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[Dharmajala] Fwd: An inspiring story about Rev. Dhammananda
Jenty SiswantoMon, 09 Oct 2006 23:06:18 -0700
Posted by Azlan in www.jeffooi.comFAREWELLAS a news reporter with The Malay Mail between 1994 and 2005, Imet Rev. Dhammananda several times - usually during Wesak Daycelebrations he led at the Buddhist Maha Vihara (temple) inBrickfields and a few other occasions.Every time I bumped into him, I only asked a few questions justto get some quotes for my news report. Never did I have a properconversation with him. I regret that now.I'd like to share what to me was a very special experienceduring one of my meetings with him. It was on Christmas Day in 1998 when my Assistant News Editor assigned me to cover a Christmas party for some 200 underprivileged children. It was quite a news-worthy item to cover as it was heldat the vihara in Brickfields, organised by a group of Christians, the Santa Claus was a Hindu and the contributor for all the balloons adorning the party area was a Muslim!But what I will remember of that day forever was what the Reverend said and did.
You see, Dec '98 was also the month of Ramadhan, where (many)Muslims like me were fasting. By the time I arrived at the vihara,it was 6.30pm and many children were already playing around, takingphotos with Santa and being entertained by a clown, among others.
At about 15 minutes before 7-something pm (buka puasa time), Iwas busy thinking of where to go for my dinner - either the nearbyKentucky Fried Chicken or a roadside teh tarik stall, both withinwalking distances from the vihara.The Reverend, the vihara's religious advisor back then, musthave been observing me. He walked up to me and, as if he had read mymind, calmly said: "Young man, don't think too much. You can buka puasahere. I will accompany you."
I agreed in a split second. He solved my problem!"Please forgive us. We only have vegetarian dishes here," hehumbly and smilingly added, while leading me to a dining tablesomewhere in the vihara's premises.I was speechless. He brought me right down to earth with thosefew simple words. Even if there were only cookies served with lots ofplain water at the vihara, I'll be happy enough.So, there we were, sitting at the dining table, together with afew other priests in their saffron robes and a spread of vegetariandishes was laid out in front of us.As I was making sure my wristwatch was accurate, the Reverendtook out a small pocket transistor radio from somewhere, turned it onand tuned in to a Bahasa Malaysia radio station.As scheduled, the muezzin recited the call for the eveningprayer through the little speaker, which also marked the moment to breakfast. "Go ahead, Azlan," he told me to start first. Only after I hadmy first gulp of water for the day, did he and the other priests starteating. I was honoured and humbled at the same time.The fact that I didn't go to KFC or the the tarik stall wasn'tbecause I didn't know how to turn down the Chief High Priest ofMalaysian and Singaporean Theravada Buddhists' dinner invitation.It was buka puasa in a Buddhist temple for me, during a Christmasparty!How cool was that, eh?Seriously, the Reverend's humble gestures greatly raised myrespect and admiration for him. During that brief encounter withhim, my personal tolerance and understanding towards other people's faiths, beliefs and cultures was greatly altered, for the better. In less than an hour of dining together, his simple acts of humility made me a better person, more open-minded and drastically changed, for the better, my ways of looking at the world I live in.

It was a small but very refreshing respite for this one tiredreporter near the end of that very colourful and turbulent year -street 'Reformasi' protests, KL Commonwealth Games, the horriblesmog and the Asian economic crisis, among many others.To me, the Rev. Dhammananda was a great Buddhist and moreimportantly, a great human being.Malaysia and its Buddhist community have lost a very specialperson.With much sadness, I bid farewell to him.