Page 163 - YBAM 50th Anniversary Souvenir Magazine

Set up in 1991, the Malaysian Sangha significantly to the development of
Fund, has thus far helped more than 473 Malaysian Buddhism. Many of the young
monks and nuns (as at 31 July 2019) to monks and nuns who received dana

further their studies. from the Malaysia Sangha Fund are
today contributing actively to the growth
Dato’ Ir. Ang Choo Hong
The Malaysia Sangha Fund was a creative of Malaysian Buddhism. The thousands
Chairman of Yayasan Belia Buddhist Malaysia (YBBM)
idea of the Yayasan Belia Buddhist of devotees who contributed to this
President of Buddhist Research Society Malaysia (BRSM)
Advisor of Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (YBAM) Malaysia. It was, and still is, a completely fund would rejoice to know that they
CREATIVITY IN BUDDHIST MOVEMENT new idea in the Buddhist movement, not have contributed to the development of

A CASE EXAMPLE OF YAYASAN BELIA BUDDHIST MALAYSIA only in Malaysia but worldwide. Malaysian Buddhism.

Conventionally, Buddhist organisations Personal Charity Fund
would organise dana to monks, and the Another creative idea of the Yayasan
monetary contribution from devotees Belia Buddhist Malaysia was the
would be handed to the monks and nuns establishment of the Personal Charity
“Creativity is a combinatorial force: it’s our ability to tap into our present, leaving no balance to take care Fund. Hitherto, it was the privilege of
‘inner’ pool of resources – knowledge, insight, information, inspiration
and all the fragments populating our minds – that we’ve accumulated of the educational and medical needs of a few billionaires to set up charity fund
over the years just by being present and alive and awake to the world the monks and nuns. The Yayasan Belia under their personal names. In 1986,
and to combine them in extraordinary new ways.” — Maria Popova,
Brainpickings Buddhist Malaysia devised an ingenious the Yayasan Belia Buddhist Malaysia set
way, by urging devotees to pass over the up the Personal Charity Fund, whereby
monetary contribution to a fund, called the anyone who contributed RM1,000 and
Malaysia Sangha Fund, and the money in above (amended to RM2,000 and above
the fund would then be used to fund the since 2017) could set up a fund under
Malaysian Sangha Fund ‘Fortunately, the Malaysia Sangha
educational and medical fees of deserving his or her own name, or in remembrance
In early 2003, a young nun, who had Fund came forward and offered me a
monks and nuns (of course a portion of of deceased relatives. The fund would
just graduated from the Malaysian scholarship of RM1000. It wasn’t much
the fund would be used to fund the dana be used to carry out long term charity
Buddhist Institute, aspired to further her but it was incredibly helpful at my moment
of the day). works especially in offering scholarships
study in a secular university in Taiwan. of despair. With that money I flew to
to students in tertiary institutions. It is a
Her application to the university was Taiwan and continued my study.’
With this creative approach, the Yayasan creative idea that is totally in line with the
successful, but she faced a big problem.
Belia Buddhist Malaysia had, till 2019, working philosophy of Yayasan: For you,
Her monastery was not willing to sponsor Today this nun is a PhD student and had
disbursed RM1,768,580.29 to cater to the For all, For Buddhism.
her study. She was an unknown young presented some papers in international
educational and medical needs of monks
nun and not many people were willing to conferences.
and nuns, providing requisites to monks Today, 451 personal charity funds had
offer dana for her study.
living in remote areas, contributing to the been set up, and the total amount in
There were many young monks and nuns
International Buddhist College and others. the funds is RM1,436,109. More than
‘I was so desperate, I was lost!’, she like her, who eventually realised their
382 students in tertiary institutions had
recalled her moment of despair as she aspiration through the Malaysian Sangha
This creative approach really contributed benefitted from an aid of RM1,000 each.
160 wept away her tears. Fund. 161

50 YEARS OF DHARMA PRO PA GATION CO NTINUING THE MIS SION IN THE 5G ER A