The year 2001 so far.........

Welcome to the first newsletter which serves to inform members of our activities, especially those who have not been frequenting our Centre or have not been kept informed through our email service.

Membership
We now have more than 200 members; and this number does not always include spouses or family members.  This is a remarkable number given that we have been in existence for little more than a year and only started services in July 2000.  There is also a keen enthusiasm among members to learn the Dhamma and to put it into practice.

Sunday Dhamma School ("SDS")
The SDS must surely count as one of BUBS major successes.  Initially planned for only 60 students, we now have about 210 students.  All the rooms are being used for classes. Indeed, because of the limited floor space available, we now run the classes in two sessions, i.e. from 9.00am to 10.15am and from 10.45am to 11.45am. The credit for the success of the SDS must surely go to the dedication of the Principal Dr Yeap Chin Heng, the teachers and administrators. Students of the SDS were also treated to a variety of home made cakes and goodies prepared by Sis Cheah Chew Chin and her team. In recognition of their contribution, the SDS recently held an appreciation lunch.  In March, we introduced our own Sunday School T-shirt designed by Sukhihotu which shows a happy family on the way to the school.  BUBS also contributed RM500 towards an educational CD project by Ven Pannyavaro of Australia. The CD will supplement the material used in the SDS.

Sunday Puja
The activities of BUBS continue to revolve around the Sunday Puja as it is the primary activity where the members unite in the veneration of the Buddha. In the Puja, we reconfirm our refuge in the Triple Gem and renew our commitment to the Five Precepts.  It is a meaningful and devotional experience which develops our love for the Buddha-Dhamma. In January, our own Puja book, beautifully designed and sponsored by Bro.Chua Tuan Hua, was introduced and used for the Puja. The Puja book has also been adopted for use by the English Section of Cempaka Buddhist Lodge in Taman Megah and Buddhist societies of several secondary schools. The EXCO is planning to enhance the Puja by introducing the offering of flowers, incense and oil lamps by individual members during the Puja.  This is expected to take place sometime in July.

Sunday Morning Dhamma Talks
In conjunction with our Sunday Puja, we also hold Sunday Dhamma talks.  These are lectures on various aspects of the Dhamma, delivered by various monks, lay teachers and also our own members. The monks who have delivered talks at the Centre on Sunday mornings and on other occasions include our spiritual advisor Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda, Venerables Aggacitta, Visuddhacara, Kumara, Sujivo, Ven Nagasena from the USA and Ven Pannyavaro and Ajahn Brahmavamso, both from Australia.  Other  speakers include Uncle Vijaya, Bros. Charlie Chia, Rasika Quek, Dr Victor Wee, Benny Liow, Wong Tin Song and Sister Gin Geng and Dr Patricia Sherwood from Australia.

Dhamma Study Group
The 2nd session Dhamma talks that start at 10.45 am every Sunday shall be changed to a Dhamma Study Group, where participants will study the Dhamma on a systematic basis.  The first DSG shall commence on Sunday, 15 July 2001 at 10.45am .  The one hour DSG to be held every Sunday shall explore the Dhamma in a progressive manner. There shall be a half hour talk, followed by an half hour discussion on the subject. The DSG shall use the book "Introductory Course in Buddhism, 2001 edition" as a reference. The book is available free at the Centre. No registration is required. Just turn up for the first DSG which shall start on the topic "The Life of the Buddha". Bring your friends along!

Meditation
Vipassana sessions are conducted at the Centre on Thursday nights. This sessions are conducted by Bros.Jong and Kok Wai and have served to introduce many members to the practice of Vipassana. On Friday nights, Metta meditation sessions are conducted following a tape recording of Ven Sujivo and guided by Bros Kok Wai and Buck Soon.

Centre Support Volunteers ("CSV")
Visitors to the Centre will not fail to notice the excellent cleanliness of the Centre and its facilities.  Working quietly behind the scenes, the CSV continue to ensure that members enjoy the use and convenience of the Centre in comfort and safety.  To facilitate access to the Centre, a concrete staircase was built linking the Centre to Jln Bandar Utama Hilir. Visitors can now park along that road and easily access the Centre.

Membership in Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia ("YBAM")
In an expression of unity with other Buddhist organizations in the country, BUBS has applied and has been accepted as a member organization of YBAM.

Special Events

Special Chinese New Year Blessing - 7 February 2001
A special event was organized in conjunction with the "Chap Goh Mei" celebrations.  This was a special service for the removal of ill fortune and the blessing of the participants. During this event, monks invited from the Sri Jayanti Temple of Sentul recited special suttas including the Metta Sutta, the Mangala Sutta and the Ratana Sutta.  Our hall was packed to capacity that night as many members also brought along relatives and friends for the event.

