Scenes Of 10th Run At Kong Meng
San:
Practice of guided mindfulness of
Buddha
Practice of recitation of sutra
once before detailed learning with bilingual text
Practice of guided mindfulness of
Buddha
Testimonial-sharing on benefits of
Pure Land practice by past participant
Some Feedback From
Previous Runs:
Deepest gratitude to you for all the lessons, all the teachings,
all the sharing, all the effort, all the time, all the wisdom, all
the compassion. Otherwise, I would not have learnt the Buddha’s
teachings with understanding. Thank you. May you be well and happy,
be blessed and make it to Pure Land. Amituofo. Regards, Su
Ann
Hi Shi’an Laoshi, I would like to express my gratitude to
you for conducting this course in great detail,
especially explaining to us in layman terms for《佛说阿弥陀经》.
Before attending this course, I felt that I was lacking in faith,
probably because there was no 善知识 [good-knowing spiritual friend]
around me to 表法 [express the Dharma]. So I decided to sign up
for a Dharma course, hoping to deepen my understanding of the
Buddha’s teachings. Best regards, Candy
Hi Brother Shi’an, thank you very much for conducting the
course. I had learned a lot from the course, and will make 念佛
[practice of mindfulness of the name of Amituofo] as part of my
daily ‘homework’. I look forward to your ‘Destination Pureland’
course. Thank you very much. Amituofo, Nancy
Once again, thanks for giving us the opportunity to learn about
Pure Land teachings. With metta, May
Thanks for teaching us. We are still chanting [Amituofo] every
night (with both of my parents). Hope to hear from you when you
will be conducting Mandarin version. I will ask both of them to
attend. Warmest regards, Hsiu Li
Brother Shi’an, thanks for the insightful and motivational
Amitabha Sutra course on the journey to Western Pure Land. We have
faith, and with group practice, it will help us to aspire towards
it with the Three Provisions… Amituofo, Chew
Eng
The best decision I made was to go ahead to sign up for your
‘Understanding Amituofo Via The Amitabha Sutra’ course last year. I
truly benefited a lot from it… Thank you so much. –
Rosalind
I attended the first lesson (last Thursday) and I enjoyed it.
– Jenni
Sincere thanks for your highly engaging and light-hearted
lectures. They are truly enjoyable and I have learnt much as a
result of your gracious sharing of meaningful life examples.
– Peter
Dear Bro Shen Shi’an, thanks for the notes and Dharma teachings
which I enjoyed very much. Again, thanks sharing the best gift…
which is the Dharma. Amituofo, Doris Tan
I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation
for your great Amitabha Buddha lessons. Every time I attend it, a
lot of my doubts are clarified. – Lewis
One certainly increases faith in this most supreme and wonderful
Dharma door after listening to your most passionate and convincing
facts. Thank you, and I am very fortunate to be part of the
audience. Respectfully, Rosaline
May I thank you for making the Dharma class an insightful and
interesting experience for a first-timer like myself. Looking
forward to attending more of your coming classes. Amituofo,
Evelyn
Amituofo, Teacher Shi’an, thank you. I am very grateful that I
was able to attend your lessons recently. I learnt a lot… and your
lessons are fun and interesting. – Pearlyn
I enjoyed the course tremendously and it has helped me in
clearing some of my doubts, to appreciate and understand Buddhism.
Thanks to Bro Shi’an for his time and efforts. Thanks,
Doreen
Dear Teacher Shi’an, thank you for your time and patience in
teaching us… I’m a newbie Buddhist. I consider myself fortunate
that the course allowed me to start off on the right foot, as there
are many confusing and false teachings in our age. I was able to
understand and appreciate the Dharma more deeply due to the real
life examples used during the lessons. As such, my faith
strengthened. I’m looking forward to join the 48 Vows of Amitabha
course. Thank you. Sincerely, Teddy
Thank you for the course. I have
enjoyed it very much and have learnt a lot… Thank you very much for
the time and dedication you have for the class. Your passion is
infectious! I look forward to taking more courses with you.
– Patricia
Hi Shi’an, I just wanted to say thank you for the lessons over
the last 10 weeks. I have learnt so much from you about Pure Land.
I am glad I took the plunge and attended this course. Your rock
solid, unwavering faith continues to inspire me and makes me vow
even more to be reborn in Pure Land. I especially enjoyed the sutra
lesson today. Your lessons are always interesting and
inspirational, never with a dull moment. You teach with humour,
examples and analogies that are current which makes it easy to
relate to everyday life.
