On a hot humid day in Penang, a group of Than Hsiang ICT staff began preparations for a short trip to Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary(SBS) in Taiping, about an hour’s drive away. I had made prior arrangements with Sis. Lay Hoon, the Public Relations Manager of SBS, on the time and date for our meeting. We were looking forward to this trip, as we had seen the wonderful pictures of SBS, published in their newsletters.

However, the day did not start out as smoothly as we had hoped. The temperature was not the only thing running high as several of my colleagues were seen with frowns plastered firmly on their foreheads. A colleague of ours, who had promised to guide us to our destination, was held up on an errand elsewhere, and we decided to leave without him. So, with the word 'highly flammable' written on each of our faces, brought on partially by the heat within the confines of the van, we began the journey to Taiping, feeling more like demons than devout Buddhists.

All our negative emotions evaporated at the sight of the lush greenery of SBS, located near the peaceful town of Taiping. A slight drizzle greeted us when we reached the foothill of the Sanctuary. We were all smiles once again.

A black 4WD came rushing to greet us, with a smiling Sis. Hui Fong sitting behind the wheel. Rapid introductions were made, after which we were treated to a thrilling uphill ride as Sis. Hui Fong expertly, drove up the winding road. As the 4WD negotiated the sharp bends of the steep uphill road, we felt as if we were on an exciting adventure! One of my colleagues actually said that he felt that we were in Jurassic Park. A small, white and weathered building came within sight, a contrast to the surrounding green foliage. Its two occupants, Bro. David and Bro. Cheong, who together with Sis. Hui Fong are members of the administrative staff, came out to greet us. The wonderfully clean fresh air, accompanied by the breathtaking view, which could rival that of the tea plantations in Cameron Highlands, had both our photographer and video cameraman busily filming and clicking away, as we took in the sights of SBS.

While awaiting the arrival of Sis. Lay Hoon and Sis. Looi, Bro. David brought us on a tour around SBS, pointing out interesting viewpoints like any good tourist guide. The best view to be seen was from the open deck near the Buddha Shrine where a gilded Buddha image sits in quiet composure near the open deck, beautifully foiled by colourful plants and flowers which are carefully tended to by devotees. We silently stood still, drinking in the rich atmosphere surrounding us.

Soon, with the arrival of Sis. Lay Hoon and Sis. Looi, we ascended to the Abbot's Office where Ven. Kumara greeted us with a smile. He waited patiently as we arranged ourselves and sat down in a semi-circle in front of him. We began introductions and explained the purpose of our visit. As an editor for the Than Hsiang English E-zine, I was impressed with the content and design of the SBS newsletter, and as I explained to Ven. Kumara, I would like to learn more from them, specifically about editing and sourcing of articles from Sis. Looi, who is the editor of the SBS newsletter.

Ven. Kumara proceeded to explain the process of using different media to promote the objectives of SBS. Sis. Looi also shared her experiences of coping with writers who are behind schedule in delivering articles, as well as collecting articles from various sources. I was deeply impressed with the commitment of the SBS volunteers in promoting their activities. I was more impressed when I learnt that the abbot, Ven. Aggacitta, who was out of town on that day, personally guides each production of the newsletter.

My colleagues and I also shared our experiences of working in Than Hsiang, and it was a mutually beneficial learning experience for both parties with regards to working for a Buddhist organization. Ven. Kumara also commented on the benefits of working within a Buddhist environment: an employee is in an environment where he is encouraged to practise the five precept, thus abstaining from immoral conduct. He also mentioned that one would have to be more ‘flexible’ with his or her precepts when working in the fast-paced companies of today. Therefore, it is much better to develop good Buddhist practices within a religious environment than creating defilements in a ‘money-making’ society.

We have gained much from this meeting . Apart from clean, fresh air which one cannot get enough of, it was a learning experience for both sides. We do hope to organize more trips to SBS in the future.

I would like to express a big "Sadhu" to Ven. Kumara, Sis. Looi and Sis. Lay Hoon for taking time off to meet with us and share their experiences.

Sadhu!Sadhu!Sadhu!