Screenshots

Thank you for being our light and wisdom.

Fantastic! It's amazing how you never failed to amaze me. This is one example of hypocritical entry from you. And the title makes me look away in shame. What do you mean by "My Reverend"??

You write as if you have always been a devoted Buddhist, but what the heck. I have never even seen you in any Buddhist activities. I doubt you even know where Maha Vihara is. Let alone Maha Vihara, how often have you been to Subang Jaya Buddhist Association???Probably you only heard about Chief Rev from Onn Yeoh.

For Chief Rev's sake, change the title. And thank you for this entry for Chief Rev. His contribution to the growth of Buddhism in Malaysia, especially to the youth is immense, and I felt disgusted that Chief Rev name have to appear on your blog, and you make it sounds like you a very close to him. Stop being so hypocritical. And stop trying to promote yourself as a good guy or religious guy.

JEFF OOI says: Amitabha. Amitabha. Amitabha.

what's wrong with you, kontrolgila? what is so hypocritical about Jeff's entry of the reverend? I guess you must have a personal grudge but pls do not be short minded. It's a tribute to a the chief rev for god sake..

Thanks Jeff for bringing this to our attention - especially for one who is overseas. My thoughts and prayers for the Reverend as well.

kontrolgila: One of the things I have found difficult to practice is to not judge others and to look at the good points of others. I don't think our teachings teach us to judge/criticise others but I often find myself doing so regardless.

In this case, I think ALL Malaysians regardless of creed and religion share in this loss of a truly special soul.

Let's thank Jeff for bringing this news to all of us and make a renewed effort to be true practitioners of whatever faith we belong to.

Warmest regards & Merdeka wishes from Melbourne.

Yes, thanks Jeff for bringing this to our attention - especially for one who is overseas. Our thought and prayer for the Reverend as well.
Warmest regards & Merdeka wishes from Wellington, New Zealand.
And kontrolgila, chill-out lah!

Oh...Jeff, wonderful portraiture study of the Reverend!

JEFF OOI says: Thank you Sifu. It has now become an eternal memory, an image that I couldn't possibly have it captured again. The only regret is that the picture was captured in that "decisive moment" when I didn't have it in RAW, but only Fine JPG. I like this picture too.

Thanks Jeff for the information. The Reverend touched many lives, my friends and mine, included. Brigs back fond memories of Brickfields and the Reverend expounding the teachings of the Buddha.

I am sadden with this news... we now have a gap in Malaysian Sangha, which is hard to fill... thanks Jeff for bringing this to our attention. His contribution to Malaysian Buddhist development have been tremendous... May he be well and happy in his next life...

Namo Amitabha Buddha
Namo Amitabha Buddha
Namo Amitabha Buddha
...

thanks for this news, jeff. i had been to 2 functions where the late rev. had been present and was awed by his presence. not only the buddhists but others will missed him too.

let us all pray for his soul.

A great teacher, a towering Malaysian is no more. May his soul rest in peace.

Derek and family from Cardiff, Wales, UK.

Though not a Buddhist, I spoke to this fine gentleman many years ago when I was doing some college research work on World Religions.

I asked him why Lord Buddha is made to look Oriental when in fact he is from India and should have more Indian features.

He smiled at me and told me that this was done to attract the mass followers who are more oriental. He also said the same thing has been done to the current potrait of Jesus Christ.

Rest in peace Reverend.

Actually real Buddhism has no tag or label. If you pray and meditate, does that make you a buddhist? Not really. Its what you practice. So if a Christian practice a good way of life, he is considered a good buddhist although there's no such thing as buddhist label in the Buddhism teaching. Everything is not permanent. So don't hold grudge or anything. When you died, everything that you hold dear in this life is nothing.

I am surprised, why show sadness. When Buhddists die, especially those who have don lots of merits are they not elevated to higher beings? Be happy.

take it from me Jeff. Religion is irrelevant. Do good deeds and behave righteously. When you die, you will be judged by your deeds and good intentions. Not by your religious rituals.

