SPHERE
#41
2016
18
ENLIGHTENMENT
AND EMPOWERMENT
The Counselling Centre is a place for
people with particular spiritual needs. Tsz
Shan Monastery programmes, meanwhile,
focus on self-realisation of the wider public
through enlightenment.
Led by the Venerable Thong Hong,
Abbot of the monastery, and a team of
15 monastics supported by lay teachers,
the monastery’s education team has
developed programmes to accommodate
different age groups and backgrounds. In
addition to the more traditional meditation
classes and tea appreciation, the Venerable
Thong Hong and his team also came up
with creative ideas to adapt to modern
phenomena. For example, there are
seminars designed for doctors, teachers
and professionals who serve people with
special needs. The monastery also holds
reading clubs and chanting groups. It
organises day tours for primary school
children, summer camps for secondary
school students, cultural exchange camps
for university students, and spiritual
retreats – including chocolate Zen training!
“The primary goal is to give participants
a way to calm down, be at peace with
themselves and ultimately achieve self-
realisation. Even with modern means of
connecting with people, the underlying
rationale has not changed,” says the
Venerable Thong Hong.
The same adhesion to core Buddhist
principles applies to the water offering,
a unique practice adopted by the monastery
to replace incense offerings to pay tribute
to Guan Yin. “The method, while being
environmentally friendly, reminds people
of their innate connection with nature and
the essence of life by irrigating the plants
in the monastery with the water offered,”
the Venerable Thong Hong says.
To avoid disturbing both the peaceful
ambience and nearby villagers, there is
<<
by integrating Buddhist wisdom into
their daily lives,” says Dr Jennifer Yim
Shui-wa, who is in charge of the Centre.
“Our professional team comprises
registered social workers and certified
counsellors of the Hong Kong Professional
Counselling Association. In addition, we
are endeavouring to build a training and
accreditation centre for Dharma therapists
through partnerships with the Centre of
Buddhist Studies, the University of Hong
Kong and multidisciplinary professionals.”
The Centre also provides different spiritual
wellness programmes and training
courses. A total of 12,155 working hours
between April 2015 and September
2016 was dedicated to delivering tailor-
made programmes and services to the
community, with over 5,700 people
participating. More importantly, it is open
to people of all religious backgrounds.
“In fact, only about 32 per cent of those
seeking our counselling services are
Buddhists,” says Dr Yim.
