Editor’s Note
The BMV Digest is 10 years old this year!! What an achievement!
It is hard to believe how fast time has flown. When the Digest started in August 2016, the core idea behind creating this magazine was to promote and highlight the activities of the Vihara and to share the dhamma by posting articles written by renowned monks and lay writers.
Over the last 10 years, the Digest has produced articles not only on the teachings of the Buddha but also a Buddhist perspective on the difficulties of day-to-day living, how to handle stress and problems, parenting challenges and senior living, with clarity and simplicity. These articles were sourced from prominent websites and checked for factual accuracy. The 16-page Digest (sometimes 20 pages) began as a monthly issue until 2020 after which time it became a bi-monthly magazine. The Digest goes out to a 5,000 strong readership and we have received positive feedback from our readers which is very encouraging. BMV will continue to produce a Digest that is accessible, relevant and compelling to a diverse audience with varied interests and reading levels.
On a personal note, my sincere thanks to Bro Sirisena Perera (the then BMV President in 2016) for the trust and confidence he placed in me by offering me this opportunity to start this magazine. It was an enlightening and gratifying decade and I sincerely hope that the Digest will reach new heights with engaging contributions from our stable of monastic and lay writers. We are deeply grateful to them for contributing to the Digest these past 10 years.
A big thank you to all our donors and well-wishers for your support. Free copies are available at the Shrine Hall, International Pagoda and the BMV Office. To subscribe for your soft copy, please email to info@buddhistmahavihara.org The current issue is available for easy reading at https://bmvdigest.com/
Our cover page theme for this year’s Digest is ‘Big Standing Buddha Images of the World.’ These large standing Buddha statues are intended to inspire reverence and spread blessings over a wide area. They serve as powerful, tangible reminders of the Buddha’s teachings and virtue.
May the New Year bring you new aspirations and new opportunities, may you strengthen all your relationships and last but not least, may you dedicate yourself to practicing the Dhamma and cultivating awareness through meditation and reflection. Wishing one and all a very Happy and Blessed New Year. May you and your family be protected and guided by the Noble Triple Gem.
Pamela Jayawardena
Editor
Nuggets of Wisdom
Knowing the Dhamma is not Enough
Though one may recite many teachings,
If one does not act upon them,
One is like a cowherd counting others’ cattle
Dhammapada Verse 19
This verse reminds us that knowing the teachings is not enough. We can memorize scriptures, attend teachings, and speak wise words, but if we do not apply the Dhamma in our daily life, the benefit remains distant. The Buddha compares this to a cowherd who counts cattle that belong to someone else. The numbers may be impressive, but they bring no real value to the one counting.
Practice is what transforms the mind. Even small actions done with mindfulness and kindness have more impact than repeating teachings without living them. The Dhamma becomes real when it shapes our conduct, our speech, and the way we relate to others. Let us not only know the path but walk it. May our understanding become living wisdom.
Nuggets of Wisdom
Can We Think, Feel and Live Beyond
the Screen?
We truly live in wild times…
A monk sits peacefully in the forest,
holding an orange.
An orangutan sits next to him…
holding an iPhone.
And the monkey asks the most 2025
question ever:
“What’s AI?”
The monk replies with the kind of calm
brutality only wisdom can deliver:
“The evolution of intelligence
that’ll soon make humans seem like
monkeys.”
And honestly… he isn’t wrong.
We’ve gone from hunting for food → to
hunting for Wi-Fi → to competing with
algorithms that don’t even sleep.
While animals evolved over millions of
years, humans evolved faster through
knowledge.
Now AI is evolving faster than us
through data.
And here we are—scrolling, swiping,
tapping—while machines quietly
become smarter than the average
comment section on social media.
The irony?
Animals seem more present than most
of us. The monk is mindful with his
orange…
Meanwhile the orangutan is probably
trying to unlock Face ID with a face
literally made for it.
Cover Page Feature
Ushiku Daibutsu At Ibraki:
The Tallest Bronze Buddha Statue in the World The Ushiku Daibutsu in Ibaraki Prefecture was listed in the 1995 Guinness World Records as the largest and tallest bronze Buddha statue in the world at 120 metres tall. The statue’s uniqueness does not stop at its size. While most temples enshrine a Buddha figure, the Ushiku…
Keep reading
I Teach Only Suffering and the End of Suffering
“I Teach Only Suffering and the End of Suffering”
One statement popularly ascribed to the Buddha is quoted so often that it has become virtually an axiom of modern Buddhism. The statement appears in several formulations, the broadest of which runs: “I teach only suffering and the cessation of suffering.” A variant reads: “I teach…
Keep reading
How to Know a True Friend and a Fake Friend
The advice of Lord Gautama Buddha By Dr. Ari Ubeysekara The basket of the discourses (sutta pitaka) contains nearly 18,000 Discourses delivered by the Buddha to various audiences during the ministry of forty-five years. In the majority of the Discourses, the Buddha has dealt mainly with the spiritual matters that are helpful to the listeners…
Keep reading
The Story of Bodh Gaya’s Famous Statue
When Buddhist devotees go to Bodh Gaya in India, the site of the Buddha’s awakening, and they enter the great Mahabodhi Temple, they will see before them, on the main altar, a large and impressive Buddha statue.