He who has gone for refuge in the Buddha, his Teaching and his Order, penetrates with transcendental wisdom the Four Noble Truths - suffering,the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of suffering.This indeed is the safe refuge, this is the refuge supreme. Having gone to such a refuge, one is released from all suffering.
~ Dhammapada 190-192

Rupam Aniccam Dukkham Anatta
Rupam Aniccam Dukkham Anatta
Rupam Aniccam Dukkham Anatta

Vedana Anicca Dukkha Anatta
Vedana Anicca Dukkha Anatta
Vedana Anicca Dukkha Anatta

Sanna Anicca Dukkha Anatta
Sanna Anicca Dukkha Anatta
Sanna Anicca Dukkha Anatta

Sankhara Anicca Dukkham Anatta
Sankhara Anicca Dukkham Anatta
Sankhara Anicca Dukkham Anatta

Vinnanam Aniccam Dukkham Anatta
Vinnanam Aniccam Dukkham Anatta
Vinnanam Aniccam Dukkham Anatta

May He NOT be reborn again!

metta & karuna

Strange. The vihara president in The Star (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/8/31/nation/15290453&sec=nation) reported that Venerable "has been making steady progress" and then all of a sudden...

Leads me to think "why"? Perhaps that's Life - what we know is only "a single handful".

metta

I m not a Buddhist... never met the man... never knew who he was until I saw it in Screenshot...

but I can see from the comments that he have done a lot of good things and touched a lot of lives... my condolences and deepest sympathy for your loss...

A great man has passed on. May he attain the bliss of Nirvana.

Existence is larger than life or death. Life and death are both states of existence. An identity exists whether it is in the state of life or in the state of death. A death is just night to your soul.

Life and death are but two faces of your eternal, ever changing existence, however. Feel and appreciate the joy of your own being. Many live into their nineties without ever appreciating to that extent the beauty of their being.

The Venerable Dr K. Sri Dhammananda Nayaka Maha Thera had lived before, and will again, and your new life, in your terms, springs out of the old, and is growing in the old and contained within it as the seed is already contained within the flower.
For a preview of the budget, check this out:
http://powerpresent.blogspot.com/2006/09/leaked-malaysian-budget-20062007-new.html

FAREWELL

AS a news reporter with The Malay Mail between 1994 and 2005, I met Rev. Dhammananda several times – usually during Wesak Day celebrations he led at the Buddhist Maha Vihara (temple) in Brickfields and a few other occasions.

Every time I bumped into him, I only asked a few questions just to get some quotes for my news report. Never did I have a proper conversation with him. I regret that now.

I’d like to share what to me was a very special experience during one of my meetings with him.

It was on Christmas Day in 1998 when my Assistant News Editor assigned me to cover a Christmas party for some 200 underprivileged children. It was quite a news-worthy item to cover as it was held at the vihara in Brickfields, organised by a group of Christians, the Santa Claus was a Hindu and the contributor for all the balloons adorning the party area was a Muslim!

But what I will remember of that day forever was what the Reverend said and did.

You see, Dec ’98 was also the month of Ramadhan, where (many) Muslims like me were fasting. By the time I arrived at the vihara, it was 6.30pm and many children were already playing around, taking photos with Santa and being entertained by a clown, among others.

At about 15 minutes before 7-something pm (buka puasa time), I was busy thinking of where to go for my dinner - either the nearby Kentucky Fried Chicken or a roadside teh tarik stall, both within walking distances from the vihara.

The Reverend, the vihara’s religious advisor back then, must have been observing me. He walked up to me and, as if he had read my mind, calmly said: “Young man, don’t think too much. You can buka puasa here. I will accompany you.”

I agreed in a split second. He solved my problem!

“Please forgive us. We only have vegetarian dishes here,” he humbly and smilingly added, while leading me to a dining table somewhere in the vihara’s premises.

I was speechless. He brought me right down to earth with those few simple words. Even if there were only cookies served with lots of plain water at the vihara, I’ll be happy enough.

