LIFE LESSONS FROM THE YOUTH SYMPOSIUM -- by Teo Heng Bin

Youth-in-focus features articles about Buddhist youth activities in Singapore. In this issue, we will start off with a youth perspective on the Youth Symposium, while the coming one will feature the Youth Conference.

(Excerpted from the Buddhist Fellowship Newsletter Sep - Nov 08 issue, 2008)

I would like to view the youth symposium on 23rd August not as a lecture among strangers, but rather as stories and tips passed down from generations. Something akin to a grandfather recollecting memories of the past and relating them fondly to his grandchildren. The universe is made up of stories, not atoms. Indeed, this symposium had stories aplenty.

The preparations have been quite memorable. The trip to Mustafa shopping centre which saw notebooks and pens cleared off the shelves and lugged back to Perry's place in 3 enormous white plastic bags (which were reinforced by double layers). Media team meetings where we discussed the process of interviewing a couple of the speakers and sending out media invitations to various newspapers. This was facilitated under the guidance of Bro. Yap Kheng Guan. Of course, who can forget the months of planning and executing by the hardworking and dynamic organizing committee? An added bonus was viewing the breath-taking fireworks at the floating platform during our rehearsal in the auditorium on the eve of the symposium. Most people would rent a hotel room to savor the spectacle, but we had a whole auditorium to ourselves. How amazing is that?

The Guest of Honour for the symposium was none other than His Excellency, Win Myint, Myanmar's Ambassador to Singapore.

There were many noteworthy points from the 12 speakers during the symposium, but below is a compilation of moments and words that struck a chord with me.

Angie Monksfield's talk was on leadership and she emphasized on certain traits such as integrity and not underestimating anyone as each has his own strengths. These characteristics of a respected leader are also highlighted in John Maxwell's books, e.g. "How to be a Person of Influence". Indeed, being true to yourself can help project your charisma to others. To lead people, it is vital to win the trust of your followers by coming across as a reliable person who is ready to champion a cause even in the face of challenging times. Angie has clearly demonstrated this by leading the first civilian humanitarian mission to Myanmar in the wake of the cyclone. This is in spite of the uncertainty of whether they would be allowed to pass checkpoints en route to the disaster site. In addition, the job of a respected leader is to help others around him / her grow. Rather than starving his team members of opportunities so that his credentials / portfolio looks the prettiest, he should demonstrate altruistic values by stretching his followers' capacity and hence facilitate the fulfillment of his true potential. One can be pleased to note that this trait is evident in Buddhist Fellowship where youths are given a platform to step up and shine by heading various projects such as this youth symposium.

Dr. Tan Choon Kim was excellent in bringing laughter to a traditionally awkward topic to most: marriage and love. The context of a lifelong commitment has certainly changed from the olden days when matchmaking was commonplace to modern times when people face many 'options' and divorce rates are sadly soaring. However, he reminded us of good old-fashioned love by sharing that he kisses his wife after he wakes up and before he sleeps everyday followed by saying 'I love you.' It is small things like these that make a relationship alive and well. Now that Dr Tan has retired as a neuroanatomist, he can perhaps consider a career as a marriage counsellor!

One can feel emboldened by Mr. Matthew Rickard's adventurous spirit. For those who did not attend the talk, this is the story of a lad who was not academically-inclined and who embarked on a daring journey from England to Australia in search of brighter job opportunities. During his journey, he took a detour to Delhi, encountering a misadventure and running low on cash. However, due to his resilience and adaptability, he survived, excelled and lived on to tell his story. Sadly in Singapore, there is major focus on academic achievements for one to progress far in life. Often, we feel lost when we are knocked off pace during our academic pursuit e.g. not getting a place in the course / university we so desire. However, this story is an inspiration to the youths that while academics are important, it is not an absolute "must". We should recognize and nurture other talents within us, e.g. sports and music, and to embrace the idea that failure in academics is not the end of the road.

