Wesak and vaccination – Buddhists told to seek right knowledge

 

A Malaysian Buddhist Association (MBA) member helping in preparations for Wesak Day. The public will not be allowed to visit any Buddhist temple in the country. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: On the eve of Wesak Day, Buddhists in Malaysia have been urged to reflect on the teachings of Buddha in seeking knowledge – especially on the country’s ongoing battle against Covid-19.

Malaysia’s Buddhist chief high priest K. Sri Dhammaratana urged Buddhists to seek out information on Covid-19 and vaccines from legitimate sources, adding that it was everyone’s role to help fight misinformation on vaccination, especially those circulating on social media.

He also appealed to the public to register for the national Covid-19 immunisation programme.

“Please register and get vaccinated against Covid-19. Please also attend the vaccination appointments as scheduled so that our country can achieve herd immunity as soon as possible.

“Let’s do our part in this fight,” he said when contacted by Bernama.

K. Sri Dhammaratana appealed to the public to register for the national Covid-19 immunisation programme.

Dhammaratana, who is also founder of the Ti-Ratana Welfare Society, received his first dose of the vaccine today. He assured the public that the inoculation process was being handled by well-trained healthcare professionals.

“Mosquitoes bites are more painful than the jab,” he said of his experience in receiving the jab.

He also reminded the people to adhere to the SOPs at all times in order to help flatten the infection curve and invited Buddhists from all over Malaysia to pray for good health of the frontliners and for patients to recover from the coronavirus.

Malaysia today registered a total of 7,289 new Covid-19 cases and 60 deaths, bringing the total of cumulative cases since the start of the pandemic last year to 525,889 cases and 2,369 deaths.

Following the strict SOPs, Dhammaratana said the Maha Vihara Buddhist Temple in Brickfields will not be opened for devotees to pay their homage to Buddha on Wesak Day.

Nevertheless, he said devotees should celebrate the occasion at home. At the temple, prayers and offerings will still be held to mark the occasion.

“The Wesak Day under the new normal does not prevent believers from strengthening their beliefs and spreading more positive energy to people and things around them to remember the birth, enlightenment, and Nirvana of the Buddha on this important day,” he said.

He added that devotees can also follow prayers and celebration of Wesak Day on online platforms. - FMT