So, there we were, sitting at the dining table, together with a few other priests in their saffron robes and a spread of vegetarian dishes was laid out in front of us.

As I was making sure my wristwatch was accurate, the Reverend took out a small pocket radio transistor from somewhere, turned it on and tuned in to a Bahasa Malaysia radio station.

As scheduled, the muezzin recited the call for the evening prayer through the little speaker, which also marked the moment to break fast.

“Go ahead, Azlan,” he told me to start first. Only after I had my first gulp of water for the day, did he and the other priests start eating. I was honoured and humbled at the same time.

The fact that I didn’t go to KFC or the the tarik stall wasn’t because I didn’t know how to turn down the Chief High Priest of Malaysian and Singaporean Theravada Buddhists’ dinner invitation. It was buka puasa in a Buddhist temple for me, during a Christmas party! How cool was that, eh?

Seriously, the Reverend’s humble gestures greatly raised my respect and admiration for him. During that brief encounter with him, my personal tolerance and understanding towards other people’s faiths, beliefs and cultures was greatly altered, for the better.

In less than an hour of dining together, his simple acts of humility made me a better person, more open-minded and drastically changed, for the better, my ways of looking at the world I live in.

It was a small but very refreshing respite for this one tired reporter near the end of that very colourful and turbulent year – street ‘Reformasi’ protests, KL Commonwealth Games, the horrible smog and the Asian economic crisis, among many others.

To me, the Rev. Dhammananda was a great Buddhist and more importantly, a great human being.

Malaysia and its Buddhist community have lost a very special person.

With much sadness, I bid farewell to him.

Yes!

May he not be BORN again!
May he ceases to exist!

Hi oolat

Thanks for sharing your remarkable experience with us.

Your comment inspires me in two ways. Firstly, I’m inspired by the Reverend. Secondly, I’m inspired by YOU.

I hope more of us will have the privilege to be blessed with such experiences.

:~~~~~~~(

I met the Chief Reverand twice, when he was healthy, laughing and joking in his usual mischiveous manner. The last time I had a glimpse of him was during Wesak Day, and he was already quite sick and weak.

He had done much good for Malaysia and Malaysians especially when it comes to strengtening racial and religious ties.

May he attain Nirvana!

Thanks beefstew,

I'm glad to have inspired someone, although I didn't expect to do so.

See what I mean? It was all because of the Reverend. I wish to take no credit in being an inspiration to you. I attribute it to Rev. Dhammananda.

As a Muslim and as is practiced for those who pass on, I will recite for him the 'Al-Fatihah', the leader of all the verses in my Holy Book.

That, and sharing that particular experience with whomever care enough to listen, is the least I can do for him.

Amin...

I am rather distressed at what 'kontrolgila' has written.

I hope that as a practising buddhist, you have taken to the path of meditation. If you have, please consider adding on 'contemplation' to your routine, to provide insight to what you have written. Especially, consider the issue of 'I', 'self' and 'ego'

much metta and karuna,
purefaith

Something is amiss in oolat's account. Theravadan Buddhist monks, including those from the vihara, do not take meals after midday. It is one of the key rules they follow the moment they become a monk. They may however take a drink anytime they wish.

We are so touched ... :(
Not practicing Buddhist, we had the honour to be in Chief's entourage during his trip to Sri Lanka in March this year.
Despite of years of suffering and bound to a wheelchair, he was so agile, vivid and giving his speeches firm and full of humour ...
Made us think again how quick things can change.
Life is impermanence.

dyke,

Please refer to http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=56,3117,0,0,1,0

---------------
Quote:
Note from the Buddhist Channel: We would like to point to the fact that Theravada monks do not take food after noon. On this occasion, while we can verify that the event actually occured, we would like to clarify that the late Chief Venerable actually took medicine with porridge as he "buka puasa (open fast)" with the writer. While there were monks within the vicinity of the kitchen, none took part in the meals. However, members of the inter-faith group who were there at the event joined in the "buka puasa". The Buddhist Channel would like to thank the writer to share his kind thoughts of his moving experience with the late venerable.