One recurring theme in Bro. Yap's talk was impermanence. Using himself as an example, he will be retiring as a director in a few years and accepts that he will not enjoy a similar social status to what he is experiencing now. Impermanence which means that nothing stays constant forever is a Buddhist teaching which reminds us not to be too attached to our tangible possessions lest it causes suffering. For example, the Beijing Olympics boast 43 shattered world records. Even Mark Spitz's seemingly unattainable gold medal haul of 7 was beaten by the latest swimming sensation, Michael Phelps. Usain Bolt has also set a new world record in the 100 meters sprint, but even he will get surpassed by another running sensation in the future. Such is the nature of impermanence and these athletes will do well to recognize that.

Dr Teoh Ren Shang gave a detailed and interesting insight about his one year stay at Bodhinyana Monastery, training as an 'Anagarika' and practicing meditation under the guidance of Ajahn Brahm. His interesting and eye-opening anecdotes certainly kept the audience entertained while refreshed at the life lessons learnt. Dr. Wong Yin Onn, an internal medicine doctor, emphasized on the 5 Precepts as the most important protection against harm. He has been teaching Dhamma on a weekly basis at Metta Lodge, Johor Bahru, since 2004 and gives Dharma talks regularly at Buddhist Fellowship. Mrs. Bita Seow, the vice president of a marketing, infocomm MNC, touched on getting connected with your inner self and aspirations. This was sparked when her then 7-year old daughter asked her, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' and she faced a difficult decision. Dr. Kanwaljit Soin, an orthopedic surgeon and former NMP, reminded us 'not to sleepwalk through life' so as to make life meaningful. Dr Colin Tan, both a medical doctor and a law partner, talked about his aspirations which led to his commendable achievements. Mr Vincent Chua, an in-flight supervisor, talked about his escape from a 'spiritual jail' where he finally found refuge in Buddhism which accommodated his inquisitiveness. Benny Ong, a fashion designer and an artist, talked about his unconventional career and the highlights of his journey.

I also had a chance to mingle with our Malaysian friends from Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru. The 23-strong group made a day trip to Singapore to attend this symposium. Regina Chung, a 25-year-old public relations executive, was enthusiastically making notes throughout the symposium and even came out with questions for our speaker, Mrs. Bita Seow. Through light-hearted exchanges, we got to learn more about the Buddhist community in each other's countries. I certainly cannot wait to contact our Malaysian counterparts through Facebook!

The skit themed 'Follow Your Heart' was performed right after lunch-break which starred our very own BF youths. Indeed, BF youths have got talent! The colorful cast had a chance to showcase their special skills, i.e. Xuan (Karate), Nico (Dancing), Rit (Flute) and Phanida (Acting with an Indian / British accent) which was integrated into the storyline by the producer, Perry. Not forgetting the maestro, August Lum, who controlled the sound effects and composed the theme song. The performance drew smiles and laughter from the audience, but more importantly, it smoothly delivered the message that one should pursue one's passion rather than follow the 'right' path. For those who missed the skit or who would like to view this engaging skit once more (I definitely would), stay tuned for the video which will be posted up on youtube.

Carene Poh, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee, said, "We are very pleased with the overwhelming response to the Youth Symposium. In a way, this reflects the growing interest by young people to learn more about Buddhism and how it deals with contemporary issues in society. This symposium has given me and my young organising committee a first-hand experience in putting together an event that is meaningful to fellow young people. Hopefully, through this symposium our young people can get useful tips on how to be happy in school, career and relationship. This is our contribution towards making our society a happier one. "

Now that the symposium has drawn to a close, one can be confident that the youths of Buddhist Fellowship have learnt life lessons from this major project that had attracted 500 participants from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Indeed, it is events like these that lead us to understand each other to a greater degree and to forge stronger friendships. Last but not least, it also gives us the impetus to embark on bigger and more complicated projects in the future.