ZEN AND NOW
Source: Life!, The
Straits Times, Friday, May 12, 2006
Amid the usual sights marking Buddhas birthday today temples
decked out with lights and shrines overflowing with offerings of
fruit and food you might notice something new flowering as
well.
Buddhisms usual devotees will be out in force, of course the
older generation Chinese uncles and aunties, who make up the
majority of the followers here, as they have always been
done.
But that was Zen. This is now. And so you will see some fresh faces
belonging to a new breed of Buddhists among todays Vesak
Day-goers.
These are younger, English-educated Singaporeans.
Many of them are graduates, too.
Sure, they are attracted by the religions emphasis on peace and
harmony, and its reassuring rituals and customs. But these smart
cookies are part of todays young, questioning generation who are
also drawn to Buddhisms deep, philosophical approach.
One of these young, new Buddhists is Media-Corp actor Nick Shen,
30, who admits that he used to see the religion as for out-of-touch
oldies.
I always thought that Buddhism is about holding joss sticks and
chanting a mi tuo fo,, he says.
Or going to the temple in Waterloo Street to pray. If you have
problems, just go there to talk to Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy) and
Guanyin will try to bless you and your family members, he says
with a laugh.
Then, two years ago, his younger brother Sean, 27, recommended some
books on Buddhism to him. He read them, got interested and is now a
devout Buddhist.
Friends, he says, have commented that he appears much happier and
calmer these days, a change he attributes to meditation.
I never thought that one day Id enjoy doing something quiet like
meditating, he confesses. Never ever.
OPENING HEARTS
AFTER all, the 1999 Star Search winner used to go clubbing whenever
he felt stressed out.
Not anymore.
As the newly appointed president of the Youth Group at Buddhist
Fellowship, he now leads about 300 members aged between 13 and 35.
Most of these Buddhist activists hold a full-time job by the day.
At night and during weekends, they organise activities like talks
on Buddhism, meditation classes and camps.
To connect with young people, some groups have also turned to
innovative avenues of spreading the religion.
For example, Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery offers Dharma
teachings for free downloading on its website.
From Sunday to Tuesday, Buddhist Fellowship staged a musical,
Opening The Door Of Your Heart, at the Victoria Theatre to packed
houses.
Based on Buddhist monk Ajahn Brahmavamsos *below) book of the same
title, the production appealed even non-Buddhists, as the script
and songs touched on universal themes like love an death.
According to the 2000 population census, 54 percent of Chinese
identified themselves as Buddhists, up from 34 percent in 1980 and
39 percent in 1990.
In comparison, Christians made up just 17 percent of the Chinese in
2000.
Although the concentration of Buddhists was higher among the older
adults aged 45 years and over, the proportion of Buddhists in the
age group of 25 to 34 jumped from 30 percent in 1990 to 40 percent
in 2000.
Over the decade, there was also a sizeable increase in the
proportion of Buddhists among the graduates, growing from 15
percent in 1990 to 24 percent in 2000.
Indeed, among those with post-secondary qualifications, the
Buddhists had become the largest group, with significant gains in
the absolute and relative sizes of their population.
Explaining this trend, Buddhist Fellowship president Angie
Monksfield, 42, says what attracts people to Buddhism is that they
are encouraged to question.
You dont want to just accept what a printed book or teacher tells
you. Says Mrs Monksfield, the vice-president of application
projects at Singapore Airlines.
You want to check that whatever you hear coincides with your
experience. You want to see for yourself that Yes, this is true,
and not believe simply in faith, she says.
Public talks organised by her group often pack in crowds of about
2,500, many of them young parents with children in tow.
It is a far cry from the past where many Singaporeans, like Shen,
saw Buddhism as boring and somewhat behind the times.
TURNING POINT
JUST ask police officer Lawrence Lee, 25.
Ten years ago, when he started a youth group at Singapore Buddhist
Mission with some friends, he had to endure frequent jibes from his
peers.
With a wry smile, he recalls: Theyd say: Wah, youre so
old-fashioned.
The irony is, Mr Lee was far from being old-fashioned as a
teenager.
In fact, he was a punk who hung out in game arcades and ogled
girls in the streets.
Bad-tempered and rebellious, he would also get into heated fights
with his parents and two brothers all the time.
But the turning point came when he was introduced to Buddhism by
friends.
It brought about 180-degree change in me, he says, adding that
his family is very closely knit these days.
His youth group, which expanded from just 10 members in 1996 to
over 200 now, organises camps four times a year for young
people.
Ninety-nine percent of the participants say they find our camps
fun and would like to come back again, he says. That shows that
we must be doing something right.
Over at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in Bright Hill Road,
the largest Buddhist temple in Singapore is so serious about
reaching out to the young that it recruited a full-time staff
member to run its youth ministry four years ago.
Its manager Yap Ching Wi, a vivacious 38-year-old with fashionably
dyed hair, has 11 people in her team working on projects like Vesak
Day celebration and mass art events in Orchard Road.
Membership has grown to over 2,000. Next month, they will set up a
youth group, providing two cabins on the temple grounds for youths
to gather, surf the Internet and chill out, alfresco style.
Gesturing to the brightly coloured posters that line the walls of
the office, Ms yap says candidly: There is only that much
packaging you can do. The rest is really up to the substance you
can actually offer people.
A trained social worker, she stumbled on Buddhism in 2001 after
attending meditation classes conducted by the temple something
she found out only during the first lesson.
I made a pack with my sister who had also signed up for the
course. We agreed that once they start to preach, were out of
there. She recalls with a chuckle.
For the record, no preaching took place, but Ms Yaps curiosity was
piqued and she began reading books on the religion.
One thing led to another and she ended up leading the youth
ministry.
Id probably be earning more if Im working in a government
ministry, she says.
But the direction of this youth ministry is to build up societys
moral foundation. I found it hard to say No.
TOUGH ROAD
HOWERVER, the road is a tough one.
One leader of a Buddhist groups tells Life! That she often receives
hate mail from members of the public who feel threatened by what
they see as aggressive propagation of the religion.
For Buddhist Fellowships Mrs Monksfield, the biggest obstacle she
faces is the lack of support from some of Singapores
newspapers.
We enjoy much less coverage when compared to, say, Christian
events during the Christmas season although there are more
Buddhists in Singapore, she says.
But it is a sentiment not shared by Ms Yap.
The role of the media is only one part of the job. If youre a
trendsetter, people will come to you anyway, she says
confidently.