I appreciate all the effort you have
put into the course preparation. After having done this 12 times
before, I imagine that one with less faith and conviction could
feel bored or worse, complacent teaching similar materials over the
years. In this case, I feel that as you grew spiritually over the
years. Your faith has strengthened continually and your passion to
teach the Dharma is incredible! You are truly a wonderful,
motivational and inspirational teacher. Lastly, in a nutshell, you
have taught me more in the last 10 weeks than “where I used to go
to weekly” in the last 40+ years. Therefore, I thank you and I
salute you. I look forward to attending more of your future
courses. (P/S: Notice how many times I use the word
‘inspirational’? ;)p Amituofo,
P.H.
Highly recommended! – Jac
Hi Shi’an 老师, just want to let you know that I enjoyed the
Amituofo course very much (even though you must have heard this the
umpteenth time already). Thank you very much for your dedication
and for putting so much thought in your lessons to help us learn
the Dharma in such a simple, interesting and inspiring way. I am
really glad to have this opportunity to learn from you and hope to
be able to attend more of your classes. Amituofo! – Hvi
Chun
Highly recommended. Shi’an 老师 is one of the best English Dharma
teachers. – Kok Meng
Thank you for giving the interesting lectures on the Amitabha
Sutra. Thank you for conducting the Amituofo class in English. It
really benefits those who do not know Mandarin like me. After
attending your class, I understand Buddhism much better. Anyway, I
will be attending your next Heart Sutra class. Thank you once again
for all your hard work in translating and explaining the sutras in
English for us. – Judy
Hi Shi’an Laoshi, we enjoyed the course very much and will sign
up for the “Destination Pureland” and “48 Vows of Amituofo” course…
We really appreciate your effort in sharing the 净土法门 and have
gained a lot of knowledge from you! Thank you! – Chor Leng
& Sock Har
Hi Bro. Shi’an, a big Thank You to you. I had benefitted a lot
from attending your courses since June 2014, and I felt that it was
Amituofo who guided me to attend these courses. Before I attended
these lessons, things seemed to go downhill (but I did not tell any
colleague about them)… Then came a day, a colleague asked me
whether I had attended any Dharma lessons out of the blue, and few
days later, another colleague asked whether I wanted to attend a
Buddhist talk… After these two incidents, I really sat down to look
for Dharma classes… Things are much better now. I will continue to
Nianfo. Thank you. – Regards, Mary
阿彌陀佛 (Amituofo). This course is definitely worth attending. Not
only did I learn more about 阿彌陀佛, it had given me more
understanding and faith to continue Nianfo. It is through
understanding that one will have faith and strike for a
breakthrough… I will continue to Nianfo and had urge my family
members to do so as well. 阿彌陀佛. – Teng KL
I enjoy your class very much… Thank you for your detailed reply
and explanation. They have certainly cleared much of my doubts.
Looking forward to learn and understand more from your coming
sessions… Thank you for sharing your knowledge in Pure Land
teachings with us so generously. Overall, I find the course
beneficial and interesting. I can now appreciate the meaning of
Nianfo better. I also appreciate the fact that while Nianfo is one
of the “simplest” ways to practise [the Dharma], the benefits and
the power of Nianfo are enormous! In fact, there was a night when I
was having a nightmare. I could feel that I was terrified in my
dream, with some demonic creature shadowing me everywhere I went. I
tried to shake it off but to no avail. I knew it was a dream, but
it felt very real and there were no way to run away. I started
chanting Amituofo’s name… As I kept chanting, I literally watched
the creature “melt” away and disappear in the dream. Amituofo.
– Jason
Dear Teacher Shi’an, I certainly
have benefited very much from the course on ‘Understanding
Amituofo’. Yes, I followed your instructions by reciting “Amituofo”
when I get up and before I sleep, when I travel in trains and
buses, while walking and whenever I have the opportunity. I chose
this Dharma Door and aspire for birth in Amituofo’s Pure Land…
Thank you very much for your great valuable teachings and I deeply
appreciate all your dedicated effort and hard work in guiding
sentient beings to the Pure Land path. Your teachings are very
clear and materials used are very good. I rejoice in all your
merits. With clasped palms, Patricia
Choo
Thank you for conducting the “Project
Rebirth” and “Understanding Amituofo” course. Indeed, it opened up
my mind and I am looking forward to completing the courses and
retaking them again in your next run as I believe new questions
will always arise in our minds. I also look forward to your Heart
Sutra course and course on Dashishi Pusa’s teachings {‘The
Mindfulness Factor’)… Thank you for all the teaching and sharing
imparted throughout the classes. I truly enjoyed them and learnt a
lot from the classes. – Soon Kiat
I want to thank you for giving such
interesting and enjoyable lessons on 阿弥陀佛经 and 心经. Hope to learn
more from you through the upcoming lessons! ; ) –
Yvonne
Thank you very much for your valuable
Dharma lessons… Shi’an Laoshi, thank you very much for taking the
time to put these wonderful Dharma treasures [articles] together to
share with us. I share them with my family and friends too, and
they now look forward to hearing more Dharma stories. Hope they
will attend class too to learn more. May all be well! Thank you and
Amituofo, Jerinne : )
Thank you for making the lessons interesting… I always look
forward to the lessons as it is the only time I can take a break
from attending to worldly affairs. –
Rosalind
Thank you for sharing your knowledge
during those classes. It as been enlightening. –
Julia
Thank you for the insightful and
interesting lessons. – Boon Ser
The ‘Understanding Amituofo’ course has been immensely
interesting. Shi’an has a knack of breaking down difficult concepts
into accessible information, which we can easily relate to in our
everyday lives. This course will be useful even for Pure Land
practitioners who already know something about the teachings.
