Dawnfirstlight, this Poh Ern Shih has a very touching history.
It was actually built to commemorate the Malay soldiers who died
fighting against the Japanese during the invasion into
Singapore.
There is a map on the temple website how to go there. It is
actually nestled among the private houses but once you went there
one time, you would be able to find it again.
Not so difficult actually.
Something
regarding Poh Ern Shih
http://members.tripod.com/chua_hai_duc/English%20Sutras/ksitigarbha_sutra.htm
In making this translation of the Ksitigarbha
Bodhisattva Sutra from Chinese into English, I do not at all set
myself up as a scholar in this particular field.
However, with the great mass of the Buddhist
canonical literature as yet untranslated from Chinese into any
Western language, someone must come forward to make a start on the
task. If some recognised scholar will take this translation as a
basis and improve upon it, I shall be happy.
I wish to acknowledge with gratitude my
indebtedness to the late Venerable Sumangalo for the considerable
help he had given me in rendering Chinese and English nomenclature
into Sanskrit and aiding with the English version in many difficult
passages. The Venerable Susiddhi has also been of great assistance
in phrasing the English version. Again, Venerable Sumangalo has
been most helpful with numerous suggestions for improving the
English version and has given long hours to the task of polishing
the English.
There have been some curious circumstances in
connection with the translation of this Sutra. Perhaps, it is well
to go back some five years, to a night in 1959 when Madam Tan Gek
Neo, the caretaker of Poh Ern Si, the temple where the translation
took place, saw a manifestation of Tay Chong Phorsat (Ksitigarbha
Bodhisattva). The temple is dedicated to this Bodhisattva, and no
other image is enshrined within the temple. Madam Tan Gek Neo came
into the shrine hall one night, and was startled to see what
appeared to be the Bodhisattva in human flesh.
The vision was in triplicate, there being three
identical figures. The vision lasted for but a few moments, and
then vanished into the thin air. Madam Tan is not known as an
imaginative person, and this has been her sole experience of a
nature unheard of in the five years she has been in charge of the
temple. According to her account, the vision was lifelike, and bore
the pilgrim's staff, which is always in Ksitigarbha's right
hand.
On the l4th of November, 1959, the Venerable
Sumangalo of Penang, who was honorary abbot of this temple, came to
take up a two-months period of residence.
With him was another American monk, the
Venerable Susiddhi. Mr. Yap Kim Fatt and Mr. Saw Hock Seng also
took up residence at Poh Ern Si at the same time. All four were
busily engaged until late each evening at the task of preparing
material for use in Buddhist Sunday Schools.
On the evening of the 20th December, 1958, these
four gentlemen completed their day's labour at ten o'clock and
immediately retired to their beds. After they had extinguished all
lights, they were amazed to catch sight of a dazzling light of
electric blue in the locked shrine hall. All four instantly stepped
forward to the windows of the shrine hall, and endeavoured to
investigate for some rational explanation of the phenomenon. The
light was of human shape and size. Despite the transparent
appearance of the figure, it was very similar to the marble figure
of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva on the shrine platform. A staff was in
the right hand. The luminous figure moved about the shrine, and
lasted for perhaps half an hour at full brilliance, then gradually
the light diminished, but had not entirely vanished when the
above-named gentlemen finally went to sleep. A diligent
investigation was made to determine if reflections from motorcar
lights were responsible for the phenomenon. In as much as Poh Ern
Si is on a hilltop, the only possibility of headlight reflections
is from cars actually ascending the hill to the monastery, and
there was no such car. The surrounding hills showed only darkness.
Yet the strange manifestation in the shrine continued.
It was on the day following this vision, which I
had not then heard about, that I travelled to Poh Ern Si to begin
the translation of this Sutra. From the beginning of the task, all
went well and help was offered from several quarters. Any major
difficulties seemed to vanish. It is my firm and entire belief that
this work is under the blessing of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
Another strange occurrence must be recorded. On
numerous occasions, both by day and by night, chanting was heard in
the shrine hall. This was in the rhythm common to Mahayana
chanting, and in a low pitch. When investigation was made of the
main shrine, the chanting seemed to come from the rear shrine and,
on investigating the rear shrine, the chanting appeared to come
from the main shrine.
It was certain no human agency was responsible
for this phenomenon.
It is traditional that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
has six main manifestations (transformations). Sometimes, those
transformations are referred to as Ksitigarbhas helpers. On the
night of 26th December, 1959, the Venerable Sumangalo and the
Venerable Susiddhi, prior to retiring for the night, made a round
of inspection of the temple premises. The shrine was already locked
for the night, and it was certain that no one was inside. At about
eleven oclock, they saw six luminous figures seated before the main
altar. These lights were not in human formbut merely uniform areas
of light, vertical and of about the height of men seated in the
lotus posture of meditation. This phenomenon persisted for perhaps
half an hour before fading. Again, investigation revealed no
possible material source of the strange lights of bluish radiance.
Be it remembered that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's colour is a jewel
blue of the shade referred to in modern times as electric
blue.
Strange acoustical effects are to be noted at
morning and evening devotions when mantras are chanted. There is
very little reverberation when the devotions to Amitabha,
Bhaisajyaguru and others are chanted, but the Mantra to the patron
Bodhisattva of the temple, Ksitigarbha, even though intoned in the
same rhythm and pitch as the other prayers, is the only one that
reverberates. It is difficult to avoid the feeling that the sound
waves rebound from the altar and actually strike those present with
a tangible, yet gentle, force. Until such time as a rational
explanation can be offered for these strange occurrences, in terms
of our tridimensional world, we shall have to believe the phenomena
to be manifestations of Divine Grace.
In conclusion, I wish to offer my profound
gratitude to my Buddhist friends who have encouraged the
translation of this Ksitigarbha Sutra, and for their pious
generosity in defraying the cost of issuing same for free
distribution, with the understanding of their desire to remain
anonymous. Whatever merit may have accrued to my humble self, I
devote to the welfare of all sentient beings in all worlds.
May all be well and happy.
Pitt Chin Hui