Meditation Retreat - 24 to 26 March 2001
A retreat designed to introduce members to Vipassana or Insight meditation was held in March.  About 20 members participated in the retreat which was very ably conducted by the American-Vietnamese monk, Ven Nagasena.  Participants reported their appreciation for the retreat and several has since signed up for further such retreats by other organizations.

Launch of Building Fund - 7 May 2001
The Building Fund was launched during Wesak 2001 by YB Dato' Ir Lum Weng Keong, the Selangor State Executive Councilor and Assemblyman for Bukit Lanjan, with an initial donation of RM28,888.  Dato' Lum then also donated RM3000 towards the Fund.  Todate we have a total of RM64,000 in the Building Fund. The purpose of this fund is to finance the construction of a purpose-built Buddhist Centre in Bandar Utama or the neighbouring locality.  With the assistance of the Bandar Utama Residents Association, an application for the land has been made to the appropriate authorities.  We hope that with our collective skilful kamma, our land application will be speedily approved.

Wesak Celebrations - 7 May 2001
Our first Wesak Celebrations was met with a fantastic response by members and residents of BU.  One week before Wesak, members had distributed hundreds of flyers announcing the Wesak celebrations to houses in Bandar Utama and Damansara areas.  It is estimated that more than 2,000 people visited the Centre to participate in the activities of the day.  These included a special blessing service by monks invited from the Sri Jayanti Temple of Sentul, a Dhamma talk by Bro. Charlie Chia (entitled Inspiration from the Buddha's Last Days) lighting of oil lamps and a Food Fair. Our celebrations received wide coverage in three English newspapers, i.e. the New Straits Times, the Star and the Malay Mail which put us in its centrespread with full colour pictures.  An appreciation lunch was held on 20 May 2001 at the Centre for all sponsors, donors and helpers of the Wesak Day celebrations.

Book Publication - 7 May 2001
In conjunction with Wesak, BUBS organized the printing and free distribution of the book "The Buddha and His Message" by Bhikkhu Bodhi. The book which was sponsored by Bro Lau Beng Long and friends is a transcription of Bhikkhu Bodhi's Wesak address to the United Nations last year. Copies of the book are available at the Centre.

Blessing Service for school children - 11 June 2001
Upon the invitation of Sekolah Menengah Damansara Utama, a local secondary school, BUBS assisted in the organisation of a special blessing service for Buddhist school students during the school's Prayer Day.  Bros. Tan Buck Soon, Cheah Swee Seng, Ong Ah Hock, Charlie Chia, and Lee Yu Ban attended the event.  About 400 students and 20 teachers turned up for the occasion.  As Buddhists accounted for a large proportion of the school students, we were allocated the school hall for the event. Bro Charlie Chia started the event by leading the students in the Vandana, the Taking of Refuge and the Five Precepts. This was followed by a song and a brief talk on how a Buddhist should prepare for his exams. Four monks which were invited from the Sri Jayanti Temple of Sentul then chanted the Metta Sutta and the Mangala Sutta. The event was rounded up by the sprinkling of blessed water and the distribution of wrist-strings to the participants.

There are now plans to initiate a Buddhist Society in that school.  The EXCO of BUBS also plans to implement a program to adopt and care for the Buddhist Societies in schools in and around Bandar Utama.

Fellowship trip to Forest Research Institute Malaysia ("FRIM") - 24 June 2001
About 270 members their families and Sunday Dhamma School children turned up at FRIM on a cool Sunday morning for a day of fellowship and fun.  We started the day's program by an act of compassion - the release of crickets, frogs, fishes and birds, which was purchased from various markets, into the streams and forest of FRIM. We wish to express our thanks and appreciation to Bro Lim Hee Chay who helped us in this event.  We then separated into four groups which then followed FRIM's rangers on an educational tour of the forest and musuem.  After a sumptious lunch, members of Subang Jaya Buddhist Association's Youth Group led us in an enthusiastic round of song-singing.   The day's fun and fellowship was rounded up by games for both children and parents.

Conclusion
The remarkable growth in our numbers and activities are reflective of the commitment and dedication of a large section of our members. We have a vision of establishing a Dhamma-inspired community. As members make merit in their service to the community, the Society is expected to grow in strength.  We continue to require assistance in many areas; to help out those already committed in running the various projects and divisions and also to take the lead in new projects.

We would love to have you join us in these efforts, but if you are unable to contribute your time, you may also choose to support your Society financially. The Centre's monthly operational costs consists largely of rental of RM1300 per month and utilities of about RM400. If you wish to contribute towards the  operational cost of maintaining the Centre, you may make your contribution at the Sunday Counter or call our Treasurer, Bro Lee Lean Hock at 012-3297309 (email: yanyi@tm.net.my). For contributions towards the Building Fund, contact Bro. Tan Ban Loong at 013-3424499 (email: tbl@pc.jaring.my)

So please step out to strengthen your practice and to share the Dhamma with others.