Bright Hill Monastery, May 29, 2013
Our
morning had a strange start when we coordinated 2 taxis from Bishan MRT
station. Our taxi misunderstood our
destination and did not speak much English.
I knew immediately we were going the wrong way, but could not get the
driver to change course! He heard Bright Hill as Red Hill and would not stop until we were
approaching Red Hill. Eventually he
realized where we needed to be and proceeded there.
Upon
our late arrival, we joined the group for our tour
with a volunteer from the Monastery.
After a flustered start to morning, the Monastery was a very peaceful
place to calm me. Our guide walked us
through the Monastery and answered many questions from our group. Modelled after the southern Chinese style of architecture, the building structures of the monastery are an
interesting and unique combination of Chinese art aesthetics and Southeast
Asian architectural styles.
Most
impressive is the Hall of No Form, which houses an awe-inspiring Giant Buddha,
standing 13.8 metres from the lotus base. This hall can hold up to 2,000 persons and
despite its size, there are no inner pillars in the hall. The Giant Buddha is made of bronze and
weights a hefty 55 tons. It was made in
Taiwan and disassembled before shipping to Singapore and
reassembled again in the hall.
Rooted
in the Mahayana Buddhism Tradition, the monastery embraces other traditions
through organizing or co-hosting their activities. It also participates actively in National
Racial and Religious Harmony programmes. Their on-going community projects include
inter-faith programmes, management of Bright Hill Evergreen Home, Buddhist
College of Singapore, events of the Singapore Buddhist Federation, and humanitarian
relief. At the conclusion of our tour, we made a donation to the monastery.
Church of St. Mary’s of the Angels, June
12, 2013
We assembled in the courtyard of
the church and
were warmly welcomed by Father Derrick, who led us into the beautiful
church. We sat in the ‘crying room’ – a
term not favoured by Father Derrick, but it was air-conditioned and we sat
comfortably while Father told us about the church. Very modern in
design, it encompasses the teachings and philosophies of St. Francis. The crucifix, is both beautiful and shocking
at once. From one angle, he appears to
be smiling, from another he is grimacing. There are no stained glass windows,
because they would keep out light and the stations of
the cross are placed outside on the perimeter of the courtyard – further
emphasizing that church (religion) should be outside for everyone.
Father
Derrick was very candid in his talk and no questions were avoided (even about vows of chastity). His
enthusiasm was refreshing, and his passion for his faith is genuine. While viewing the baptismal pool, he
explained that as you walk into it for baptism, you walk into the shadow of the
crucifix and when you go under water, Christ enters you. He showed us his many colourful Cossacks and
he took much pleasure in telling us the significance of the colour, and design
of each and who had given it to him.
The
peace garden hosts glass sculptures, which allow light into the Columbarium below. Upon entering, the
elements of light, air, and water are present.
The water fountain, plants and light make this Columbarium beautiful and
much different from the dark (and creepy) ones I have visited.
We
offered a donation to the church for our most pleasant and informative tour. We ended our
morning with a healthy, light lunch at Sunny Choice Organic Vegetarian Cafe
near Butok Batok MRT station.
/ Lynda Sellars
