44 EASTERN HORIZON | FACE TO FACE

Bringing
Tan Buck Soon has a
Bachelor of Engineering
degree from Universiti
Malaya. He began his
engineering career with
the Government, and later
founded his own highly
successful engineering
consultancy. He was the former President of the
Methodist Boys’ School (Penang) Buddhist Society,
Publication Secretary of the University of Malaya
Buddhist Society, former President of the Buddhist
Graduates Fellowship, and founding President of
the Bandar Utama Buddhist Society. He is a regular
Dhamma speaker at colleges and universities and a
meditation teacher.
Charlie Chia is an Advocate
and Solicitor and a Non-
Executive Director of
GDB Holdings Berhad.
A Chartered Quantity
Surveyor, he was a former
Group CEO of United
Malayan Land Bhd, CEO of
Malton Berhad, and Director of Naza TTDI Sdn Bhd.
He has founded various Buddhist organizations,
namely the Buddhist Missionary Society Youth
Section, Kota Tinggi Buddhist Society, Metta Lodge
Johor Bahru, and Kuantan Buddhist Association. In
2017 he was conferred the Nalanda Award for his
contribution to Buddhism in Malaysia.
Benny Liow, who has known both Buck Soon and
Charlie for decades, regards them as role models of
highly successful lay Buddhist leaders, and therefore
an inspiration for young Buddhists to emulate. Both
of them very happily share with Eastern Horizon
their passion for the Dharma and what motivates
them in their missionary zeal all these years.
Buddhism to
Beginners
By Tan Buck Soon and Datuk Charlie Chia Lui Meng
Both of you have been active in Dharma work
for over 40 years since your student days in the
university. What started you on Buddhism?
Buck Soon: I came into contact with Buddhism in 1972,
at the age of 14 when I attended a Buddhist Sunday
School in Wat Ping Bang Onn, Penang. At that time, I
was very keen to study the life of the Buddha, how he
taught the Dharma to different types of people, and how
he established the Sangha. I was also fascinated with the
Pali chanting (Thai style) that was done every Sunday.
In 1975, together with a few schoolmates, I started a
Buddhist society at the Methodist Boys’ School, Penang.
When I entered University Malaya, I continued to be
active and served as an executive committee member
of the campus Buddhist Society. After graduation, I was
part of a group of friends who started the Buddhist
Graduates Fellowship (now known as Buddhist Gem
Fellowship). In 2000, together with some Buddhist
friends, we started the Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
(BUBS) in a popular residential area in Petaling Jaya.
Charlie: It was in 1970, as a young 15-year-old, that I
was first introduced by a friend to Seck Kia Eenh (SKE)
Buddhist Temple, Melaka. As I had stated in my school
report card that I was Buddhist, I was curious to find
out about Buddhism. So I enrolled in the temple’s
Sunday School. After a few classes in Sunday School, I
seemed to be naturally attracted to Buddhism, like a fish
would take to water!
However, at SKE I was just a normal participant who
enjoyed the activities of Sunday School but didn’t join
any Committee or volunteer to support any missionary
activities. It was while studying at Universiti Teknologi
 FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 45

Malaysia (UTM) where I had joined the Buddhist Society

that I became active in organizing Buddhist activities in
campus, and subsequently served as its Secretary, Vice
President, and President in my Final Year of my tertiary
studies.

After graduation, while working in Kuala Lumpur,

I accompanied the late Chief Reverend (K Sri
Dhammananda Maha Thera) on his many visits to
give talks at various Buddhist Societies in the local
universities. This further deepened my understanding
of the Buddha Dharma. After some time, Chief Reverend
asked me to give Dharma talks and this helped to
strengthen my confidence as a Buddhist speaker.

What motivates your strong interest in Dharma

work for over four decades?

