Page 154 - YBAM 50th Anniversary Souvenir Magazine

Peninsula. However, the second wave (both incarnations) and high profile
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has not made an impact on the natives
of the land and Buddhism was introduced
and practised only by the people who
brought them back to this land.
Traditionally, Malaysian Chinese tend to
practise a blend of Mahāyāna Buddhism,
suffused with Confucianism/Taoism while
the Sinhalese and indigenous Malaysian
Thai practise Theravāda Buddhism.
Due to language barrier, the English-
educated Malaysian Chinese began
following the Theravāda tradition, which is
largely attributed to the efforts of the late
Venerable Dr. K. Sri Dhammanda Maha
Nayaka Thera/o. The Sri Lankan, Thai
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and Burmese traditions form the core of
Theravāda Buddhism in Malaysia.
The Third Wave— Vajrayana Buddhism
About fifteen years after Malaya achieved
independence, i.e. in the early 1970s,
a third wave of Buddhism rekindled in
Malaysia, this time, in the form of Vajrayāna
Buddhism. The type of Vajrayāna
practised in Malaysia is primarily Tibetan
Buddhism and also from Bhutan. The
growth of Vajrayāna Buddhism amongst
the Malaysian Chinese is due to the huge
publicity it attracts, amongst others linked
to His Holiness the Dalai Lama winning
the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995, visitations
by high lamas and the proliferation of
publications and other media. Popular
Vajrayāna Buddhist personalities like His
Holiness the 17th Gwalwang Karmapa
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of them located in the capital city, Kuala these traditions are authentic teachings
lineage gurus from all four schools 15 Lumpur and its suburbs. Almost half of
all add to the ever growing popularity of the centres in Malaysia belong to the
Vajrayāna Buddhism in Malaysia. Kagyu tradition, followed by Sakya. This
is largely attributed to the visits of the
The very first Tibetan Rinpoche who 16th Karmapa and Sakya Trizin Rinpoche
introduced Vajrayāna Buddhism in since the mid-1970s. The proliferation of
Malaysia is widely believed to be His the Gelug and Nyingma schools are a
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Eminence Tulku Urgyen, a highly realised later phenomenon. There is no doubt that
Tibetan lama and Dzogchen master from Vajrayāna Buddhism has become very
Nepal. His Holiness the 16th Karmapa sent visible in the eyes of Malaysians in the
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche to Ipoh in 1972 as last two decades.
16
his personal representative. In the same
year, H.E. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche built Conclusion
the first holy stupa according to Vajrayāna Multi-tradition Buddhism has been a
Buddhist tradition in Malaysia next to the salient feature in this land since ancient
Kong Chee Name Cave 17 temple where times and is not a new phenomenon
he stayed in meditation for almost seven although contemporary Malaysian
months. H.E Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, the Buddhism has all three major traditions
father of Lama Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche co-exist all at the same time and in
was accompanied by three attendant great harmony. Malaysia owes its multi-
monks and conducted several Dharma tradition Buddhism largely to efforts of
activities, empowerments and oral Chinese and Sri Lankan immigrants and
transmissions. The second Tibetan Lama native people of Thai descent and more
visited Malaysia was Tarig Tulku followed recently, Myanmar migrants who revived
by HH the 16th Karmapa in 1976 along Mahāyāna Buddhism and Theravāda
with his entourage of regents. HH Sakya Buddhism respectively. The Vajrayāna
Trizin Rinpoche was the fourth visited re-emerged not through immigration but
Malaysia in 1978. His Holiness the 14th through the visitation of sangha from the
Dalai Lama first visited Malaysia in 1981. Himalayan region. Each major Buddhist
tradition is further divided according to
The first Vajrayāna Buddhist centre the country of origin, schools/nikayas
established in Malaysia is the Kuala and interpretation (e.g. Pure Land
Lumpur Karma Kagyu Centre in late 1977. School, Zen/Chan etc.). Regardless
After that, a wave of Vajrayāna Buddhist of the differences either between or
centres from all the four schools of Tibetan within the traditions, what is important
Buddhism emerged in the country, most to understand and remember is that all
50 YEARS OF DHARMA PRO PA GATION CO NTINUING THE MIS SION IN THE 5G ER A
of the Buddha and share the same basic
doctrines such as the Four Noble Truths,
karma and rebirth, dependent origination,
the three characteristics etc. Although
there may not be absolute agreement
on the expanded tenets and there are
seemingly major external differences
such as the colour of the robes, language,
style of Buddha statues, methods of
supplication and practice, ceremonies,
meditation techniques etc.—these are
by far cosmetic and do not contradict the
basic spirit of Buddhism as enshrined
in the Buddha’s Noble truths. Moreover,
sangha from any of the three traditions
follow the same Vinaya 19 framework,
albeit minor differences 20 . In the final
analysis, it is due to the spiritual maturity
of Malaysian Buddhists owed to the
efforts of great masters from all traditions
who have successfully passed on the
torch of understanding and appreciation
of diversity that the three traditions have
blended in harmony and have become
a defining characteristic of Malaysian
Buddhism. May this spirit prevails in our
beloved country.
1 Buddhist chronology uses B.C.E. (before common
era) and C.E. (common era) not BC/AD.
2 Initially used to refer to Lower Burma, the term
now covers Lower Thailand, the Malay Peninsula
and Sumatra.
3 Timeline corresponds to the reign of Emperor
Ashoka. The Sri Lankan chronicle, Mahavamsa tells
the story of two monks, Sona and Uttara who were
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