Vesak began this year with a blessing of the site by our Spiritual Master on Sunday. It felt like it was yesterday that we had our last Vesak celebration together, in 2019. Four years have passed we have celebrated Vesak on this scale.
This is possibly not unique to our community, as many other religious societies have or are still going through the same, since the pandemic hit us all equally. Some were perhaps more fortunate to have their own place to call home, while we continue to raise funds to find land and have our own place for the community.
The fund raising effort has made harder by our fund raising philosophy centering strictly around the laws of karma. anyway, but i am excited that the government in Singapore has introduced the balloting process instead of bidding. A small society like ours could finally get a chance of some sort. But, that is a theme for another blog.
A stark image this Vesak is the agedness of our community. As our time on this earth wears on, so does our body. The natural process of our ageing, made more visible by the social separation caused by the pandemic
Our Buddhist Society is made up entirely of volunteers. From the erection of the structures on a tempoary site to hold the paraphernalia and objects of offering, to the chanters and the food preparation to feed these selfless volunteers and friends and public who drop in for a visit…. each year, for the last 4 decades, volunteers have come together as one to build a temporary home for the community to gather and pay homage to the Buddha for His teachings and blessings.
i am thankful for being a part of this special community. I am thankful for the dharma lessons as I journey through life with this community. And I am thankful for the Buddha’s and our Spiritual Master’s teachings and compassion.
gratefully
Liang