------------------
metta & karuna,
purefaith

i'm glad i bumped into your site. We all miss Chief Reverend and all of us want pay tribute and remember him in some way. My way is similar to yours. i've got a blog on friendster blogs and i have prepared a small tribute to him. i was wondering whether you would give me your permission to use the excellent picture you have on your site , the one of him at wesak, for my posting? please let me know. And thank you for remembering him.

JEFF OOI says:Yes please goahead.Each of us will remember the Reverend in diffrent ways,but his good deeds to mankind shall remain the same and shal lnever be forgotten and foresaken.

my blog url is http://wayofpk.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/

so you can verify it.

This is a great blog. Thanks for sharing all these.
I communicate with the ven Dhammananda through email. many advice from him. He even sent me some books and cds. I can't go down to KL to pay my last respect to him, but what I did was to take out one of his book and used it as a discussion in the temple on Sunday class with the student. I'll always remember his advice and continue echoing his effort. Thank you Ven for the Dharmadana you gave me.

Buddhism and Homosexuality

Reply by Ven. Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda

Introduction

The following reply by Ven. Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda was sent to me by a fellow Buddhist friend, himself being gay, of course. Consent have been given by the Ven. Sir to publish his reply and to share his reply with everyone. Ven. Dhammananda is a very well known Buddhist figure in both Singapore and, especially, in Malaysia. He is a religious adviser to many Buddhist societies and has published many Buddhist books. 

The following is a link to his website: http://www.ksridhammananda.com 

The question via email...

Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2002

Dear Ven. Sir,

Before I seek your guidance on certain issues, may I first express my congratulatory note to Ven. Sir for your 50 years of services for Buddhism and most importantly for the good of mankind.For the past few years, I have been posed by questions from my fellow gay friends who are interested to know what Buddhism views of homosexuals. In today's society, sad to say that homosexuals seem to be considered as "a thrash" of society who has nothing better to do than having sexual lusts. This stereotype image has prompted to the discrimination of homosexuals in workplace and even more so in the Asian countries.

From my understanding, religions like Islam and Christianity condemn homosexuality but I often ask myself how about Buddhism. Being a homosexual who also practises Buddhism, I do not have a clear view about this issue. 

I have read many of your great publications and also heard of your dhamma talks. I even read some website about this but there is no answer to this. 

Here are some of my questions:

1. Does Buddhism condemn homosexuals?
2. If a true Buddhist who practices Buddhism but also on the same time is a homosexual, is he by any means considered on breaking precept especially pertaining to the precept of "avoid having sexual misconduct"?
3. If two men fall in love with each other, are they wrong by any means?

There are many more questions I would like to ask pertaining homosexuals. Ven Sir have written many publications that explain the rationale and wisdom of Buddhism. May I suggest Ven. Sir to even write a book on "Buddhism and Homosexuality" as I personally feel there are many more people out there who have mixed feelings on this issue. This is to correct the perspective of society on homosexuals.

I end here with my wishes of good health, and good wishes to Ven Sir, and may Ven. Sir continues to guide us and show us the way to the Dhamma.

The reply via email...

Date: 15th January 2001

Thank you for your e-mail. I am happy that you have brought up this matter as I realize how important it is in the context of what is happening in the world around us today. We can no longer pretend that this aspect of human behaviour is something shameful and if we ignore it long enough it will simply go away. I agree that it should be discussed at greater length in  a book, but that will take time. In the meantime I hope that this brief reply will help you become acquainted with the Buddhist attitude to homosexuality. 

