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18 EASTERN HORIZON | FACE TO FACE
on to this key point: be a person training a new generation of local from doing evils, practicing all the
who is strongly determined to Buddhist youths. They should good deeds, and purifying one’s
devoting oneself to Buddhism, be create their own new programs and mind.” This gāthā is a common
a person who is willing to sacrifice events; not simply be influenced by saying in Buddhism, which
your youth and devote yourself for foreign Buddhist traditions such as embodies a very profound meaning
the Buddha. Theravāda, Tibetan, and Mahāyāna and sequence of practice. We
Buddhism from Taiwan and China. can comprehend and master the
If someone falls under the They should find a new way out to overall guidance of practicing the
influence of fake Buddhist unite themselves like the Muslims purification of our body, speech and
teachers, how do we help this do. New generations of Buddhist mind through the meaning in it.
person come back to the right youths should develop their unique This gāthā is my simple yet concise
path of the true Dharma? living space and mode of activities. sharing with everyone.
This is the only way of leading
My current thinking (after settling Buddhism in Malaysia to a new Any final advice for us to study
down in the United States) prospect. Buddhism in Malaysia and practice the Dharma in our
about Buddhism in Malaysia has should not be affected by the foreign daily life as lay Buddhists so that
changed greatly compared to Buddhist or non-Buddhist groups. we can follow the true Dharma?
the time before I left Penang in
1989. From my current viewpoint, Malaysian Buddhist youths who My suggestion is, the gap between
Buddhism in Malaysia is formed wish to preserve the strength of your professional work and
by numerous foreign Buddhist unity of Buddhism in Malaysia, Buddhist practice in your daily life
groups—which includes Theravāda should develop new thinking, a new should be narrowed down as much
Buddhism, Mahāyāna Buddhism, language of communication, new as possible. How can we gradually
Tibetan Buddhism, and even space, and unique characteristics fuse together our professional and
some bogus Buddhist groups— for their activities. This is the Dharma cultivation? We can slowly
their existence has brought in only way of opening up a new adjust our habitual patterns under
influence to Malaysia. In addition, domain for Malaysian Buddhists; certain circumstances over a period
Malaysia has her own challenge of only with its own Buddhists will of time toward reducing the gap
racial issue. While all these have Malaysia flourish. The youths must between our spiritual belief and
shaped a very complicated and remember that: Tibetan Buddhism professional job. Only if these two
multifarious Buddhist environment is a drifter, Taiwanese Buddhism is aspects can support one another
in Malaysia, there are actually more facing the crisis of being united with and merge together, can we then
disadvantages than advantages. a powerful China, and Theravada apply the Dharma in our daily life
From a different standpoint, Buddhism is in developing and take good care of our living.
Malaysian Buddhists should take countries. Buddhists in Malaysia Finally, I want to encourage the
the opportunity to correct and set should look for new ideas for Buddhist youths of the modern day
things back to order. themselves and develop their own to have both virtue and talent; to be
political ambition. talented mentally and physically.
Those who want to lead Buddhism EH
should have the entrepreneurship What qualities should we develop
in localizing Buddhism in Malaysia. so that we can always have the
Localization of Buddhism in good karmic opportunity to meet
Malaysia means that Malaysian with good dharma masters in our
Buddhists should establish Saṃsāric journey?
themselves through the local
language, creative leadership of There is a widespread saying in
the local people, and emphasis on Buddhism, which is, “refraining