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Feedback From Previous
Runs:
Dear Brother Shi’an, attending your Dharma lessons is definitely
enjoyable to the point of “addiction” (if not for my time
constraints.) Most commendable are your painstaking efforts to
convey the true essence of Dharma teachings through translated
texts and analogies for easy comprehension by lay people. Would
equate each lesson learnt to a jigsaw puzzle put in place to
encourage pursuit of the unravelling of the ultimate truth of
Buddhist path. Thanks for your passionate guidance and continued
efforts to spread the Dharma. Amituofo! Warm
regards, Corinne
Your generous sharing of your wide knowledge on Buddhism is much
appreciated. Thank you for the lectures. With
Metta, Siok Fong
Dear Brother Shen, thank you for putting across each lesson
faithfully and sincerely in layman terms and making it
easy for us to understand… Thank you for your clear explanation and
encouragement! – Jo
This is the first time I’m attending your class, and I find it
interesting as you use many easy-to-relate examples. See you in
class. Cheers, Kooi Wah
I enjoyed especially the sharing of stories and personal
experiences, which somehow increased my faith.
–Adeline
Namo Amituofo! I attended your Faith Factor class as well as
join the Pureland Practice Fellowship. Attending your English
Dharma classes has thus far been enjoyable, enlightening and
inspiring. Through this connection, I could participate in other
Dharma activities by other Buddhist organizations. Thank you from
the bottom of my heart. Keep up the good work. - Wah
Khoon
Thanks Brother Shi’an for conducting both the Understanding of
Amituofo and Faith Factor courses. It is an eye-opener for me. Your
great effort in translating really helps a lot because I can’t read
Chinese… I really had no knowledge of Amituofo until I
attended the courses. I will follow the guidance and have the
Faith, Aspiration and Practice to go to Amituofo’s Pure Land. –
Amituofo, Iris
The course is very good, it further strengthen my faith in
Amituofo’s Pure Land. Also, as most of the materials are NOT a
repeat of the Amitabha Sutra course, it is very refreshing…. All
the materials (slides, information, stories) are useful and
necessary. Thank you very much for conducting this course.
- Amituofo, Vui Min
Thank you for running the class & making the lessons
interesting to learn. – Abrie
It’s another great Buddhist sharing, this course, to enlighten us
on the answers to the ’10 Doubts about Pure Land’. The contents
shared are indeed very diversified and comprehensive. I remember
one of the interesting things that captivated me was the sudden
turn of event (slides on a topic)… to the magnificent golden image
of Amituofo, which motivated me even further to be reborn in Pure
Land …. Hope to meet you again in another class when our good
karmic affinity ripens. With Metta, Tuck
Khuen
Feedback From Related Pure
Land Courses:
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, WeiPeng
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 Shen Shi’an
沈时安:
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
Master 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 (now ‘KMSPKS Youth’), 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 31,000 members, the editor of ‘Be a Lamp
Upon Yourself’, ‘The Stonepeace Book (Volume 1-2)’, ‘Awaken:
Gateway to Buddhism (CD-ROM)’ and the writer 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.
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, Buddhist Fellowship, Kampung Senang, Green Haven and Dot
Connections Growth Centre. 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, MCYS and MCCY.
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<at>thedailyenlightenment.com for
invitations to share the Dharma via articles and talks.