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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON
Ven. Kai Ren received dana from devotees during 2019 vassa.
Ven. Kai Ren regularly teach at Taiwanese Buddhist Institutes.
Dharma talk in Tuaran
21
The main objectives of the organisation are:
1. To practise the Buddha’s teaching and to uphold the
spirit of the Buddha-dharma.
2. To carry out Sangha education and to implement the
spirit of the six unities.
3. To enhance co-operation between Sangha and laity
and to support the Triple Gem in accordance with
the Dharma.
4. To teach Buddhism as an active, contemporary way
of living in order to purify society and mankind.
Meditation retreats and Dharma classes (both virtual
and physical) are regularly conducted at Santavana
Forest Hermitage. For more information, please visit
www.santavana.org or enquire via email (santavana@
gmail.com) or Whatsapp (+6016 5568715).
Zhi Yi: Can you please share with us your personal
background and why you chose to live your life as a
monk?
Ven Kai Ren: I came from an underprivileged family and
my dad passed away when I was seven. In my family, I
have nine siblings. When I was young, my mother would
always bring us to the temple to pray for blessings.
I remember I was always fond of the statues of the
Buddha and Bodhisattvas. I also felt joyful even just by
seeing a monk or a nun.
After graduating with a business degree in Kuala
Lumpur, I went back to Sabah and found a job in
accounting, but I did not enjoy it. In fact, I have already
had the thought of becoming a monk since my teenager
years, but I was not sure whether I could adapt to the
kind of lifestyle monks and nuns lead. Therefore, I lived
and studied at FuYan Buddhist Institute (福嚴佛學院)
in Taiwan for one year to test the water. At one time, we
were supposed to have lectures from an elder monk,
but he suddenly passed away before the semester even
began. I was startled by the impermanent nature of life
and hence became very determined to get ordained.
However, it was not an easy process.
Firstly, I needed to reconcile with my mother. I
remember phoning her from Taiwan to tell her about
my decision. She asked if I could postpone the decision
to be ordained until I was in my 30s or 40s. However,