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Sam Poh Thong today provides the following activities and continues to expand to cater the growing needs of the local community:
Activities for Youths
A) |
Sunday School |
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Sunday Dharma Class commenced in January 2008 with an initial registration of 50 students. To date, the attendance had recorded about 150 youths, ranging from the ages of 5 years to the teens. Classes are conducted in both English Language and Mandarin. |
B) |
Weekly Dharma Sessions |
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The weekly dharma sessions of one and half hours covers Heart Sutra recitation, Great Compassionate Mantra, meditation and dharma talks by our Venerable Sing Kan and other Sangha members. |
C) |
Participating in Dharma Knowledge Competition |
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The past two years saw Sam Poh Thong's students participating in the Heart Sutra (writing) competition held annually jointly organized by the Malaysian Buddhist Association (Kuala Lumpur/Selangor) branch and Kuan Yin Teng, Petaling Jaya. |
D) |
Field trips were organized to the National Monument, the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park in addition to a theatrical experience when the youths attended a choral singing presentation by the All American Boys International Choir. |
E) |
Extra Curriculum Activities in Choral Singing, Taekwondo and Chinese Martial Arts (Wushu) were held weekly for the youths. |
F) |
Holiday Camps were also conducted for students to emphasise the importance of teamwork, building up their skills and increasing their self-esteem which included visits to the Sunbeam Orphanage Centre.
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Activities For Devotees
Dharma talks and 8 Noble Precepts ceremony are organized occasionally. Devotees are also able to participate in merit sharing activities like supportive chanting as well as visits to the handicapped centres such as Taman Sinar Harapan in Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor.
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Annual events include:-
1) |
New Year chanting |
2) |
Guan Yin Festival |
3) |
Wesak Day celebration |
4) |
Ullambana festival |
5) |
Amitabha Buddha festival |
Monthly activities are:-
1) |
Group cultivation every New and Full Moon |
2) |
Medicine Buddha Dharma Assembly |
Click here for more information.
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Ullambana Festival Significance
Ullambana Festival chiefly reinforces the concept of filial piety, to make offerings to the departed ones and share merits with them. In the Sigalovada Sutta, Buddha says, "make offerings to the dead is the duty of a child." One must also help the departed ones to gain rebirth in good realms and stop their sufferings.
As for the living - may they enjoy longevity, be mentally and physically healthy. It also signifies the importance of performing "good deeds" to accumulate spiritual merits through Dana(offerings to the Sangha, the practice of generosity as an antidote to greed (one of 3 evil roots that cause suffering and rebirth).
As mentioned in the Ulambanapatra Sutra, Buddha told all the good men and women, "every year on the 15th dayof the 7th month, they should always, out of filial coompassion, recall their parentswho bore them and for their sakes, perform their offerings to the Buddhas and Sangha during the Ulambana and thus repay the loving kindness of the parents who raised and nourished them".
- Next Ullambana festival falls on 5th to 7th August 2011 |
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