Buck Soon: The main motivation that sustained my

strong interest in the Dharma is the inspiration from
the Buddha’s great compassion towards mankind.
What the Buddha did was incomparable considering
his great sacrifice of the luxuries he had in exchange
for a life of a wandering ascetic in the forest. After his
Enlightenment, he spent 45 years teaching the Dharma
and established the Sangha which is still available today.
My interest in the Dharma is also sustained through my
interaction with members of the Sangha, who inspired
me through their conduct and practice. Having studied
and practiced the Dharma, I find it useful to lead a
meaningful life, having a goal in seeking liberation from
suffering. I strongly feel that as a gratitude towards my
teachers, I should provide the causes and conditions for
others who are interested in the Dharma to know about
the teachings of the Buddha.
Charlie: At UTM, the late Chief Reverend became my
teacher and mentor. I spent my weekends and holidays
studying Buddhism under him and he motivated me
with his very systematic approach to the teachings.
My association with Buddhist student leaders and
community leaders at the Brickfields Temple further
motivated my missionary zeal.
SKE in the late 1970s. His teaching materials known
as the Integrated Syllabus and Buddhist Studies
contributed immensely to my understanding of
Buddhism. I was impressed by his slogan of “Know
Dhamma and Make Dhamma Known” which continues
to motivate me till today.
As I deepened my understanding of Buddhism, my life
was also transformed. I had developed more positive
mental qualities and became a much better person
with many more friends. I then realized that the
more wholesome actions I do, the more happiness I
experience. My faith in the Buddha’s teachings inspired
me to continuously share the Teachings with others,
and reinforced my earnestness to develop and support a
sustainable Buddhist Community. Thus, when I started
working for the Public Works Department and was
required to be transferred frequently to different towns,
I took the opportunity to start a Buddhist society each
time I was relocated to a new place.
You were active with outreach programs in your
younger days. How relevant are these activities to
attract youths today?

I was also fortunate to meet another Buddhist teacher, Buck Soon: Outreach programs such as social
Venerable Piyasilo (now Bro Piya Tan of Singapore) in gatherings, trips, youth fellowship, and leadership
46 EASTERN HORIZON | FACE TO FACE

training camps are some of the activities that I

organized in the past and I believe they are still relevant
today. In order to grow in the Dharma, we need spiritual
friends to guide us and it is through these activities that
we create and develop this friendship and bonding.
Spiritual friends will guide us in the right path towards
doing good, avoiding evil, and purification of the mind.

Charlie: As a youth, I remembered many enjoyable

social events that were organized at SKE but they
always had strong elements of Buddhist values in them.
We need to be skillful when teaching youths so that
we are not perceived as trying to instill fundamentalist
teachings to them in the early stage, but to sow the
seeds of a wholesome nature that will stay in their mind
stream for a long time. Such an approach will encourage
youths to remain as Buddhists and not be easily
converted to other religions which tend to be more
persuasive but aggressive in their missionary approach.
Youths should be taught skills that they can apply in
their career and in their dealings with colleagues, family
members, and life partners.
For example, we can organize leadership programs
through Holiday Camps, Cell Groups, and community
out-reach that incorporates wholesome fun and
fellowship, but at the same time important values of
kindness, respect, self-control, patience, gratitude
and compassion for others. Such programs will
eventually help to develop Buddhist leaders with strong
fundamentals in Buddhism for the community.
For someone with no knowledge of Buddhism, how
should we introduce them to the Buddhist path?
Buck Soon: For new Buddhists who have no knowledge
of the Dharma, I would ask them to compare how much
time they spent on their spiritual well-being compared
to their material well-being. Usually this will prompt
them to want to know more about the Dharma. I would
also introduce the idea that happiness is a result of
doing good deeds since most people are inclined to
want happiness in their lives. I would also explain to
them that just as we need food for the body, we need
food for the mind, and the Buddha Dharma is food for
the mind as it feeds the mind with wholesome thoughts
leading to wholesome speech and action.
Charlie: I will introduce Buddhism as a philosophy
of living that is not dogmatic or superstitious, but a
spiritual path that recognizes our intelligence and
ability to self-achieve. Like scientists, the Buddha taught
us to understand the root cause of our problems so that
we can solve them. Adopting a middle path approach,
there are therefore no extremist views in Buddhism.
The Buddha’s formula on life is universal, and therefore
open to all who cares to follow it and not for a selected
few. If they truly practice the Buddha’s method, they will
experience peace and the joy of living. In a way it is a Do
It Yourself (DIY) religion, and the rewards of mastering
this skill and knowing the truth is the best gift of life.
Clearing misconceptions of Buddhism among
Malaysian Buddhists was what the late K Sri
Dhammananda did through his talks and
publications. What are the common misconceptions
today, and how do we overcome them?
Buck Soon: Two common misconceptions are that
Buddhists must be vegetarians and that the Buddha was
a pessimist.
During the Buddha’s time, the monks’ training rules
did not allow them to cook and they have to walk to
the villages, which can be quite far away, for alms
round for their daily meal. They ate whatever the lay

