31 Oct 04, Nalanda Buddhist Society & Buddhist House@ Serdang
Departing from Kajang after a morning baked under the sun, we arrived at Nalanda Buddhist Society at Serdang. This was a trip I looked forward to make after meeting Bro Tan (who initiated the set-up of Nalanda Buddhist Society) in Singapore early this year. I got more than I expected and was invited to stay a night at the Buddhist Houses. So I extended my stay in Malaysia for one more day and invited Hwee Chin to join me.
Nalanda Buddhist Society
The centre was set up to serve the needs of the small community, and after all the renovations and arrangements were completed, Bro Tan handed it over to the locals to manage. The humble little place can take up to 50 persons for talks and houses a small library of books. Recently, a seperate house across the road was obtained to function as a community centre, especially for the running of Sunday school classes for teenagers between 13-18years, an age group left out by most Buddhist temples. The initiative meant that space was running out at the original centre, which by now is barely a year old since establishment. Read more at www.nalanda.org.my
I had arrived just in time to witness the 'gotong royong' or community cleaning effort at the community centre which was still being readied for use. It was inspiring to witness the co-operativeness of the members as they busied themselves planting flowering plants, small trees, shrubs, digging a drain for water to flow, and cleaning up every little corner in the pleasant little house. Occassionally different members dropped by to chip in, and with the intermittent rain, the work continued for about 4 hours at a stretch. Nobody was complaining and I suspect the place had already been blessed by the good will and hard work of these people even before the monks arrive to bless the premises.
Buddhist Houses
Before my arrival, I was told that there is plenty of space for me to stay but it was not as I expected - a small room in the centre perhaps? It turned out to be three rented houses for me to choose from. The fore-runner of the Nalanda Buddhist Society were these Buddhist Houses. As the name suggests, they were houses where Buddhist youths studying at the nearby UPM could stay, instead of in the university hostel. At the peak of its development, there were 5 houses in all (possibly housing at least 20 people in total), and a daily schedule would include waking up at 6am to do group puja & meeting again in the evening for puja and talks/ courses by Bro Tan. Since the Houses started 5 years ago, some of the residents had graduated but were still staying on. The pujas and discussions were re-scheduled to take place over the weekends instead, to cater for the working group.
It was a wonderful concept to me. A good way to experience the benefits of living and learning with kalyana mittas (spiritual friends), and being guided by an excellent teacher who lived among your midst.
The talks and programs started off being activities of the Buddhist Houses which the residents were free to invite their friends. After some time, when the numbers grew, the idea of having a registered entity to serve the needs was conceived. That was the beginnings of Nalanda Buddhist Society. The entire set up process was also assisted by the group of young residents at the Buddhist Houses.
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I was totally inspired by the behaviour of the resident brothers and sisters. They were polite, attentive, hardworking and eager to learn the Dhamma. On Sunday evening (being weekend), we had the good fortune of joining the group puja and sharing by one of the sisters. While the sharing about a Buddhist article she read went on, many of them were attentively taking notes. At the end of the sharing, additional commentary was provided by Bro Tan and those present asked their questions to clarify any areas of doubt.
What a beautiful gathering it was! Though I was already exhausted and probably dehydrated by the morning's Kathina festivities, I stayed alert throughout eager absorbing every bit and observing what was going on. This was a model we have yet to see in Singapore, so everything is so refreshing and inspiring.
Many of the residents were disappointed that I was staying only one night, and I too felt the loss that I could only spend so little time with my new found Dhamma 'family'. I promised to come back, and I think I will. So many things to learn from Bro Tan, and excellent company.
There is a kind of pureness in the hearts of these people that I met that day that left me desring for more contact, more association. Perhaps more visits and time with them will let me discover the secret behind that beautiful atmosphere.
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