Shi’an always explores new perspectives that surprises us. His
humorous approach to teaching and the use of clear, simple language
is a major plus. There was never a dull moment. I enjoyed the
classes tremendously! Amituofo, Wei
Peng
Thank you for teaching us about Amituofo in such a simple way
yet with so much for us to take away. I really appreciate your
kindness and sincerity in conducting this course. I am inspired… I
am already looking forward to your next courses, ‘The Faith Factor’
and ‘The Heart Of The Heart Sutra’. I must say that I always just
feel happy going for the Saturday classes. Thank you for your time
sharing your knowledge with us. Amituofo,
Weena
Dear Shi’an teacher, thank you very much for sharing so much
about Amitabha Buddha. Appreciate very much for spending your
precious time to try to share as much as you can. –
Rebecca
阿弥陀佛. Great talk this morning. – Shirley
Dear Shi’an, I am glad we did not missed last Saturday’s class.
The lessons are getting interesting and inspiring… Thank for
sharing the wonderful Living Dharma… Thank you very much for
illustrating your lessons for us with your real life experience on
death. We truly enjoyed your last Saturday session… Thank you &
best regards. Amituofo, Susan, Linda &
Ricky
Bro. Shen Shi’an shares his personal experiences and anecdotes
in his lessons which make the class interesting. I look forward to
his class every week… Many thanks for replying and clearing my
doubts regards to Buddhism. It being a pleasure attending your
lessons. Amituofo, Ricky
Nianfo (mindfulness of Amituofo) is one of the best life skills,
or also ‘death skill’ that one should learn! Why? Knowing where one
will go after death gives me peace of mind. And when unhappy
thoughts arise, nianfo switches the state of mind to something
neutral for me. When I get very angry, in some instances, I will
get gastric pains. Once, I went to a corner to nianfo quickly, and
within one minute, my state of mind changed and I was no longer
angry. [Note: Nianfo can lead to experience of spiritually blissful
well-being too.] – Adeline
I’m very encouraged by your knowledge and your enthusiasm.
Despite overrun of time, you still pursued to complete the last
lesson with passion… Thank again for dedicating your life for
teaching Buddhism. We need more people like you… I’m looking
forward to your (future) talks… You do a great job in influencing
another person with Buddhism. Thanks, and have a great day! –
Amituofo, Doreen
I attended your Amituofo class and found it to be informative
and encouraging. Indeed I’m impressed by your relentless efforts
and your meticulous attitude in explaining the sutra. Thanks. –
Mdm Shen
Dear Bro. Shi’an, thank you to you, who made this course
possible for the benefit of English educated brothers and sisters.
A round of applause to you!! Sadhu 3x. – Susan
Dear Bro Shi’an, thank you for conducting this course, without
which I wouldn’t have the privilege of learning about Amituofo and
the Pureland practice. Also, your ‘unconventional’ way of teaching
enables us to just relax and listen in class knowing that the notes
(with lots of helpful links) will be sent to us via email later.
Thanks to your good effort, I had definitely learnt and gained a
lot. May you be well and happy! With Metta,
Audrey
As my exposure was more to Theravada teachings, I did not know
much about Pure Land but intrinsically I know that Amituofo and
Pure Land exist and rebirth in Pure Land is achievable. I am glad I
made the effort to attend this class because the knowledge that I
gained strengthened my faith in Amituofo and dispels the doubt and
misinformation that I was exposed to. I urge everyone to come with
an open heart and mind to learn about Amituofo. It is the best gift
for yourself! With deep appreciation, Amituofo,
Karuna
“Dharma Teacher Shi’an is very sincere and earnest in delivery
of his courses. Always filled with many interesting and creative
analogies or metaphors to let us have a better idea and
understanding. The various creative media used and implementation
of the element of humour brings the Dharma classes alive without
boredom, very often allowing me to feel inspired and invigorated
with renewed energy after the lessons. Really appreciate the amount
of effort Teacher Shi’an put into preparing his classes. Hope that
the work of Teacher Shi’an will continue and benefit more of us!”
