DDM Buddhist Centre Malaysia Director Ven. Chang Zao Shares about the Mission and Duties of Buddhist Practitioners

On March 25, 2023, Malaysian Buddhist Association Negeri Sembilan Branch and Malaysian Buddhist Association Johor Branch joined with YBAM Negeri Sembilan State Liaison Committee and YBAM Johor State Liaison Committee to host a Dharma Class Volunteers Interaction Camp at the Persatuan Buddhist Malaysia Cawangan Kecil Gemas. A total of 40 volunteer teachers from Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Malacca, and Klang Valley participated in the event. DDM Buddhist Centre Malaysia Director Ven. Chang Zao was invited there to share a lecture entitled The Mission of Buddhist Practitioners.
 
Firstly, the Venerable opened the lecture with an interactive question for everyone: "What was your initial reason for learning Buddhism? Furthermore, what was the inner driving force that motivated you all to volunteer as instructors?" The Venerable indicated that in this modern society, information on Buddhism is abundantly available on the Internet. However, if nobody applies Buddhist teachings to their daily lives, then Buddhism cannot be passed down to future generations. The Venerable emphasized that, in order for the Right Dharma to perpetuate in this world, three tasks must be fulfilled, namely: "Practice, protect, and propagate buddhadharma."

  
The Venerable went on to explain that there is no prerequisite for practicing buddhadharma. The only prerequisite is to step out of one's comfort zone, since changing oneself and letting go of the notion of "self" are not easy to attain. This is especially true because we live in an age where there is no lack of resources; therefore, the main challenge that we face is our failure to appreciate and cherish what we have. When Buddhism is no longer needed in this world, it will cease to exist. Thus, the act of practicing buddhadharma starts with each and every one of us. When everyone is able to incorporate buddhadharma into their daily lives, then Buddhism will be popularized. When everyone is able to benefit from buddhadharma, they will be diligent and work hard on their Buddhist practices, to the point whereby their aspirations won't fade away.
  
The second task is to protect buddhadharma. In the process of protecting buddhadharma, our attitude is of utmost importance. The Venerable explained that if everyone can treat the process of protecting buddhadharma as a part of applying it, then the Right Dharma will perpetuate in this world. She went on to share that facilitating the perpetuation of true Dharma is a task filled with karmic blessings, since it allows us to develop good karmic affinities with more people, thereby presenting them with the opportunity to learn buddhadharma and in turn improve their quality of life. During this process, the Venerable encouraged everyone to uphold the mentality of: "When facing all circumstances, do not wish to be unobstructed, but to be untroubled."

  
The third task is that of propagating buddhadharma, which is every Buddhist practitioner’s mission. In the process of practicing buddhadharma and putting the teachings into practice, the changes in your life will influence others around you to take an interest in learning buddhadharma. This is an actualization of the true functions of propagating buddhadharma. Furthermore, the Venerable reminded everyone to keep in mind that the ultimate objective in propagating buddhadharma is for the general public to understand the teachings of the Buddha and the way to apply them to their daily lives. Current global survey statistics indicate that the number of Buddhists is on the decline, owing to the fact that many self-proclaimed Buddhists lack clarity about their own religion. For those fortunate enough to come into contact with orthodox Buddhism, the accomplishment of great feats is not necessary. Simply understanding and benefiting from a single Buddhist teaching is all is needed to propagate Buddhism and allow more people to become Buddhists.
  
The Venerable concluded that every Buddhist practitioner's mission is to perpetuate the Three Jewels and the Right Dharma in the world. During a lecture on the evening of March 30 entitled Assuming Responsibility for the Dharma, the Venerable shared the mission and duties of Buddhist practitioners in the fourth Dharma class of the Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology Buddhist Society. Through mutual sharing and an interactive approach, the Venerable guided everyone to reflect on the importance of perpetuating the Right Dharma in the world and the existence of Buddhist organizations, as well as to share the attitude of protecting buddhadharma. Attendees clarified their direction of learning buddhadharma through sharing and asking questions.

Text：Hsiao-qi Yu (余曉琪) 20230405
Photo：Hsiao-qi Yu (余曉琪), Hua-hui Guo (郭華慧) 20230405
Translated by：Ariel Shen (沈純湘)
Edited by：Cheng-yu Chang (張振郁), Keith Brown