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36 EASTERN HORIZON | FACE TO FACE

Benny: You were a college student when you were From my interactions with Buddhist youths in Singapore,
attracted to Buddhism. What was it that you found it seems to me they have questions and concerns similar
so appealing in Buddhism, that you eventually to those of Westerners who come to Sravasti Abbey, who
decided to become a nun? may not have a background in Buddhism. The youths
I’ve met want to know how to manage their emotions
Damcho: I first started learning meditation through a and deal with stress. They’re figuring out how to live
Buddhist students’ group at college as a way to deal according to their values through their choices at work
with stress. I found breath meditation to be effective and in their personal lives. They’re concerned about
in helping to calm my mind and be less reactive. Aside social and environmental issues and how the Buddha’s
from that, I was not particularly interested in religion. teachings might relate to them.

A big turning point for me happened at graduation—I So I think a good starting point for introducing the
had won many prizes and accomplished many things Dharma to these youths is to focus on how to apply
on my to-do list, yet I felt profoundly unhappy. That’s the Buddha’s teachings in their daily lives, and to use
what got me thinking: If having all these external language and examples that relate their experiences.
accomplishments and experiences doesn’t bring I recently led a daylong workshop in Singapore on
lasting happiness, might the answer be something “FOMO” or the “fear of missing out.” While I based the
internal? I then became interested in exploring a talk on a traditional source—a list of six conditions that
spiritual path and learning the Buddha’s teachings. cause afflictions to arise as laid out in the Great Treatise
on the Stages of the Path to Awakening (lamrim chenmo)
After I returned to Singapore, I attended a class on by the 14 -century Tibetan sage Tsongkhapa—I focused
th
basic Buddhism and was surprised to hear that the on examples of how modern technology can stimulate
first step to calm the mind and create the causes for our afflictions. This led to a fruitful discussion on how
happiness is to practice ethical conduct. I had never we relate to handphones and social media.
made a connection between ethical conduct and its
results in this way before. I started observing the five Creating space for dialogue and discussions is another
lay precepts and found that made a difference in my good way to get young people interested in the Dharma.
daily life and interpersonal relationships, and my mind At Sravasti Abbey, we have a particular way of leading
was indeed more peaceful and happy. Dharma discussions. A discussion leader first poses a
few questions for everyone to contemplate, pausing
From this experience, I became convinced that between each question to give time for reflection.
practicing ethical conduct was the foundation for my After that, we break into small groups where each
happiness and ability to contribute to others’ welfare. person answers all the questions, while others practice
When I had the opportunity to serve as my teacher active listening without comment. After everyone has
Venerable Thubten Chodron’s assistant on a teaching answered the questions, then there’s time for cross-
tour in Indonesia in 2012, and I saw first-hand how talk. Eventually, the entire group reconvenes and shares
she had a calm mind in all kinds of situations and was responses to the questions.
always focused on benefitting whoever was in front of
her. I could see that this was the fruit of her decades Compared to the older Buddhists in Singapore, Buddhist
of living in monastic ordination, and I was inspired to youths seem more interested in sharing how they
follow in her footsteps. engage with the Buddha’s teachings in their personal
lives. This can make the Dharma more accessible and
Many youths in Asia think that to be serious in the discussions help people to see that they share
Buddhism, you have to be a monastic. But the majority common experiences. When people become Dharma
of youths would have a career and family life. So how friends and feel a sense of community, then they’re
do we introduce the Dharma to these youths? likely to return for more teachings and other activities.