Mooncake festival at KFR!
Today, the Kechara Forest Retreat (KFR) team held an event at KFR to celebrate the mooncake festival. I received many wonderful updates from a few of my students who attended the event. It started at 5:30pm and was supposed to end at 8:30pm but everyone had so much fun that it ended an hour later!
There were many new faces… when the guests arrived, everyone socialized for a while to get to know one another. Everyone then made candle offerings to the Buddha under the famous tree at KFR. This was followed by a short prayer led by Pastor Susan. How beautiful. Pastor Susan really has your spiritual benefit in mind.
A short video was then shown to the guests on the construction done so far at KFR. Then it was dinner time! There was a variety of Western and Eastern foods… and Sofi Lim prepared her popular cakes for everyone to enjoy too!
The group then split into two: adults and kids. The kids had a sing-a-long and games session… while the older kids grouped together and kept an eye out on the younger ones, making sure that they are safe at all times. I like it when people look out for each other… it shows how much they care about others. Wonderful that these children start cultivating this trait from a young age.
While the children were playing, the adults were given a short teaching on meditation by Pastor Susan. She kindly guided them through a brief meditation session to make sure they understand the teaching fully. The adults were very attentive during the Dharma talk and thankful towards Pastor Susan for teaching them a method to find inner peace which they can apply even in their homes.
After the teaching, there was a barbeque and enjoyed mooncakes. The kids played around with their lanterns and had fun walking around the beautiful green KFR grounds. At around 9.30pm , the bus arrived to take everyone back to Kechara House.
It is so wonderful to see so much happening around at KFR. KFR is a very blessed land, and I hope that many people will be able to visit here in the near future to enjoy nature, heal their body and practice spirituality with their Dharma brothers and sisters. Do look at the pictures. What did you do for this year’s mooncake festival?
Tsem Rinpoche
William (right) talking to a visitor at the entrance of KFR.
Some of our guests came in a group with a chartered bus. They had a great time throughout the journey to KFR.
Finally, they reached their destination.
Martin and William unloading items off the truck.
Buddha Shakyamuni under our iconic tree.
The KFR team waiting for the guests to arrive…
Volunteers decorating the trees with their lanterns. How fun!
The scenery from the cabin and tents… beautiful lush and green forest surrounding us.
Ms. Any and Bean helped out with the PA system again! They came earlier to have everything set up before the guests arrive.
The children having a good time! Exploring their creativity in the forest certainly is good for children to learn and grow close together as Dharma brothers and sisters.
Good friends, these two boys are regulars in the Manjushri Kids Class. Now they are good Dharma brothers that support each other in every way.
Guests starting to arrive at KFR for the festival, they took a short walk into the tent area.
Pastor Susan and Josephine Yap, a first timer in KFR, talking as they make their way to the tent.
Walking in groups, the bus dropped the guests at the entrance. They took a short walk towards the temporary abode.
Everyone gathering before the event started. Here people are greeting and talking to each other, grabbing their candles from the tent to make offerings to the Buddha.
Even young children came along to enjoy the event. Cute hehe.
Abby (left) , Dr Lanse (middle) and a guest, looking on at people hanging lanterns on the tree.
Grace Leong brought a good friend of hers to the event today. Wonderful that Kecharians are starting to share spirituality with close friends. We should start with our close friends first before we can reach out to more people…
A DIY barbecue pit…
KH Ng and family making offerings to the Buddha…
A wonderful mother teaching her son to make candle offerings to the Buddha…
Children praying and making candle offerings in the butterlamp house. Cute!
Circumambulating around the butterlamp house.
People lining up to make candle offerings to the Buddhas. So wonderful to see families coming here, doing spiritual exercise during the weekends hehe
Oh dear… Mr CK Leong got affected by the fresh air at KFR hehehehe
Good friends, Lelaina (left) and Nicholas (right)
Everyone gathered for a short prayer session with Pastor Susan.
At sunset, visitors listen to the short explanation Pastor Susan gave before the short prayer session.
Pastor Susan was the umze (lead chanter) for a short prayer.
People found any spot available to enjoy their dinner!
Dinner time! The KFR team prepared an abundance of food for the guests.
The guests helping themselves to dinner… I love it when people get to eat together like a big family, it’s a great way to get to know each other.
The guests watching the video on KFR.
Lanterns lit after the sun set… this reminds me very much of my childhood in Taiwan…
More lanterns decorated the parameters of the tent…
After dinner, the children were gathered and lead to another tent to play games and sing-along songs.
Two guitarists came to KFR to entertain the children with a sing-a-long. Songs of praise to the Buddhas were taught and sang by the kiddies today.
The children had a great time playing with each other.
Barbecue time!!
Everyone loves a good barbecue… here, Wan Hong and Kien are roasting potatoes for the guests.
Sing a long…
Vegetarian barbecue
Ethan still managed to make it to KFR although he had a minor accident at work!
The organizers (Martin, June, Joe, and Khoo not pictured) and the clean up crew.. all rolled into one.. thanks everyone!!
Meditation session
Meditation session led by Pastor Susan (standing) of Kechara House
Cute Jason playing with lanterns with the other children hehe.
The end of a successful and wonderful event, everyone walking out of KFR.
Taking the bus back home after a wonderful event.
Photography credits to: Lee Kheng San, William Chua, and Sean Wang
More posts on KFR:
Condensed Tsongkapa practice for Happiness & clear mind
107 at Kechara Forest Retreat!
Being there for kids the right way
Get involved with Vajrayogini Stupa at KFR
Two powerful items for Kechara Forest Retreat
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
View
A poem inspired by seeing a picture of my teacher, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche…
In the sport of correct views,
all that is correct is just a view,
without permanence or substance.
