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The Istana
Speeches

Speech By President Tharman Shanmugaratnam At The 90th Anniversary Of The Singapore Buddhist Lodge On 14 September 2024

14 September 2024

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Mr Tan Lee Huak, President of the Singapore Buddhist Lodge,

Venerables,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

  1. It is a privilege to be here today with you to commemorate the Singapore Buddhist Lodge’s (SBL) 90th anniversary.

  2. When the Lodge was set up in 1934 by a small group of Buddhists, the idea was simple: to promote the Dharma, the Buddha’s teachings, and to spread kindness and compassion in line with those teachings.

  3. That mission has been pursued diligently over the years by successive Boards, council members and members.

  4. They have also seen to it that many of the initiatives of the Lodge have served Singaporeans of all backgrounds and faiths. Examples include:

    1.  The free vegetarian meal programme which began during World War II, serving porridge to the needy. It has since expanded to offer three free meals a day.  It not only serves individual needs, but brings together Singaporeans from all walks of life. 

    2.  The hongbao (red packet) distribution to seniors and low-income households, that began more than seventy years ago and has become a yearly Lunar New Year tradition.

    3.  The Lodge’s two Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinics, as well as its mobile bus clinic which delivers one-stop TCM services to residents in six heartland locations.

    4.     Vision Family Service Centre in Tampines, now in its 26th year.

Compassion that knows no boundaries

  1. Yet one of SBL’s more significant contributions has been through its Education Foundation. Starting 45 years ago, the Lodge has since awarded $22 million in bursaries, benefiting more than 41,000 students from primary to tertiary-level, from all ethnic backgrounds. 

  2. These bursaries and your other charitable work reflect the Buddhist belief that our wellbeing is ultimately tied to the wellbeing of all beings.

  3. It is also fitting for our multi-racial and multi-religious society, where each community’s wellbeing is ultimately bound up with the wellbeing of others.

  4. SBL’s work with non-Buddhist social and religious organisations also reflects this commitment to inter-community, inter-faith collaboration.

    1.  In fact, both your bursary awards and hongbao distribution are run in partnership with Jamiyah Singapore and the Singapore Taoist Federation.

    2.  In support of its Muslim brothers and sisters during Ramadan, SBL donates 30 to 35 tonnes of rice each year to Ba’alwie Mosque, which in turn distributes the rice to about 80 other mosques nationally.

    3.  In recent years, the Lodge has also been supporting the Canossaville Children and Community Services Centre, a Catholic institution, in distributing vegetarian mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

  5. I want to record here our appreciation for the generous time and resources contributed over the years by SBL’s dedicated pool of volunteers and donors. Some of you are amongst us today, and we thank you for your support.

  6. Many of you contribute as a moral duty, that you derive from your Buddhist faith. But you also exemplify in many ways the sense of duty and responsibility we must have for each other in a multi-racial and multi-religious society.

  7. Once again, my congratulations to the Lodge on its 90th anniversary. I wish you continued fulfilment in serving the community.

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