– Ricky
‘Enjoying the course very much. Hope to have the chance to
attend the same course again in future. It brings a lot of joy and
peace. Wonderful!’ – Amituofo, Huimin
‘It was a very rewarding 10-lesson course. It enriches me even
more in understanding Buddhism and Amituofo.’ –
Rosie
‘Hi Teacher Shi’an, I really enjoyed this course, there are so
much things to learnand I have gained a lot of knowledge from you.
I will definitely attend more of your courses in future.’ – Best
Regards, Amituofo, Pu-ling
‘Dear Dharma Teacher Shen, thank you for conducting the
Understanding Amitabha Buddha Course. You earnestly put in good and
detailed research into the preparation for conducting such a
course, the result of which the audience appreciated. This is the
hallmark of a good teacher. Moreover, you patiently use current
examples of existing situations in daily lives to make the topic as
real and penetrating as possible for the minds of the listeners.
Good work.’ – Andrew
“The course was taught in a manner which could be easily
comprehended by someone with minimal knowledge of Buddhism. Thank
you for your efforts in motivating all participants by making the
lessons interesting through sharing of real stories, and for
relentless encouragement of us to nianfo. 功德无量! Amituofo.”
– Jos
“I enjoyed all the 10 lessons. They were all excellent and I
have gain much knowledge.” – Gerald
“Thank you very much for your class. I have learned very much
from youand it inspires me to want to practise more. Thank you.”
– Fucai
“I feel that your frequent use of examples to illustrate your
points is very useful to me, especially as a beginner who find some
topics rather abstract. It is also these examples used that makes
the lessons interesting…” – Danny
“Thank you very much for having these sessions. Hope to see you
again.” – Amituofo, Alex
“Hi Shi’an, appreciate very much for your teaching. The lessons
are really valuable. The materials are well prepared and carefully
written. They are very useful for recap. Initially I was quite
hesitant to register for the course. I thought I would probably
drop out mid way because it was on Saturday – a day when my work
schedules are tight, and the location [Kong Meng San for 10th Run]
is quite inconvenient for me.. but your lessons were really so
knowledgeable and interesting, that I wouldn’t want to miss them.
In fact, I had been looking forward to them. Among all, I found
that the topic about the interruption between each life [due to
death]… to somewhat have an awakening effect on me. Since then, I
have started to nianfo everyday, and it has been consistently
carried out for 3 weeks! I hope I have all the time to continue the
practice and be mindful of Buddha every moment. I will recommend
your teachings to my friends and family members.” – Thanks &
Regards, Mee Nah
“Thank you very much for your sharing of Pure Land practice. I
have enjoyed every session of the course. I had supposed it to be a
serious and dull subject. However, you had made it interesting and
fun through your jokes and excellent illustrations. Unfortunately,
I missed the last session due to a family commitment. The course
structure flowed very well and is very suitable for a layperson to
understand Pure Land Buddhism in a progressive manner. Your
constant encouragement to get us to clarify our doubts through
email [and in person] was very useful. Now, I have a much better
understanding of Pure Land practice. I look forward to furthering
my understanding and practice on Pure Land Buddhism. Thank you once
again.” – Amituofo, Lar Kee
“Thank you for the teaching and sharing of experiences. I also
like to thank Brother Steven for sharing his experience with all of
us. It showed us how someone practised what was learnt.” –
Amituofo, Lisa
“Dear Bro. Shi’an, ‘The Gift of Truth Excels All Other Gifts.’
Thank you for sharing the Pure Land Teachings with us. You have
delivered the teachings in a very concise, interesting and creative
manner. We enjoyed the lessons very much and have benefitted a lot
from them. We are glad to have an excellent Dharma teacher like you
in the Buddhist world. Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu! Amituofo!” – With
appreciation, Tuck Khuen, Amy, Ivy, Doris &
Joey
‘Very informative and lively lessons. Lecturer Shen makes the
wonder.’ – Huan Xi
‘My wife and I were there. I must say that you are extremely
engaging; there was never a dull moment in the 2 hours (of each
lesson)… It has been really enriching and enlightening…
This is a definitive course for me spiritually. It
answered many important questions for me. Why am I here in this
life? What will happen to me after this life? Where will I go to
after this life?‘ – Teng Leng
‘I enjoy your teaching and your jokes to keep us awake… haha.’
