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Temple Visits Before SPM Examination

Written by Nicholas Chan on November 10, 2009 – 12:20 am -

Now I can’t deny that we, a bunch of high school students are not superstitious. No offence to other religions, we are buddhist and we went to as many as 7 temples lately for prayers and blessing for the coming big, massive SPM exam which is O Level equivalent.

Organized by I don’t know who, but it’s all my classmate and skipped school together on a Wednesday and went for the temples trip around Penang. Since I was free and it’s something must-do to me, so I went to join them. There’s like, 11 of us.

First stop was Mahindarama Temple or more likely to known as Guleng Hood. It’s a famous place and everyone loves going there before exam for blessing. I had actually went there the week before this and so this was my second visit for this year. There’s no restriction on how many time you can pray.

They actually had a blessing ceremony for SPM students last Sunday but I find no reason why want to join the crowds and wake up early. I prefer going on some other time where there’s little people.

Go to Guleng Hood must bring a couple of milk and your exam time table. That’s the standard procedure, then look for the sifu monk in the house for blessing.

Spent like an hour at Guleng Hood and we were off to another place and that is the Penang Buddhist Association. This place is quite happenings during Wesak Day. It became so quiet on normal days.

Don’t want to talk so much about what happened there. Basically, it’s just prayers for good health, good result and good everything.

Next was the Siamese temple, Wat Buppharam on Perak Road. Tried the 50cents electronic fortune teller, but it didn’t work for me. Too bad. We actually visited another one, Malaysia Buddhist Association on Burma Rd, it’s just a very short visit.

Then off to Burma Lane (Lorong Burma) to visit the two temple. A Siamese temple (Wat Chaiyamangkalaram) and a Dhammikarama Burmese temple. Living in Penang for 17 years, this was my first time and we were just like tourist at there. Everyday past by the place, thinking that it’s just another temple and small, but everything I thought weren’t true.

The compound, the garden, the statue are big. Inside is very pretty and clean. It just doesn’t feel “Penang” to me, it’s more like being in Thailand.

There’s a rotating thing inside the Burmese temple where you can aim and throw coins into it. Each different bowl representing different thing which you pray/wish for, etc. Health, Prosperity, Education, Marriage, Good Lucks.

The Siamese Temple lies the reclining Buddha.

Last week was the Loy Krathong, a Thai festival where people release boat with candles and written wishes into the sea. We bought a boat and wrote our wishes on it and they were release into the sea at Gurney Drive.

After so many temples, finally we had came to our last stop. The Penang’s Kuan Yin Temple at Pitt Street. It’s not first or 15th of the Lunar calendar, so it’s not that crowded. Usually it’s full of devotees during those days.

Parents bring their children who are sitting for exam here too. Mom did bring me here 2 years ago when I was sitting for PMR and now, it’s friend who brought me there instead of my mom. To pray for good studies and education, we looked for the Confucious and Wen Chang Gong. =)

So, after that many prayers and temple visit, doesn’t mean that we need not to study already, it’s just a kind of believing. Good luck everyone!

Tags: blessing, buddha, Exam, Friends, Lifelog, Penang, prayer, School, Temple, Travel, trip, Visit
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