We were in Tuaran town, participating in Dana offering ceremony to a group of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, 26 of them, along the five foot ways of Tuaran shophouses on a Sunday morning. Together with brothers Liew koko, Ah Chai and sister. The simple act of kneeling down and respectfully making an offering to this spiritual community of Sangha lining up the pavement to receive your offerings induces such feeling of serenity and gratitude within myself. As I extended my palms, I tried to visualize the tranquil countenance of the Great Buddha sitting in a meditating posture on a lotus seat above, accompanied by Boddhisatvas on both sides while radiating pure white light to His sacred community of ordained as well as lay disciples on the ground, many of whom are eagerly seeking his spiritual guidance and continued blessings to try to lead a pure and enlightened existence in their respective life paths. As I finished giving away the small packets of rice , I joined my palms to whisper prayer for sharing of merits and felt little droplets of tears begin to fill my eyes. It must be tears of gratitude, I think, knowing that at the moment of extending alms I have been truly blessed..
A while later we had our breakfast of mee tuaran and porridge at a nearby kopitiam and as we were contentedly and hurriedly feeding the growling stomachs, an elderly man donning a songkok was seen making his round, begging for a little goodwill from patrons crowding the premises to part with their money but his undignified presence was entirely ignored. He might not possess the glowing light and spiritual attainment as displayed by the community of Sangha, but I could afford him a small amount of dana to enable him to sustain his life, in dignity. Besides, having understood the virtue of giving via Dana offering how could we have the heart to turn down a needy elderly? With a sense of humility, I thus gave him a few ringgits, with the belief that his plight was indeed what he has portrayed himself to be, and that I was helping to lessen the suffering of another human being.
And because in giving, there’s a little part in ourselves that we learn to let go, and that empty part is now being filled with a little richness in spirituality…
Some photos:
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