Many will make offerings of flowers before it, some will have their photograph taken in front of it,…
Keep reading
Buddhist Monks on Peace Walk Across USA
In late October 2025, a group of 19 Buddhist monks set off for a 2,300-mile trek across the United States, beginning in Fort Worth Texas, with a final destination of Washington, D.C. Their mission? To spread a message of peace, unity, and healing. The journey, or “Peace Walk,” as the monks call it, is expected…
Keep reading
Happy 100th Anniversary
In 1926, the original one-foot high marble Buddha image which was the first venerated image in the small shrine hall of the Brickfields Buddhist Temple since 1894 was replaced when Mr A. A. Geris de Alwis donated a five-foot high brass Buddha image of Burmese origin. This statue is believed to have cost Mr de…
Keep reading
BMV News & Events
Upcoming Events 1. Blessings on Chinese New Year Eve and Chinese New Year Day (16th, 17th and 18th February 2026)
Past Events 1. Dhamma Activities 2. Other BMV Activities A. Friends of the Vihara (FOV) Grocery Bag Distribution to Orang Asli Villages. ( Kg Ulu Geruntum & Kg Ulu Poh in Gopeng, Perak) on 1st…
Keep reading
Pen Portraits
The theme is to pay tribute to the 80 Maha Arahants and the 13 Maha Theri Arahants who had by their efforts won emancipation of a rare distinction. They belonged to the innermost circles in the life of the Gautama Buddha. The Buddha and the Maha Arahants were together most of the time. No 73.…
Keep reading
My Buddhist Backpacking Journey
Continuing Paolo Coluzzi’s backpacking journey through several countries in Asia.
Keep readingProjects
LEND A HAND
The Buddhist Maha Vihara “Lend A Hand” programme is to support the undertaking of a number of crucial projects that are needed for continuous maintenance and upgrading for the benefit of all devotees. We appeal to your kind generosity to help us realise the following:
We are pleased to announce the commencement of work to refurbish the now renamed Wisma K Sri Dhammananda (previously Wisma Sri Dhamma). This 5-storey building will incorporate 2 floors of private accommodation space for Bhikkhunis and female devotees.
If you wish to contribute towards the building fund, the bank details are as follows:-
Account Name: Buddhist Maha Vihara
Account Number: 8000-8611-91 Bank: CIMB
Contact BMV Admin Office for assistance at
Tel: 03-22741141/011-2689 6123
eMAIL: info@buddhistmahavihara.org
Buddha Frieze for the sponsorship @Meditation Pavilion, BMV
Seated Buddha Frieze
RM 18,000 each
22 statues left to be sponsored
We have the above Seated Buddha Frieze available for sponsorship. Please contact the office for further details. A big Sadhu to all who have sponsored the Standing Buddha Frieze.
WISMA DHAMMA CAKRA
3 Lotus Pillars available for sponsorship at
RM25,000 each.
Each pillar is named after the Buddha’s
core teachings
General Items for Temple and Devotees’ Use
CONTACT BMV ADMIN OFFICE FOR ASSISTANCE
Account Name: Buddhist Maha Vihara
Account Number: 292-00-01161-8 Bank: Hong Leong Bank
TEL:03 – 2274 1141 / 011- 2689 6123
eMAIL: info@buddhistmahavihara.org
PRAYER FOR FREEDOM FROM SUFFERING
May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses. May those frightened cease to be afraid, and may those bound be free. May the powerless find power, and may people think of befriending each other. May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wilderness– the children, the aged, the unprotected– be guarded by beneficent celestials.
Buddhist Maha Vihara
(Established in 1895)
The Vihara was founded by the Sasana Abhiwurdhi Wardhana Society, which is the oldest registered Buddhist Society in the country. The Vihara was elevated to that of a Maha Vihara since 1994 with the full complement of the three main sacred objects of veneration namely the Buddha image (1894); the Bodhi Tree (1911) and the International Buddhist Pagoda (1971). Being the oldest Buddhist temple in the Klang Valley, we have served the community selflessly as follows:
Religious Activities
•Daily Buddha Puja at designated hours
•Full Moon and New Moon Buddha Puja
•Bojjangha Puja for good health
•Dhamma Talks
•Meditation Classes and Retreats
•8 Precept Programme
•Chanting Classes
•Wesak Programme and Candle Light Procession
•All Night Chanting to invoke Blessings
•Kathina Ceremony
•Novitiate Programme
Education Programme
FREE Buddhist education for children and adults via the Sunday School since 1929.