people offered to them. As not all lay Buddhists were
vegetarians, meat would also be offered as part of
the meal. The principle is that as monks they were to
accept whatever food is offered to them, vegetarian
or non-vegetarian. But as Buddhism spread to other
parts of the world, the local culture was incorporated
into the religion. In China, there was no practice of laity
offering food to monastics, and if monks were to go for
alms round, it would be perceived as “begging”. Hence,
monastics prepared their own in the monastery. As the
first precept is to abstain from killing, the monks did
not consume meat and became vegetarians. I always
remember what our late Ven. Dr. K Sri Dhammananda
said in one of his Dharma talks: “What you put into your
mouth is not important but what comes out from your
mouth is more important”.
Secondly, Buddhism is not pessimistic even though
the Buddha talked about suffering as part of the Four
Noble Truths. If the Buddha had only proclaimed there
is suffering (first noble truth) and explained the cause
(second noble truth), then he can be accused of being
a pessimist However, it is important to note that the
Buddha explained that there is an end to suffering (third
noble truth), and that the solution to ending our suffering
is to follow the noble eight-fold path (fourth noble truth).
If we fully understand the four noble truths in totality,
then Buddhism is realistic rather than pessimistic.
FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 47
Charlie: The late Chief Reverend was a pioneer in
helping cleared misconceptions about Buddhism among
Malaysian Buddhists. As misconceptions are a result of
ignorance, we need to keep educating the community
about what are true Buddhist beliefs and practices. Many
of misconceptions are derived from old customs and
traditions and strong adherence to animism and fear of
nature. Such fear and misconceptions can be alleviated
by Right Understanding and Right View. So we have to
continue the good work of the late Chief Reverend.
As a leader of the Buddhist community, what are
your hopes and aspirations for the Buddhists in
Malaysia?
Buck Soon: My hopes and aspirations for Buddhists
in Malaysia are that more so-called Buddhists will
come to Buddhist centers to learn the Dharma or even
through the internet and other online media. If there
are Buddhist centers that have Sunday schools for
children, parents should take the opportunity to send
their children to these Dharma school so that they can
be trained from a very young age. It is easier to teach
them when they are young because they have less
preconceived ideas. Of course, there are also adults
who come to learn the Dharma and progress very
fast in their practice. Besides that, I also hope that
more Buddhists would seriously take up the practice
of meditation besides practicing generosity and
morality. It is through meditation that we can develop
mindfulness and wisdom which is a pre-requisite for
liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
Charlie: There was a renaissance of Buddhism in the
early 1980s when young student leaders graduated
from the universities and began to organize outreach
activities. We also had the presence of great Dharma
teachers like the late Chief Reverend during the period.
Through the efforts of these young leaders, many new
Buddhist centers were set up and they became the focal
point for many educated Buddhists to attend Dharma
classes and learn meditation. As many of these leaders
are no longer the young leaders they used to be, I hope
we will have more leaders who are younger who can
then take over the Dharma torch for the Buddha’s
teachings to shine for the benefit and well-being of
future generations of Buddhists in Malaysia. EH