白衣堂 七十周年
Pek Ee Tong 70th Anniversary
建立于 1952 年
Established in 1952
History of Pek Ee Tong
The temple of Pek Ee Tong was set up in 1952 by Venerable Xian Lin who passed away in 1960. It was succeeded by Venerable Zong Jing until her passing in 2012. The temple was then passed to Kek Lok Si and was left vacant for a few years in search of a suitable candidate to carry on the legacy of Pek Ee Tong. Under predestined fate, Pek Ee Tong was handed over to Venerable Kai Xun as the first Abbot on 12 November 2017 by Venerable Ri Heng, the Abbot of Kek Lok Si.
Since Venerable Kai Xun being promoted as the Abbot of Pek Ee Tong, he played a very important role in promoting Buddhism to serve the residents of Jelutong by holding regular chanting prayers such as Lotus Sutra，Shurangama Sutra，Ten Wheel Sutra of Ksitigarbha and Emperor Liang Repentance etc.
Dharma class was also held on every Saturday where Venerable Fa Yao was invited to propagate sutras which include Ten Wheel Sutra of Ksitigarbha，Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra，Emperor Liang Repentanceetc. In hope that more Buddhists can listen and understand the Buddha Dharma. Thus, they may put the Dharma into their practice and more true believer can be cultivated.
Beside promoting Buddhism, Venerable Kai Xun also upgraded the appearance of Pek Ee Tong such as planting flowers and plants to beautify the compound, at the same time, giving a touch of greenery to the temple's surroundings. The original wire fencing was converted into a concrete fence with the renovation work which started on 19 September 2019 with the Thousand Hands Avalokitesvara statues imprinted on the tiles. The project was completed on 20 March 2020 resulting in Pek Ee Tong looking more solemn.
Founders of Pek Ee Tong
Founder of Pek Ee Tong —— Venerable Xian Lin
Venerable Xian Lin received her higher ordination at Kek Lok Si in 1948. She had a very strong faith in Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, so she vowed to convert the purchased land into a temple to worship Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. She faced several difficulties with land purchase procedures, but after successfully completing the construction project of Pek Ee Tong, her health began to deteriorate, and she passed away on April 25, 1960. This temple was then succeeded by her daughter, Venerable Zong Jing.
Head of Pek Ee Tong (1961-2012)—— Venerable Zong Jing
Venerable Zong Jing was the eldest daughter of Venerable Xian Lin before she became a nun. She received her higher ordination at Kek Lok Si Temple in 1948 together with her mother Venerable Xian Lin. In 1961, she succeeded her mother in managing Pek Ee Tong until her passing on April 8, 2012, at the age of 87.
The current Abbot of Pek Ee Tong —— Venerable Kai Xun
- Venerable Kai Xun was born in Kedah, Malaysia in 1986.
- In 2009, he was ordained by the Abbot of Hong Hock See Temple, Venerable Wen Jian, and he was given the name " Kai Xun".
- In 2011, he received his higher ordination at Yuan Tong Temple in Puli, Taiwan.
- Venerable Kai Xun graduated from Malaysia Buddhist Institute in 2014.
- In 2016, Venerable Ri Heng passed on the Dharma heir to Venerable Kai Xun. He was given another Dharma name-- 'Jin Yuan', and he was the 50th fiftieth of Cao Dong’s Dharma heirs.
- In 2017, he was selected to be the first Abbot of Pek Ee Tong and has held the post to the present.
White Robe Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva of Pek Ee Tong
According to the records of Venerable Zong Jing, the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue in the shrine hall of Pek Ee Tong was shaped accordingly to Venerable Xian Lin's dream. There were many difficulties in the process of shaping the statues. After a long search in several places, finally, they found a sculptor at the foot of the Kek Lok Si Temple mountain. The sculptor was old and refused Venerable Xian Lin's request initially. Though, he finally agreed after continuous persuasion.
Before the start of the craftwork, prayer and incense were offered in the hope that the image of the Bodhisattva he created would meet the request of Venerable Xian Lin. Finally, the Bodhisattva that the sculptor created was exactly the same as the image in Venerable Xian Lin's dream.
The Establishment of Pek Ee Tong
Many prominent monastics in Penang attended the opening ceremony of the inauguration of Pek Ee Tong. From the photo above, it was found that the attendees included: Venerable Zhi Kun, the abbot of Kek Lok Si Temple at that time, Venerable Zhen Guo, Venerable Qing Yuan, and Venerable Ming De.
In 1947, Venerable Xian Lin bought the building and converted it into a self-study place. After Venerable Xian Lin obtained the land deed, she held the opening ceremony of the inauguration of Pek Ee Tong on the 14th day of the eighth lunar month of the lunar calendar. Although Venerable Xian Lin and Venerable Zong Jing at that time were upholding the Bhikkhuni precepts, there was no restriction on shaving their heads, so they tied up their hair. Until they pass away, bhikkhunis will shave their heads to present the ordination image as nuns. This is a unique phenomenon of Chinese Buddhism in the early Nan Yang, and these people are called "A Gu".
白衣堂位于槟城日落洞路，一座主祀观世音菩萨的道场。本堂建筑物在槟榔屿众多的寺院中最为特别，是一栋糅杂了英殖民风气与马来式的基脚楼，在热闹的日落洞路更凸显其特有的南洋风格建筑。本建筑物被列入乔治市文化遗产内的二级文物。
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