Systematic tertiary Buddhist education.
Distributed more than 2 MILLION free publications and CDs/MP3/DVD/VCD in 30 languages since the 1950s.
Dharma for the Deaf class since 1999
Socio-Welfare Activities
Weekly Feeding the Homeless and Needy
Festive Season Midnight Aid Distribution to the Homeless
Grocery Aid Distribution to Welfare Homes and Orang Asli Settlements
Weekly Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic
Weekly Qigong and Yoga Classes
Pursuing inter-religious harmony through the Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST)ION
VISION
To be a leading international center for the Learning, Practise and Dissemination of the Buddha Dhamma
MISSION
To provide a conducive environment to:
• promote scholarship and study of the Buddha Dhamma
• propagate the Buddha Dhamma
• be the focus of Buddhist activities for the larger community
• foster Theravada Buddhist cultural and traditional practices
Six Strategic Objectives
To be the Buddhist center of choice for:
1. Pariyatti – Structured Buddhist education for children and adults.
2. Patipatti, Pativedha – Regular programmes for the practice and the realization of the Buddha Dhamma.
3. Dhammadutta – Dhamma materials for the masses locally and abroad
4. Karuna – Compassion in Action
5. Kalyana Mitrata – Networking and Fellowship with Buddhist and non Buddhist organisations to sustain the Buddha Sasana.
6. Samajivikata – Financial viability while committing to Religious and Cultural Obligations.
Four Ennoblers
1. Loving Kindness
2. Compassion
3. Altruistic Joy
4. Equanimity
Motto
Go forth, for the good, happiness and welfare of the many, out of compassion for the world.
BMV DAILY OPERATING HOURS & PROGRAMMES
BMV GATES
Open from 6.00am – 10.00pm
BMV ADMIN OFFICE HOURS
Monday – Saturday 9.00am – 9.00pm
Sunday – 9.00am – 7.00pm
Public Holidays – 9.00am – 5.00pm
EVENING PUJAS
Daily Puja – 7.30pm at Pagoda
Saturdays Bhojjangha Puja – 7.30pm at Pagoda
Full/New Moon Puja – 7.30pm at Shrine Hall
DANA FOR MONKS
Daily Buddha Puja – 7.30am Breakfast Dana – 8.00am
Daily Buddha Puja – 11.30am Lunch Dana – 12.00 noon
DHAMMA TALK
Friday – 8.00pm
Sunday – 10.00am
@Bhāvanā Sālā Level 1
www.fb.com/groups/buddhistmahavihara
MEDITATION CLASSES
Monday & Thursday – 7.00pm to 9.00pm
@Bhāvanā Sālā Level 1 – Meditation master – Uncle Chee
FRIENDS OF THE VIHARA
(BMV SOCIO-WELFARE VOLUNTEER GROUP)
- Feeding the Needy & Homeless
- Delivery of Food parcels to Old Folks Home and Orphanage
Sunday @ 5.00pm
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic
Every Sunday except the 5th Sunday of the month
10.00am – 1.30pm at the back of Asoka Hall
- Yoga Class
Tuesday @ 10.30am – 12 noon
Thursday @ 7.00pm – 8.30pm
Please register with office to attend the yoga class.
- Qigong Class
Every Saturday 8.30am – 10.30am at Asoka Hall
CLASSES
SUNDAY DHAMMA CLASSES FOR CHILDREN & ADULTS
Sunday @ 9.00am to 12.00 noon
SUTTA CLASS BY BRO VONG CHOON CHOY
Sunday @ 11.00am – 12.30pm
SUTTA CLASS BY BHANTE G. CHANDIMA
Monday @ 8.00pm – 10.00pm
@Bhāvanā Sālā Level 1
DIPLOMA & DEGREE IN BUDDHISM
Saturday & Sunday
DHAMMA FOR THE DEAF
Sunday @ 1.00pm to 2.30pm (fortnightly)
You can donate towards our many projects :
• Dhammadutta
• Free Buddhist Publications
• Welfare Activities
• Monks Dana
• Sunday Dhamma School
• Maintenance of Shrine Hall
• K Sri Dhammananda Library
• Temple Lighting
• Wisma K Sri Dhammananda (WKSD) Building Fund
Payments can be made via :
BMV Office Counter : Cash, cheques & credit cards
Postage : Make cheques payable to “Buddhist Maha Vihara” & write your name & contact telephone at back of the cheque.
Direct Debit : Hong Leong Bank Brickfields – Acct : 292-00-01161-8
BUDDHIST MAHA VIHARA
123 Jalan Berhala, Brickfields 50470 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2274 1141 H/P: 6011-2689 6123
Email: info@buddhistmahavihara.org
Website: www.buddhistmahavihara.org
BMV Digest 