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FACE TO FACE  |  EASTERN HORIZON     9
















































           At 19, I declared myself an agnostic. But I continued   In the early 1990s I found that I was ‘struggling’ for time
           my spiritual search until my university days. I read   to cope with family matters, my job as a school teacher,
           widely on the various world religions, Western and   missionary work at the then newly established Lower
           Eastern philosophy, Psychology, the Humanities, and   Perak Buddhist Association, and my own spiritual self-
           Science. But it was only when I began my career as a   development. Deep down I realized that what mattered
           teacher in the early 1970s in Kelantan that I came to   ultimately was one’s karma and spiritual realization.
           understand and appreciate Buddhism through books   I then quit my job as a teacher to dedicate more time
           and talks by Ven. Dr K Sri Dhammananda. That was   for Dharma practice and missionary work. As I had a
           the turning point. My mind brightened and there was   deep love for teaching, I continued teaching classes
           an inner joy because all the questions I had asked   on Buddhism besides doing outreach work at the
           for years were soon beautifully answered. I started   association. I found this voluntary service meaningful
           pursuing the Dharma ardently by reading more books   and fulfilling. It was during this period that I met a
           on Buddhism, taking Buddhist Correspondence courses,   Vajrayāna Buddhist monk who came to give Dharma
           and attending talks and discussions. However, it was   talks at the association. After some discussions, he
           mostly ‘intellectual Dharma’ until our local Buddhist   inspired me with six lines of Dharma teaching for
           Association in Teluk Intan started in 1987 when my real   reflection. I will never forget what he told me:
           learning, study, and practice of the Dharma began.   •  Life is uncertain.
                                                              •  Death is certain
           I understand that you quit your job as a teacher in   •   The point of death is uncertain
           your mid-40s to spend time taking care of your aged   •   The mode of death is uncertain
           parents and dedicating more time for missionary    •  What is ENOUGH?
           work with the newly established Lower Perak        •  When is ENOUGH really ENOUGH?
           Buddhist Association. What motivated you to make
           such a noble decision in the prime of your career?    I was truly motivated to opt out early in my career as
                                                              a teacher but as I was then only 44 years old, I had to
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