The Inaugural Speech By Our Founder/Patron in 1954:
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
I must
thank you all for the honour of coming here today to witness the
establishment and inauguration of POH ERN SHIH, or the TEMPLE OF THANKSGIVING.
After
the holocaust of the late war, the world at large seems to have gone
morally bankrupt. Filial love has been invariably thrown to the
winds. We have a little wish, and that is, to benefit those who are
still not devoid of compassion and affection. We have for our
worship the image of TI-TSANG, Guardian and Saviour of the earth and
this speaks for itself.
BUDDHA
said, “There are four kinds of favour and duty on this celestial
world which we should have to repay; (1) The favour and duty to our
parents; (2) the favour and duty to the state; (3) the favour and,
duty towards society : and (4) the favour and duty to the THREE
PRECIOUS ONES (BUDDHA, DHARMA, SANGHA.)”
To those
who have read the TI-TSANG SUTRA, they will remember that Buddha in
all the responsive incarnations through the ages manifest to the
peoples of this world the virtues of filial love. To those who
imbibe in Buddhism, they know for certain that Buddhism stresses to
the utmost the importance of the virtues of filial love. It is also
the virtue of filial love that Buddhism holds up its beacon light to
lead the world.
It is
said in “BRAHMAJALA-SUTRA”, “Filial love is a command as well as
a restraint.” If we can always think in terms of filial love,
the thought or action of murder, robbery, lust, and lies shall not
arise.
It was
also stated in “BRAHMAJALA-SUTRA”, “All male beings are our
fathers and female beings our mothers, I come into this world verily
by them. Therefore all living beings on the six paths of our
sentient existence are our parents,” When we read this
statement, how are we to entertain any evil intentions towards any
of the living beings? This proves the all-embracing magnificence of
Buddha’s law on filial love.
In “The
Sutra of Forty-two Sections” it said, “The people make offerings
to Heaven and Earth and to the Demons and Deities. It is better that
they respect and entertain filial love towards their parents. Their
parents are the very Gods and Deities.”
To those
who do not read Buddha’s Sutras, they often misunderstand that
Buddhism is too far-fetched and not in harmony with the realities of
life or consistent with human compassion. Here Buddhist followers
must bear the burden to propagate our Buddha’s law on filial love.
Though
POH ERN SHIH was not constructed with public money, it will be
offered to the general public to serve as a place for people from
near and afar to preach their sermons. In former days, here, you had
all the gun-emplacements and pill-boxes. In its place now, we have
turned it into a serene and magnificent Buddha’s land. We wish all
ladies and gentlemen to take to heart Buddha’s law on filial love
and obey and serve their parents with a clear conscience. Let them
all remember to succour the small and the weak and look up to Buddha
for enlightenment and guidance. We are sure that only by this means
can the charitable winds blow out the impending holocaust and nip in
the bud the flames of war. Then and only then shall there reign a
peaceful serenity in our land. Let this earthly place be a happy
land for the masses of living beings and let them all enjoy peace
and happiness. Herewith we declare open this TEMPLE OF THANKSGIVING
with all our best wishes and intentions as set above.
LEE CHOON SENG
CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
POH ERN
SHIH (THE TEMPLE OF THANKSGIVING)
11th day of
April 1954 (9th day of the 3rd Lunar Month)
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