A number of members were recognised for more than 30 years of service to the Shrine at our post-Vesak AGM on Saturday, 30th May.

Here they are (I didn’t have good pics of everyone, so apologies for the quality of a couple of them):

Ken & Angela

Charlie

Eddie

Ricky

Willie

Vincent

Karen (with Zong Herc)

Mdm Teo Chew Eng & Mdm Lim Hui Hua

Chek Hwee

A member of our society, Madam Tan Mui Hong (陈美凤) has passed away peacefully on April 20, 2009. As we mourn with her family, we know this is only a new beginning as she continues her path towards enlightenment. Let us remember her for her fighting spirit that will transcend her body and remain with us forever.

Memorial service will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 43 Philips Ave. The cortege leaves on Friday, April 24, 2009, 12.30pm to Mandai Crematorium.

Just a reminder that Earth Hour happens this Saturday, 28th March at 8.30pm. Join with a global community in showing your love for the earth by switching your lights off for an hour. It’ll be fun (and possibly romantic) too.

Just a little general interest information in case anyone is looking for an intensive meditation retreat.

The Vipassana International Centre has a 10 Day course in English/Mandarin coming up at St John’s Island from 19 to 30 Nov.

You can click through from that page for full details of the retreat, which is free. It begins with basic techniques and you are guided in your development to a final day of meditation on loving kindness or goodwill to all. Meals are vegetarian.

Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation. It is non-sectarian and is taught as a way of self-transformation through self-observation. It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body.

Art Lovers – I just wanted to give you a quick pointer to a current exhibition at The ARTrium. It’s open until Sunday (18th Nov).

Buddhist Doctrines Captured On Canvas by Taiwanese artist Lee Sun-don is interesting for a number of reasons. He uses a technique he calls Totemic Energy Oil Painting (based on a concept of existence out of non-existence) and western painting techniques to convey the Buddhist doctrines, the Forshang Buddha Dharma.

Subjects for the paintings include Buddha, Buddhahood, Buddha’s teachings, Buddhist sutras and Buddhist philosophy.

That’s all interesting in itself, but what you might find makes it worth your trip is his approach to the subjects. The writeup for the exhibition says:

“His painting is not merely a work of art, it also inspires Zen practice. In his paintings, he delivers messages and leaves enigmas for viewers to explore and contemplate. He hopes that the viewers will be inspired and gain true understanding of life while enjoying his artistic creativity.”

In addition to being a self-taught painter, Lee Sun-don is also a Buddhist Patriarch, writer, composer, Chinese Chess and Go game master, and science critic and talks on art in spirituality. His work is successful internationally. He is represented by a gallery in Taiwan and one in Beverly Hills California and at the moment he also has an exhibition in Paris, with his next one in December in New York.

It’s lovely stuff. Check it out on his website

The ARTrium is in the MICA Building

140 Hill St, on the river behind Funan
Open 11am – 7pm
Entry is free.

The Asian Civilisations Museum has just launched a new exhibition, which will be on until March 23 next year. The Nalanda Trail: Buddhism In India, China and Southeast Asia looks at the spread of Buddhism from India over the past 800 years. Many of the relics are leaving India for the first time, and highlights include a stupa containing bone relics of Buddha and a display of Buddhist art which includes paintings from the famous Dunhuang grottoes in China.

If you haven’t been to ACM yet, it really is an amazing experience so allow yourself a few hours and wear comfortable shoes. It’s spread over 11 galleries and 3 floors, covering Chinese, Indian, Islamic and Southeast Asian history and it’s very interactive, with lots of videos to watch and buttons to push. It costs $10 to get in ($5 if you’re over 60 or have a concession), but there’s lots to see and do. If you’re a bargain hunter, there’s a discount between 7pm and 9pm on Fridays. From Tuesday to Friday at 12pm there’s a guided tour of the exhibition in English.

If you’re a fan of art and photography, or you’ve just got a little time on your hands and you’re in the Toa Payoh area, you might like to pop by HDB Hub to spend some time at the free exhibition Harmony of Minds: Celebrating Inter-faith In Singapore. The exhibition is open 11am to 9pm until 14 August. After that it will be moving to another location.

The pictures on display are accompanied by wisdom from the the 10 faiths practiced here. If you like what you see, you can pick up the 103 picture book for $50 at any major bookstore around town, with proceeds going to the President’s Challenge, which supports over 50 charities.

The Global Dharma Conference of Great Compassion will be taking place in 4 sessions on 15th and 16th September.

This educational conference invites participants to learn and share about the importance of practicing Compassion, an important area of Buddhist practice. The goal of the conference is to raise the awareness of practicing Great Compassion within the family, and thus for the society we live in.

The event will be held in Singapore and is supported by The International Buddhist Academy of Nepal. There are a number of honorable speakers from all over the world, and the themes for the four sessions are:

• The Bodhisattva Path
• Handling Difficulties and Gaining Happiness
• Right Practice
• Creating a Better World

Cost ranges from $95 (one session) to $338 (all sessions) with a number of added benefits and bookings can be made on their website or by phoning 6534 7767.

Global Dharma provides free training to volunteers in Buddhist organisations worldwide and develops Buddhist educational material for children.

If you can’t wait for our own film screening on 28th May, you might like to check the program for the Asian Buddhist Film Festival, which opens for the first time in Singapore today.

Along with films from China, Bhutan, India, Canada, England and the US, there are also screenings of Buddhist-themed episodes of The Simpsons and King of the Hill. Several of the filmmakers are traveling to Singapore to be on hand for Q&A sessions following their films. A guest speaker, British-born monk Venerable Ajahn Brahm, will give a talk on Sunday, May 20.

Tickets for some of the shows are sold out, but many wonderful films are still available. The festival runs for four days only from today to Sunday 20th May.

Pic: The Simpsons – She of Little Faith (2001)