To begin with present day attitudes are largely influenced by the Tudor - Christian approach in the bible which was blown out of proportion by the narrow mindedness of the Victorian era in 19th Century England. In Asia, especially  India and China, sex was never seen as something dirty only to be indulged in surreptitiously and only for the purposes of breeding.  Stone sculptures on the Hindu temples of India amply testify to the fact that all kinds of sexual behaviour (including masturbation) was an expression of KAMA, of sensual pleasure which could be indulged in within the limits of Dharma, which in this case meant virtue. As human beings we are equipped with bodies which crave for the pleasures of all kinds (not only sex) - for food, pleasant smells, sounds etc. If we deny these for being sinful, then we repress natural desires which are harmful. The being which is the victim of MAYA (ignorance) sees the body as real and craves to satisfy its longing for KAMA. . But as the being matures spiritually MAYA is replaced with VIDYA (knowledge) and PANNA (wisdom) . Therefore when the body is seen as an illusion, than the being naturally GROWS OUT of craving. Here we see the superior being renounces sex through maturity just as a child stops playing with toys as he or she grows up. THERE IS NOTHING INTRINISICALLY WRONG WITH SEX. What is wrong is attachment and slavery to it, on believing that indulgence in sex can bring ultimate  happiness. This is the problem with the exploitation of sex by the mass entertainment industry today - extending the myth that sex can bring lasting happiness. 

The 3rd of the five precepts we recite in daily buddhist practice is : undertake the training rule to refrain from sexual misconduct. First we note that there is no compulsion - no fear of punishment for infringement of any divine law, but when we recognise the danger of attachment to sex, we freely take the steps (training rule) to grow out of it  i.e. "I undertake". 

Next we look at "sexual misconduct" - here we refer specifically to sexual misconduct , not all sexual behaviour. Sex is not prohibited to those who do not choose to be celibate. Undoubtedly, this rule only applies to those who are not monks or nuns. These latter have voluntarily taken it upon themselves to abstain from sex to better concentrate on their spiritual progress. By misconduct is meant behaviour which harms the person who does the act or the other party. This in a way means that if both parties are consenting adults there is no harm done. In Buddhism we do not consider any action "sinful" in the sense that we transgress a divine commandment. We act wrongly because of Ignorance and therefore we commit an Akusala Kamma (unskilful action) which delays or interferes with our spiritual progress. Because of our Ignorance about the real nature of things (in this case our body) we act in ways which are detrimental to us from a spiritual point of view. Wisdom and Understanding will help us refrain from harmful actions, both mental and physical. 

In this connection Buddhism does not recognise that marriage is a divinely ordained institution which suddenly makes sex OK.  Sex is a human activity which has nothing to do with heaven and hell. You will notice that sexual restraint is only ONE of the Five Precepts.. Killing is far more serious  because you can hurt another being more viciously. Sex is caused by a craving just like caving for food, liquor, drugs, wealth, power. Attachment to any of these constitutes Akusala Kamma. Buddhism discourages any of these forms of carving because it will tie us down more firmly to Samsara . Also indulgence in sex can lead to other evils.  You may see from this that Buddhism does not see Homosexuality as WRONG and HETROSEXUALITY [sic] as RIGHT. Both are sexual activity using the body , both are strong expressions of lust which increase desire for life and therefore trap us longer in Samsara. Whether two men or a couple fall in love , it arises out of  the same human limitation that is, of not seeing the body as empty of any ultimate reality.  Buddhism does not condemn homosexuals in the same way as it does not condemn any wrong doing. We act through ignorance of the true nature of things, therefore we are only guilty of AKUSALA Kamma (unskilful action) .. We have no right to condemn others . Our duty is to help others see that they are acting out of ignorance , to show how real happiness can be gained. We have no right to condemn those who think or act differently from us especially when we ourselves are slaves of sensual pleasure in other forms. We know that when we point one finger at others, three fingers are pointing at us. 

In summary, homosexuality, like heterosexuality arises from Ignorance, and is certainly not "sinful" in a Christian sense. All forms of sex increase lust, craving , attachment to the body. With wisdom we learn to grow out of these attachments. We do not condemn homosexuality as wrong and sinful, but we do not condone it either, simply because it, like other forms of sex, delays our deliverance from Samsara. 

Wishing you progress in your Dhamma practise.