The Happy Mates – Building Good Relationships

Reported by Walter Yew (CEO of OMB)

There is a general perception amongst the modern youth that Buddhism is a religion for the elderly; believing the older population are the only ones who have time on their hands to do a few chores for the temple and the opportunity to mingle with others to pass time. That perception was definitely thrown out of the window in the latest event organised by the Bao Lin Chan Monastery’s OMB (Offsprings of Maha Bodhisattvas) youth members. This youth event called ‘Happy Mates – Build Good Relationships’ is aimed at teaching youth the Buddhist’s concept in dealing with relationships with people.

In a society that often places us into a situation where we prioritize ourselves first and neglect everyone around us. This self-centered mentality often leads to conflicts. ‘Happy Mates – Build Good Relationship’ teaches us to take a few steps back to evaluate the bigger picture and what can be done from a Buddhism aspect to solve the problems we face in our daily life.

A wide range of scenarios were presented to the attendees designed to assist them in solving the common problems that often occur between family members, close friends, university mates, work colleagues and other acquaintances. Raising awareness as to what is the real cause of suffering. Are the causes of suffering initiated by others or are we the ones who create the problems in our deluded minds?

‘Happy Mates – Build Good Relationships’ was very well received by the fifty-five participants, who aged between 18-35 years old. Collectively there was a lot of positivity throughout the event and most left longing for the upcoming event – ‘The Emoji Code’.