As long as we hold onto views,
our sufferings are gathered
to be experienced without end.
Without the strong methods of emptiness
and compassion, bereft of merit,
we sink deeper without respite.
To arise from this samsara is but
a dreamscape on the deluded mind.
Therefore seek the guru, who confers the yidam,
hold your vows and fixate on liberation
free of new creations. Free of new experiences as
there are none.
~ Tsem Rinpoche
Composed in Tsem Ladrang, Kuala Lumpur on July 7, 2014
A poem by Tsem Rinpoche
I was walking past a second hand shop on Western Ave selling old things. They had a Japanese-style clay Buddha which was beige in colour on the floor, holding the door open. I thought the shopkeeper would collect a lot of negative karma without knowing if he kept such a holy item on the floor as a doorstop. So I went in to talk to him, but he didn’t look like he wanted to talk or that he even cared. So I asked him the price and he said US$5. I purchased it so he did not collect more negative karma. I was 17 years old and that was in 1982.
I escorted my new Buddha home and washed it lightly and wiped it. I placed it on my altar and was happy with the Buddha. I would do my meditations, prayers, sadhanas, mantras and prostrations in front of this shrine daily. When I left for India in 1987, I could not bring this Buddha along and gave it to a friend. It was a nice size and I made offerings to this Buddha for many years in Los Angeles. In front of the Buddha I placed His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s photo. I remember I was so relieved that the price was affordable. But US$5 that time was still expensive for me but worth it I thought. But I was happy to have brought the Buddha home. Tsem Rinpoche
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com
Tsem Rinpoche at Kechara Forest Retreat, Bentong, Malaysia
[…] Mooncake festival at KFR! […]
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A nice place with a greens surrounding… KFR gonna be a great place for people to learn dharma and does meditation.
Hope to have more of these activities in near future. It’s great retreat place for everyone to heal their mind.
Only in Kechara can you find so many activities to cater to such diverse group of people. Trips, picnics, movies, pujas, retreats, community work, painting, art, shopping, dining, writting, movie making, animal liberation, pilgrimages, and the list goes on…
None of this would have been possible without the conceptualisation and loving guidance of our Lama H.E Tsem Rinpoche.
We learn, we laugh, we cry, we rejoice, and together we grow, in age and in our spiritual practice. What a beautiful organisation to be in!
So cool I really like to meditate at KFR that would be so awesome. And to have a BBQ before that is simply simply blissful, imagine all the tatoes and corn on the fire pit!
It is a very fun evening. I think the kid really enjoyed themselves very much. I could hear their cheers and laughter so clearly from the tent area although they were up on where the hut area is.
Truly an amazing experience to have fellow kecharian and friends all get together in KFR. An evening of fun, learning and laughter.
🙂
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing the happenings and pictures here. It is nice to see that fun, joys, understanding about KFR and other dharma friends, lanterns, prayers and meditations were all rolled into one night within a few hours.
Through activity like this, more people will come to know about KFR, better cohesion can be built among each other and the road to building up KFR can be smoother.
I wish that KFR can manifest swiftly so that Rinpoche’s wishes can come true very soon…
It looks fun! So nice to see so many people visiting KFR and having a wonderful and meaningful time. Being able to circumambulate, offer candles and prayers all at the same time. What can be more meaningful than spending a Saturday night there! Its a must visit.
Wonderful trip ! Thank you to the organizers who put in a lot of hard work !!
Very beautiful lantern and mooncake celebration at KFR! People can enjoy themselves with their family and friends on weekend at this blessed place. Adults can relax themselves after hectic work on weekdays while the kids can have fun playing and socialize with each other. 🙂
Rejoice for all Dharma brothers and sisters that enjoy their moments in KFR. The moon there should be the prettiest compare with others site view. Thanks Rinpoche blessing that KFR may manifest smoothly…
The smile and the laughter on everyone’s faces says it all – there is a lot of fun in a big gathering like this. Beneath all these fun are a group of people who worked very hard to make an event like this successful. Kudos to people like Pastor Susan, Kecharians & most of all for Rinpoche’s blessings always.
Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful place! I rejoice for everyone who is celebrate the mooncake festival at KFR. From the pictures above we can see that everyone are so happy and very enjoyable at KFR. Congratulations to the KFR Team who have successfully organized this event for members and friends. May KFR manifest swiftly and can benefit to more people !
Wow so nice… this is a very good event to unwind from hectic working lives: a quality times for families and also a great get-together time among friends. Beside the joy and fun of food and games, there are the spiritual side of prayer and dharma sharings lead by Pastor Susan. KFR is a truly 2-in-1 brilliant get-away for all Kecharians 🙂
It’s wonderful to see so many happy faces at KFR. They bring positive energy to KFR and leave with even more positive energy. How beautiful!
Wish I had been there…
Glad to see more and more people especially the first timers are visiting KFR and all of them have fun and enjoyed being there for the mid autumn festival like one big Kechara family.
It is very heart warming seeing families, Dharma brothers and sisters having fun gathering at such a auspicious place on this festive season. The decoration is beautiful, love the lanterns 🙂
I can see many happy faces, and many happy kids too hehehehe..so cute! Thank you KFR team to organized such a perfect outing.
Very nice to see Kecharians, families and friends visited KFR and gathered together to have lots of fun and spiritual session. I glad both of my kids Beatrix and Edward were there too!
They were so fortunate to be part of it….thanks to Rinpoche and Ladrang teams for bringing them there! Thanks
hi, i would like to ask a question. is there anyone there who can help?
Hi Wendy, you can ask your question in the blog chat below or you can go to “Ask The Pastor” at the top left-hand side corner of this blog, click the photo of the 3 Pastors.