Being gratified by messages as to the call for contribution towards the forthcoming annual Senior’s Farewell Commemoration had spurred me to come up with this writing. Presence of this English-written article would surely beget full of curiosity and if possibly up to a greater extent, create slight uproars among our dear Buddhist members. Thus placating the unnecessary arguments with reasons is what role I should play at the first place. Simply an undisputable fact that there are a number of English-oriented members insistently pursuing Buddha teachings in our association, I found none of conflicting elements as if I spearhead the move of yielding a foremost article written in English to cater for not only their interests, but all. Knowing fully well that the English-oriented members might have been facing lingual stumbling blocks in the pipeline of pursuing Buddha teachings, I feel willingly obliged to insist on!
Of late, having interacted with some of the acting top echelon thru Facebook, I somehow felt their trivial worries prevalently of the way they should take helm of the association. This phenomenon was proven to be normal as nobody gets born with charismatic leading ability congenitally endowed. Speaking in my capacity as an ex-central committee member, this fledgling Buddhist association purveys us all about learning – whenever we face problems in handling activities, there are constructive advices from our experienced SENIOR, thus we learnt! Whenever we are overwhelmed with personal frustrations and engulfed by the qualms of homesickness, there are warm concerns again from our lovely SENIOR, thus we got enlightened!
Managed to go through several series of photos together we all were taken in Buddhist association in the days which departed several months to years from today, it is dismayfully learned that time lapsed as swift as if we took years in merely an unwitting blink. Refreshing the moments together we came across, we learnt Buddha teachings, we planned and implemented activities, we argued on different perspectives, we attended to each others’ situations, we enjoyed the participatory excitation, we channeled our compassions out and “Jointly We Underwent Joys and Sorrows”, one, especially our seniors, might have felt contented and worthwhile so much so that being worried with the imminent partings.
As to what title my text goes by, I urge that my “former comrades in arm” to stride a big step ahead, be fully equipped with skills, professions and self-confidence as well which are indispensably instrumental to confront with various sorts of challenges ahead, may it be of employment or pursuit of advanced study. On the other hands, you all are too encouraged to do more good deeds in concurrence of what Buddha and Sifu taught. It is vital as many had seemingly deviated from the right way, let alone committed lots of conscience-stricken actions, allegedly in order to compete with others in today’s complex community. Once reaching financial sustainability, do remember that there are dark corners all around the world which comprise of under-privileged living in utterly deplorable conditions and those akin really needs YOU. By the way, I kept alert me that my writing had occupied some 2 pages of the freshly-published pamphlets, thus I end it by quoting the late Master Shen Yan as saying:
“To let the circumstances dictate one’s state of mind is human;
to let the mind dictate the circumstances is sage.”
劲哥 \(^v^)/
Ex-Vice Secretary-General of 8th Buddhist Association
(http://www.hapygreen.blogspot.com/)
**This post had been published in 《心语弦音》leaflet dated 28 March 2010 in commemoration of annual senior farewell party.
