YBAM Statement on Prayer to Ancestors

YBAM had in March 2009 reverted to Taoist Association of Malaysia’s viewpoint of “The Chinese who pray to their ancestors are Taoists as the other religions merely pay respect to their ancestors instead of praying.” YBAM emphasized that praying is not an exclusive tradition of Taoists as Buddhists also pray to their ancestors.

The Immediate Past President of the Taoist Association of Malaysia, Mr. Chen Wen Cheng earlier stated that “Those who pray to their ancestors are Taoists, as other religions will only pay respect to their ancestors but not do prayer for them.” He further called on the public to recognize their identity as Taoists based on this rationale.

YBAM does not agree with such statement. Prayer to the ancestors is not exclusive to Taoist tradition; as Buddhist too, can pray to their ancestors. In other words, one who prays to ancestors could also be Buddhist.

Many Buddhist temples set up the memorial hall for storage of urns so that the Buddhist families could pray to their deceased relatives. Besides, many Chinese who set up the ancestor tablet at home also revere to the Buddha’s statue and Kuan Yin statue. Therefore, it is very misleading to state that ancestor prayers are Taoists.

YBAM opines that religious belief is the choice of every individual and no organizations should simply judge the others’ religious belief with superficial definition.

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佛教提倡追思尊贤 佛教徒也拜祭祖先

佛教提倡追思尊贤 佛教徒也拜祭祖先

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Today at 4:47pm

（八打灵再也15日讯）马佛青总会曾于2009年3月回应马来西亚道教总会的论述：“家里有祭拜祖先的华人都是道教徒，其他宗教只尊敬祖先，不会祭拜祖先。” ，并阐明祭拜祖先不是道教徒的特有传统，佛教徒也一样可以祭拜祖先。

道教总会前任总会长——陈文成于日前，因配合人口普查，呼吁“只要祭拜祖先的华人，就应趁人口普查之际，承认其道教徒的身份”，并再次强调“只要有祭拜祖先的习俗就是道教文化，而其他宗教只有尊敬祖先。”

马佛青总会就此强调，祭拜祖先不是道教徒的特有传统，佛教徒也一样可以祭拜祖先。换言之，祭拜祖先者也可以是佛教徒。

许多佛教寺庙更设有骨灰塔或功德堂，以让信徒存放往生家属之骨灰或灵位，并进行祭拜。另一方面，绝大多数的华人在家里除了祭拜祖先，同时也供奉佛陀或观世音菩萨等菩萨。因此一概而论的说在家里祭拜祖先的华人就是道教徒，是非常误导的言论。

马佛青总会认为宗教信仰是个人的选择，所以必须以个人的选择为准。任何组织都不该以简单的表象来诠释他人的宗教信仰。

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YBAM opposes the unreasonable closure of religious societies of students by school authorities

YBAM opposes the unreasonable closure of religious societies of students by school authorities

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Today at 11:16am

On the pretext of no approving letter yet from the Education Department, the new headmistress of the Klang High School announced in the school weekly assembly on 12 July 2010 that non-Muslim societies in the school have been dissolved. This included the Buddhist society which has been established for about 20 years.

The headmaster has misinterpreted the Surat Pekeliling Ikhtisas 2000 that for subjects not taught during normal school hours, extra-curriculum activities are not allowed. Therefore, apart from Islam which is a subject taught during normal school hours, other religious societies must be closed.

The Deputy Minister of Education, Datuk Wee Ka Siong has instructed the State Education Department and the school authorities to reinstate all religious societies in the school based on the Surat Pekeliling Ikhtisas 2000.

YBAM appeals to the school authorities to respect the constitutional rights of Malaysians to practice their religions and to give due recognition to extra-curriculum activities of students, especially religious activities which serve to purify the minds and inspire yo

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About Xin Hui She aka Bodhi Orphanage

About Xin Hui She aka Bodhi Orphanage

Xin Hui She, is not an ordinary Buddhist association, they don’t don frequent praying, they not fancy building that situated in any perfect location, you won’t even know whether there is Mahayana Buddhism centre, or Theravada Buddhism center, because, Xin Hui She is not an ordinary Buddhist centre.

As far as I can recalled back the memory where the manager told me, during our first visit to Xin Hui She, is started first as wooden house in a rural field, with one venerable master staying there, but the venerable left the Buddhist association upon some reason.

Then, they rebuilt the whole centre wish some money, but most of the raw material, they got it from the recycle centre, you can see it when you go there, some of them are just recycled item. The Buddha statues in the hall, some of them are donation courtesy from the public, which reasoned we cannot identify whether this is a Mahayana or Theravada Buddhist centre.

Behind this building is Bodhi Orphanage, a house for 11 orphans and 5 seniors’ citizen, I still remember the elder orphan is 13 years’ old, and the youngest one is 10 months old (this was in January 2010)

That time we went there, we found out that one of the orphans is having education problem – he couldn’t go to school due to he doesn’t have birth certificate. Touched heart all of us, when I give tuition to other lucky kids who able to go to school, he was standing next to us, and answer all the question that I had gave to the other kids, he is passion and desperate for a proper education; at that time, I was thinking, I can’t believe there is such parent that dumped their kid without thinking of the kid’ future.

To be continue---

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