– Regards, Tracy
‘Dear Teacher Shen, thank you for your teachings… Thank you for
all the knowledge put in simple, digestable words in a
light-hearted mood. The lessons are well pacedand after each
lesson, the faith in me grows a little bit more. I’m glad my hubby
signed me up for the course as I didn’t see the need to attend
since I could access to the sutra and notes of the previous round
he attended. After the end of last week’s 8th class and Bro.
Steven’s sharing, I walked out of… feeling very happy despite the
drizzle… Once on the bus, [using another way to practise
mindfulness of Amituofo], I quickly whipped out my handphone to
text ‘Amituofo, Amituofo… [in Chinese]’ and almost filled the
length of 12 messages during the 17-minute ride. Once home, our 89
cm tall son fell down from a dining chair, where he was standing to
drinkcereal. He landed sideways, unhurt and with no crying or words
of discomfort. He had spilt half of his drink, and was still
holding the cup. Both hubby and myself were 2-3 arm lengths away.
We witnessed this and was speechless. It was as if our son was
‘lifted’ and merely placed on the floor [to break his fall]. We’re
not sure if this is the blessing of Amituofo’s protection, but we
are sure that nianfo [being mindful of Amitabha Buddha] is
wonderful and great! May you have a great Amituofo day!’ –
Emily
‘拨歪导正，引领群迷’ – Zhi Hai
‘I have enjoyed every session of your interesting teaching so
far. And I am sure I will continue to enjoy the rest too.’
– Lar Kee
‘I must say I have been enjoying your classes very much and I
find the stories inspiring.’ – Yin Fong
‘I would like to take this opportunity to let you know that I
enjoy attending your Saturday evening classes…’ –
Yalin
‘Thank you for the series of good and beneficial courses. Really
enjoyed them and now have a better understanding of Amituofo… The
pace and the build-up of the sessions is good, and you have made it
very easy to follow and understand. Thank you for making them so
lively and wonderful!’ – Camilly
‘It is great that you are committed to the propagation of the
Dharma (and I must say that you do have a ‘gift’ for making it
accessible)… I hope you will continue the good work in propagating
the Dharma in the simple and interesting way that is characteristic
of your style. With the Greatest Bodhicitta,
William‘
‘Your teachings thus far has raised my faith factor and I am
grateful to you for your sharing… I appreciate your generous
sharing of the Dharma Teachings. It is indeed a very admirable
deed. May the merits of the Triple Gem continue to bless you. I
found your teachings educational, and to have enhanced my spiritual
life.’ – Jenny
‘Thanks for sharing about Amituofo… Your lessons keep people
coming back. Congrats for your great job!’ –
Jina
“I am in your class. I like the way you teach – very funny and
not boring. Otherwise, I can fall asleep quite fast!” –
Diana
“Dear Teacher Shi’an, I would like to thank you for sharing your
[email] write-up… I truly enjoy reading it and understand Buddhism
better. Appreciate your constant sharing with us.” –
Eliza
“Thank you so much for teaching us about Amituofo and Pure land.
Truthfully speaking, I was amazed and didn’t expect that there’s so
many teachings for the above.” – Silvi
“8 lessons had attended (so far), I had turn with conviction.
Thanks.” – Andrew
“This is rare opportunity hearing a good Dharma session about the
Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha. Please accept my deepest bow and true
appreciation of what you have organized.” –
Hardy
Enjoyable class and topic. Always looked forward to Saturdays
because of the class. Thank you! – KM
Teo
“I would like to thank you very much for your tireless teaching
during your stay in Jakarta. The seminar really gave me a whole new
perspective on Buddhism… I couldn’t have made a better decision
than registering. A lot of the teachings were affirmative and
complementing of what I’ve understood about Buddhism so far.”
– William
“I had the impression that it would be a ‘dry’ and boring class
initially. Thank Buddha you have the ability to make us giggle or
laugh during class. It is a ‘good investment’ to sign up for your
class.” – Irene
“Thanks for the very interesting sessions. It has been an
enjoyable experience attending your class… Thanks for the very
inspiring 10 sessions.” – Bee Lay
“Dear Brother Shi’an, We would like to express our heartfelt
appreciation to you for conducting the Amitabha Sutra class. You
are able to explain the sutra clearly and have provided excellent
examples and illustrations. My husband, Lawrence, and I, together
with our friends truly enjoy your class and we have gained a better
understanding Amitabha Sutra. We also want to thank the volunteers
for manning the registration booth every Saturday and the ushers…
Once again, thank you for your excellent teaching. Rejoice. Namo
Amituofo!” – Lay Ling & Lawrence
“The Amitabha Sutra class that you are conducting is really
Great, Informative, Enlightening and Beneficial. We start to
appreciate the Sutra and Buddha’s Teaching more… Amituofo.”
