Wonder if any saw this article?
And they are not just
following the faith but also taking up leadership
roles
Singapore -- YOUNG, educated and holding a
white-collared job: This could describe the average credit-card
holder - but it also describes the growing breed of practising
Buddhists here.
Radiation therapist Melissa Koh, 25, for example, started taking
Buddhist classes a few years ago, just before she began working and
needed 'spiritual help' to sort out what she wanted in life.
'I can apply the teachings of mindfulness, compassion and
impermanence to what I do every day,' said the young woman, who has
since moved on to volunteering with Buddhist groups and is
organising a conference for Buddhist youth in August.
She is part of a groundswell of younger followers who mark Vesak
Day today with Buddhists here and abroad. Temples, missions and
meditation centres confirm that most new followers of this faith
are around her age.
That census also acknowledged a four-fold jump in Buddhists who
were graduates between 1990 and 2000, a statistic fed by the jump
in the number of younger people following the tenets of the
faith.
The membership numbers of Buddhist youth groups are telling: The
Kong Meng San Youth Ministry, which had 950 members in 2003, has
almost 3,600 now; seven in 10 of their members have at least a
diploma, said its manager Yap Ching Wi, 39.
At the Singapore Buddhist Mission Youth, membership jumped from
10 a decade ago to 200 members aged between 12 and 24 today, said
committee member Alvin Yeo, 24.
And these younger people are not just following the faith in
private. They are coming forward to take leadership roles in
Buddhist groups, giving the top rungs new blood.
Ten years ago, less than a quarter of the members of Toa Payoh
Seu Teck Sean Tong Temple's management committee of volunteers were
under 50. Today, about half are, and most are working
professionals, said the temple's ritual head Joe Lim, 42, who works
in the information technology line.
(Seu Teck Sean Tong is not an orthodox Buddhist temple though,
it is a Shantang)
So what is the draw?
Buddhist converts told The Straits Times that the religion
offered comfort in the face of uncertainties and disasters, and a
constant reminder to look beyond the materialism of the rat race
and to attain calmness and happiness through meditation and
reflection.
These were what pulled Hindu-born Tara Melwani, 43 and director
of the retailing group Jay Gee Melwani, into the faith in the late
1990s, during the Asian economic crisis. She had then been picked
to take over the family business, and felt that her life was in a
shambles.
When a Buddhist monk she met overwhelmed her with his show of
compassion, she decided that she, too, wanted to be 'free from
confusion, hang-ups and anger'.
'Through Buddhism, I can be a better daughter, a better sister,
a better friend and a better colleague,' she said.
The religion seems to have quite a large celebrity following.
For example, actress Nadya Hutagalung, 34, born into a largely
Christian family, became a Buddhist four years ago, sold on its
philosophy of reaping what you sow.
Many young professionals encounter Buddhist teachings through
centres and gatherings, and spread the word through e-mail,
websites and even social networking sites like Facebook.
Buddhist groups have, on their part, evolved to attract younger
followers: Most activities are now run in English, and even include
programmes to hone leadership and personal development skills.
By making itself accessible and inclusive, the religion has
reached out even to those of other religions.
Singapore Exchange chief Hsieh Foo Hua, 57, for example, is a
staunch Christian who attends Buddhist talks, especially those by
high monks.
He said: 'Buddhism is a very embracing and non- exclusive
religion...I am fundamentally rooted as a Christian but I am
impressed and influenced by Buddhist thinking, which has helped me
in the uplifting of the mind and spirit.'
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