Attending Mahasanghikadana and Educational Trip to Penang Island, Malaysia

IBC's monastic students participated in an auspicious International Mahasanghikadana, organized by Malaysian Buddhist Sangha Association. Our students arrived at Than Hsiang temple on 19th September. The main purpose of our visit to Penang was to join in the International Mahasanghikadana, but coincidently it turned out to be a memorable cultural, educational and religious trip as well.

A visit to Snake Temple and several significant world heritage sights, including Kek Lok Si Temple (means 'Temple of Supreme Bliss'), which is an oldest Buddhist temple in Penang built in 1890, and its pagoda is considered one of Penang's most beautiful architectural wonders with its Chinese octagonal base, Thai middle tier and Burmese crown. We visited Batu Feringgi which is one of Penang's most popular sea front beaches.

A Dhamma Talk was given by an eminent Pali and Buddhist scholar Ven. Professor Dhammavihari on the Early Buddhism, covering the importance of human quality that should be cultivated without relying on superstitious beliefs but through understanding. He advised that all humans have equal potential to attain Buddhahood, be released from a state of unsatisfactoriness which is taught in the early Buddhist discourses, not just believing that everything happens due to previous Karma but everything is related by many factors of conditioning.

On 20th September, we got ready to join in the Mahasanghikadana at the Phor Tay Chinese Secondary School. The offering ceremony commenced with paying homage to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. All the delegates and students performed Chanting from both Mahayana and Theravada tradition.

We visited Little India in Georgetown, market of the local Indian people. We then moved to Fort Cornwallis, which was built when Captain Francis Light first landed on Penang to guard over the island's cape. In the evening we departed Penang for IBC.