– Choon Fah
“Thanks very much for weeks of enlightening and insightful
edutainment. The ‘before/after effect’ (like Marie France) of
Pureland teachings is indeed profound. I must say I’ve progressed
rapidly in ‘faith, vows and practice’, thanks to your passionate
and generous sharing.” – Han
“Thank you for the insightful answers! I look forward to Lesson
2 this Saturday.” – Amituofo, Yong Guan
“I should also thank you because you have inspired me to spread
these wonderful Dharma especially about the Pureland to more
people.” – Amituofo, Huan Ghee
“Ha ha ha u are a funny guy. Every time during the class, we
look at your action and the way u give usexample really make me
laugh. Tks and keep up the good job.” –
Sherlis
“U r one of the best teachers I ever seen.” –
Maggie
“Creative presentation… Very motivated and knowledgeable.”
– Brenda
“Very relevant, very well-researched, very informative,
knowledgeable and inspiring.” – AL Lim
“Instructor is very very very good.” – KH
Lee
“Very applicable [lessons]… He [teacher] knows how to relate to
people and make suitable analogies.” – Lay Eng
“Teaching is very lively, interesting, [and teacher is]
knowledgeable.” – Irene Ng
“[Teacher is] very skilful and very knowledgeable.” –
Lay Keow
“[Teacher is] approachable, knowledgeable and helpful.”
– CC Lim
“[Teacher] interacts with the audience well.” –
Melvin
“[Teacher is] very resourceful and speaks clearly. [Course is]
very informative. I am glad I attended this course. I found my
spiritual goal.” – Meow Lin
“Interesting mix of visuals, videos, testimonials, slides and
co-relation between the different [Buddhist] practices.” –
Suzanne
“Use of analogies and examples help for understanding concepts.
Testimonials help to to strengthen faith. Use of graphics and
videos make the contents more interesting.” –
Rebecca
“Good introduction, especially to the curious.” – HH
Lau
“Very informative… It’s interesting to listen again [by
attending again in future].” – Nicole
“[Teacher is] very skilful, informative and interesting… Very
good, should make it more lessons.” – CF Lim
“The course has let me know more about Amitabha Buddha and his
Pure Land and increased by faith more and more.” –
Ruth
“Great. Thank you.” – Cathy
“[Teacher is] relatable, able to explain concepts well. [Course
is] informative, entertaining and interesting.” – Wei
Ting
“Good knowledge and enthusiasm demonstrated. Good research and
presentation…” “Thank you for your kind effort in promoting Pure
Land practice. Amituofo!” – Anon8
“Keep up the good work – sure go Pure Land.” – FS
Lam
“[Teacher is] very good, experienced, able to explain things in
simple concise manner, and is friendly and approachable…” “Look
forward to more of such courses in English. Well done!” –
LK Loh
“[Teacher is] well versed in Buddhism and able to explain
clearly.” – SH Voon
“His passion and compassion for the Pure Land teaching is very
evident!” – LH Heng
“[Lessons] flow smoothly with ample examples… [Teacher is]
knowledgeable and proficient.” – CH Kok
“Well presented. [Teacher] has passion for whatever he is
teaching.” – Siying
“Very comprehensive notes complemented by informative emails.
Excellent teacher. Teacher Shi’an is a very dedicated teacher. He
is able to relate the sutra to us in an easy-to-understand manner.
The lessons flow very well and are well paced.” – Lay Ling
& Lawrence
“[Teacher is] very skilful, passionate and knowledgeable. This is a
very good course. It helped to clarify a lot of my doubts and
strengthened my faith.” – VM Ho
“[Teacher is] humorous and adorable.” – WK
Koh
“Just want to let you know that I have enjoyed your 10 lessons
on Understanding Amituofo. I now have a better understanding about
Buddhism. I am looking forward to your new classes, please let me
know the dates and place when available.” – Josephine
Yap
“The instructor is very motivational and impactful.” –
Meilin
“I think your lessons are very much well prepared. You have done
much research. I can understand that it is difficult to do that.
Well done! What matters most to me is the content. And you are
humourous and friendly as well. Excellent!” – PS
Chan
“Thank you for an educational and interactive first lesson.
Fresh perspective and insight gained. My hubby and I enjoyed it
thoroughly. Look forward to the next class. We enjoy every lesson.
