perspectives like Sis Bashu (Nurse), Kathmandu Sub chapter member shared her experience of working with elderly people, who are suffering from dementia. If they are dealt with love and kindness, they behave well and cooperate well. Si Gu Ben Won said “I did dealing with community in Bodha Gaya with love and kindness, in the result they (community people) did not do toilet in our land”. Ven Mia Ru mentioned that even one has anger outside to get the things done, always keep compassion and love inside the heart for people.

Topic: Buddha-dharma: Pure and Simple — Three Acts of Goodness
A total of 33 readers joined this session facilitated by Venerable Miao Tan.
In this passage, Venerable Master Hsing Yun emphasised the importance of practicing the Three Acts of Goodness — Do Good Deeds, Speak Good Words and Think Good Thoughts, because according to Master, spiritual cultivation starts from cultivating wholesome physical, verbal and mental karma. It embodies the essence of the Buddha’s teaching and contain the profound Dharma that holds true to the original intents of the Buddha. Master also aimed to remind us that the Three Acts of Goodness is not just a slogan, but rather, it is a mission to put into action. He also transmits the message to us to cultivate good karma.
In this session, Venerable Miao Tan shared her views how we can cultivate good karma by applying the Three Acts of Goodness and practice with the Five Precepts.
1) Refrain from killing is a practice of compassion. One of the ways introduced by Venerable Miao Tan is to become a vegetarian. The wholesome effect of this practice is we will create a healthy ecosystem for everyone to live in harmony.
2) Refrain from stealing promotes righteousness. An example quoted by Venerable is, as Buddhist, we can contribute to save this Earth by not stealing lives from nature, such as cutting trees, harvesting pearls, minerals, etc…
3) No lying is to build trust by saying good words. Slandering or gossiping cause problems between people. Therefore, we must always say good or encouraging words and respect the reputation and credibility of other people.
4) No sexual misconduct is a practice of doing good deeds and in so doing, cultivating good thoughts. When one practice good conduct and behaviour, we create a harmonious society and build a trusted relationship with people around us.
5) No intoxication promotes the practice of speaking good words. Intoxicants are stimulants that poisons the body and mind. By refraining from intoxicants is to respect the health and intelligence of oneself and others, thereby enhances wisdom and forming good affinities with people.
In a nutshell, by upholding the Five Precepts, we are embracing all the Three Acts of Goodness; doing good deeds is to cultivate wholesome actions to purify one’s karma; speaking good words is to cultivate wholesome speech to purify one’s verbal karma; and thinking good thoughts is to cultivate wholesome thoughts to purify one’s mental deeds. One reader highlighted a good point that talking with the right intonation also promotes the act of speaking good words.
Master’s compassion is always with us as he remembered to offer advise to those who had unfortunately conducted unwholesome actions. The two ways that Master taught are to repent and make vows. By making sincere repentance, one can lessen the severity of unwholesome karma and by making vows to practice the Three Good Acts diligently, it will give rise to wholesome and virtuous thoughts. These three actions may seem simple but it contains the profound teachings that Master advocated in Humanistic Buddhism and, as reminded by Venerable Miao Tan, we must cultivate these virtues and pass down to our next generation so that society will become more harmonious and the world a better place. With that, the class ended with the Transference of Merit. May all be well and happy!