TRIP TO TAIPING

Sasanarakha Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS)




Next, we continued to Taiping and tx to Guat Im and Swee Ling guiding us, we managed to reach SBS. Alrite, SBS really knocked us off, the place was not only beautiful but it had its own charm of putting ppl to peace of mind..ahh,the bliss of being in a place like that..

Plus, we managed to meet Sis Lay Hoon, a very friendly and helpful who took us on a quick tour thru the place, the abbot, Bhante Aggacitta, Bhante Kumaara and Bhante Balacitta. we had a short session of meditation and discussion with Bhante Kumaara who really thought us a lot. The following day,we had the chance to follow bhante to town for pindapata which was also a whole new experience for us. We could sense humility, generosity and mindfulness throughout the whole event. Here’s what some of us who went have to say;

We were marveled by the stunning sight of sbs, everything looked so spectacular and modest at the same time. When we were told by Sister Lay Hoon that the construction and the realization of sbs was achieved through contribution from various individual and groups, we were so touched and inspired to contribute too when we have the chance. I am looking forward if there is a meditation retreat at sbs. It would definitely be a flourishing experience.
LEE FEI

The hospitality there was really nice and we met a lot of nice people. To me, bhante kumaara’s talk was more direct and solving our questions and problems. It was good that we really understood our problems finally.It was really nice being up the hill too.
LIAN CHEE

SBS was very serene, especially the sima surrounded by the pond with mamy koi, and dipping our feet inside the pond was fun.Dana was my first time, and surely an experience for me to treasure.
NICHOLAS YEO

Well-designed building and amazing plantation really made me impressed. We all learned a valuable lesson, not just the way and benefit of meditation but also the secret of having proper sleep. Meditation sharpen our senses of seeing, listening and touching. We also had to battle against our sleepiness and tiredness during meditation. During Dhamma talk, which was given by bhante kumaara, I first-time experienced the Dhamma in Hokkien language. I totally agreed with the content of the talk, we have to purify our mind before we purify our speech.
MOO YING RUI

Actually the trip was quite an eye-opening for me. If next time there is a trip to sbs, I hope it will be longer like 2 or 3 nights. Maybe because I was not prepared, it was quite hard for me to observe the 8 precepts. But, some time during early night, i didn't feel like hungry anymore. Quite comfortable...maybe because of the surroundings. I'm surprised that i could sleep at
1ambecause I usually have trouble sleeping. The walking meditation was quite good but i couldn’t concentrate properly on the sitting meditation.
MING THONG

The place was really a wonderful and splendid place for meditation especially for most of the city dwellers who have been leading a very hectic lifestyle. This place was just another ideal place to seek solace as well as to calm down our mind. In such a cool and peaceful environment, coupled with fresh aromatic air of the surroundings, overall the meditation we experienced was an enriching one. It was also my first time waking up so early in the morning for a meditation and luckily I did not doze off halfway. Though we just managed to stay one night in SBS, it was certainly fulfilling and rewarding as it really brought me one step closer to Buddhism and deepened my Dharmma knowledge. For beginners like me who first time exposed to meditation and other kinds of Buddhist customs such as Dana, this trip was really an eye-opening experience for me.
SI YING

The trip gave me a new perspective of life. Being surrounded by the serene and peaceful environment and observing the lives of monks, made me realized there is more to life than a mere rat race to achieve success. It taught me to take a slower pace and to let go of my cravings. PAK CHEONG

A very peaceful(serene) environment... Nice scenery and too bad we were unable to meditate in the simma hall. Really amazed by the simma hall at the lake with great reason behind the design.The mediatation and talk benefitted beginners a lot, included me. The talk was not boring because it was related to us (youngsters) and bhante kumara was also once like us and so he understood us better. The dana was an entirely new thing to me. I was impressed by the devotees who kneeled and bowed to the monks when doing offering. HWEI WEN