The path to Pure Land is simple and fuss free. Coming from the past
15 years of Theravada Buddhist teachings’ background, this is
refreshing and would certainly add depth on our Dharma pursuits. We
have never had a structured and systematic education on Buddhism of
any branch although all our lives we are connected to it from
birth. The laoshi (teacher) Shen Shi’an is engaging, witty and
knowledgeable. Teacher is very well prepared, eloquent,
knowledgeable and systematic. – Lye Wai Fun
“I really enjoy the class. Thanks for making the class
interesting and engaging.” – Hazel
“Thank you for conducting the class on Pureland Buddhism. It was
funny yet insightful.” – Louisa
“Information is well put across in a congruent and easy to
absorb and systematic manner.”– Tingji
“Thanks for delivering such an interesting presentation that is
beneficial for us to have a better fundamental understanding of
Buddhism. The organising committee is very committed to make this
class a success, and tried their best to provide a conducive
environment for the participants.” – Yong Leow
“[The teacher is] very knowledgeable.” –
Candy
“Many thanks for your interesting lesson at the Amitabha Sutra
class yesterday. I enjoyed it thoroughly.”– Kok
Leong
“The trainer has done an excellent job in bringing Mahayana
teachings to English-speaking Buddhists. He is able to dispel the
myth that Chinese Buddhism is suitable only to illiterate old men
and women. May the trainer be able to help more sentient beings to
contact the teachings. May Buddhas and Bodhisattvas support him in
his endeavor.” – Anon3
“It was an enlightening session for the lesson that you have
conducted today. Thank you for imparting the knowledge on the
‘crash course’ (on Buddhism for the first lesson). Things I learn
in your lesson today: To re-ignite my compassion to all beings,
including those that I previously do not like due to heavy office
politics. Your passion in Buddhism that energised my learnings. It
was another informative session yesterday and I can understand the
concept well, through your interesting presentation.” –
Jeffrey
“[The teacher] is lively and can sustain attention.” –
Anon4
“There are many comparisons to our daily lives to reinforce
learning.” – Anon1
“This is a great course. I am thankful for this affinity that
led me to this course and enable me to start walking the spiritual
path.” – Anon2
“[The teacher] can explain very well!” – Bee
Ting
“[The teacher is] well researched and well prepared.”–
Jono
“Instructor allows us to email him questions in doubt which
benefits beginners.”– Anon5
“Yes, very good and very relevant. You have also made it very
interesting.” – Pearly
“[The teacher is] knowledgeable and humorous. The course is very
informative and interesting.”– Anon6
“[The teacher is] a well learned practitioner.”–
Richard
“Very engaging style of presentation.”–
Anon7
“Straight to the point with good illustrations.”–
Lam
“I enjoyed the first lesson yesterday night as you were an
engaging and humourous teacher. Thanks.”–
Yingying
“Many thanks for the inspiring sharing on 10 July.”– Hui
Ping
“I find the course informative and delivered in an interesting
manner.”– CH
“Many thanks, Shi’an! It was a very fruitful learning
experience! Amitoufo!” – Jennifer
“Must tell you that we enjoy your class. It is very
comprehensive, with easy to understand and lively
presentation.”– Rita
“Your clarion call on high importance and high urgency of
learning the route to Pureland was depicted with a ‘think out of
the box’ (manner) effectively. Witty dialogue on the multi-purpose
use of Amituofo’s name remains vividly in my mind. Leaves us much
to practice. Thank you for being a wonderful teacher by bringing
the Dharma to us in a simple, interesting and fun way. In all the
classes, we had been educated and entertained! It was the very
first time that we ever attended a structured course, though we are
‘Buddhists” all our lives. Lessons were joyfully taught by a highly
knowledgeable and energetic instructor who engaged your attention
and captivated your imagination by the power of interesting visuals
and sometimes comical parables.” – Lye Wai Fun
“Dear Bro Shi’an, I really enjoy your class on Amituofo. Learn
many things everytime I go for the class. Today’s testimonial is
also really inspiring! Amituofo” – Tiong Han
“Brother Shi’an, You are a great teacher; your teachings alone
are a tremendous inspiration to those like me who have good karmic
affinity to listen to you. You soldand I bought the ticket to
Pureland on the very first lesson in March last year. That’s how
inspiring you are! Thank you. 阿弥陀佛 _()_ ” –
Steven
“Thanks for the guidance. I have re-evaluated your advice and
implemented it. The outcome is encouraging. Thank you for your
statement that kept me motivated and not giving up. Thanks for
making a difference in our lives.” – Jeffrey
“Hi Shi’an, I want to thank you for giving me better insights of
the sutra, as well as instilling in me more faith. I am very
thankful that I have the opportunity to attend your class. It is
very difficult to find good English Buddhist classes and
interesting teachers. I hope you can conduct more classes so we
English educated ones would not miss the opportunity to understand
and appreciate the Buddhist teaching and to reach Pure Land. Your
class is super, never one moment boring and time just flies. I wish
it never ends. Every moment is motivating, interesting,
soft-selling but never forcing, well presented and delivered. Very
good visual and presentation material. I believe that only those
with faith and passion like you could conduct such classes.
Academics would present and speak without conviction, but your easy
style and passion makes the class alive, interesting and
motivating. Shi’an good job!! Please don’t stop, we need your
guidance. Thank you again.” – Amituofo,
Pauline
About The
Teacher:
Shen Shi’an (沈时安) is an independent Buddhist teacher, author,
researcher, translator, editor and poet, he was one of the founding
members of the Dharma Propagation Division of Kong Meng San Phor
Kark See Monastery (Bright Hill Temple in Singapore) in 1997.
Holding a Masters of Arts degree in Buddhist Studies that
covered all major Buddhist traditions, he served as a Dharma
Trainer and Project Coordinator in its Community Development &
Training Department until 2011, focusing on Buddhist research,
writing, teaching and answering of media queries on Buddhism.
He was the founder of the temple’s Youth Mission, a book
purchaser for its Awareness Place project, and the Chief Editor of
the Web & Library Department, that co-supported Buddhanet.net,
a popular Buddhist education website.
He is the founder and editor of TheDailyEnlightenment.com since
1997, one of the world’s largest independent Buddhist inspirational
e-newsletters with over 33,500 members, the editor of ‘Be a Lamp
Upon Yourself’, ‘The Stonepeace Book (Volume 1-2)’, ‘Awaken:
Gateway to Buddhism (CD-ROM)’ and the author-editor of ‘The Daily
Enlightenment: Reflections For Practising Buddhists (Book 1-7)’ and
the bestselling graphic novel, ‘The Amazing & Amusing
Adventures of Sam & Sara: The Zen of All Kinds of Stuff!’ (He
is the author-editor-translator of 13 books.)
He also contributes occasionally to magazines such as ‘Nanyang
Buddhist’, ‘Awaken’ (for which he was a Contributing Editor), ‘For
You (Information)’ (for which he was invited to be an editorial
board member), and ‘Eastern Horizon’. He served with the film
selection team of a Buddhist film festival, writes movie reviews
for BuddhistChannel.tv, the world’s leading Buddhist news network,
and popularised Dharma@Cinema, which is an innovative way of
sharing the Dharma through detailed reviews and discussions of both
popular and offbeat films.
Using retranslated sūtras and treatise texts, he has taught on
the Pure Land teachings at Singapore Buddhist Federation, Kong Meng
San, Pu Ji Si Buddhist Research Centre and Poh Ming Tse. He also
leads the Pureland Practice Fellowship, which he founded in
2008.
He is also occasionally invited to conduct Dharma discussions
for youths of tertiary institutions’ Buddhist societies (NTUBS,
NUSBS, SIMBB, NPBS, NYPBS) on various subjects, and to introduce
Buddhist life perspectives at Secondary Schools (St. Patrick’s
School, Manjusri School, and its Buddhist Interact Club), Junior
Colleges (Catholic Junior College) and International Schools
(UWCSEA, SJII).
He was also invited to share on Buddhism by Dharma Drum Mountain
(Singapore), Fo Guang Shan (Singapore), Tai Pei Buddhist Centre,
Singapore Buddhist Mission Youth, Singapore Buddhist Youth Mission,
Wat Ananda Youth, Buddha Of Medicine Welfare Society, The Buddhist
Union Dharma Centre, Buddhist Fellowship, Dot Connections Growth
Centre and Kampung Senang. He has also been invited to
Indonesia and Malaysia to teach.
He was a committee member of the Inter-Religious Organisation,
through which he served in interfaith harmony projects by writing
and giving of public talks, having represented Buddhist points of
view at national events held by NACLI, NHB, NHG, SAF, SPF, MHA,
ACM, SPM, STB, OnePeople.sg, IRCC and MCYS. He was also chosen to
be a member of the Publications Consultative Panel under
Singapore’s Ministry Of Communications And Information.
He also co-runs Moonpointer.com, which is a community blog that
promotes creative sharing of Buddhism via thousands of articles. He
can be reached at tde[@]thedailyenlightenment.com for invitations
to share the Dharma via articles and talks.
(Interview In Buddhist Magazine: http://moonpointer.com/new/2011/07/interview-with-shen-shian)