HOL in Sep: Do ghosts only exist at the cinema?
Sept: A month of Buddhist movies, ghost month, and mental health awareness. Here's a nice way to reflect on what we did and our october plans!
Greetings!
We trust you had a great September! As we look back, we've got much to ponder. Following our collaboration with THIS Buddhist Film Festival, we took a moment to catch our breath.
The Ghost Month, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, holds significant cultural and spiritual importance across many Asian nations. At HOL, we decided to engage our readers in a fun poll about their beliefs concerning ghosts.
Surprisingly, approximately 17% of our readers don't believe in ghosts!
Ghosts and Their Stories
We asked our readers to share their ghost stories and featured a fascinating exchange between Cheryl and Kai Xin. Explore the crowdsourced episode here.
In September, we shifted our focus to the theme of Death. How can we confront death with Dhamma in our hearts? Furthermore, if we ever consider death as the sole escape from our troubles, what should be our course of action?
We delved into the weighty topic of suicide in observance of Mental Health Month. Our aim was to destigmatise this subject, encouraging others to seek assistance when needed.
Converting to…Buddhism?
Leaving My Religion Behind for Buddhism.
We shared a deeply personal story of an individual who found solace and spiritual fulfilment by transitioning from their previous religious beliefs to Buddhism.
It's easy for some of us to take Dhamma for granted, especially if we are born into a Buddhist family. This article was an eye-opener.
If pursuing the Dhamma path meant being disowned by your parents, would you still do so?
Such decisions are definitely not a game you can restart.
A lesson in self-doubt
Previously, I pondered the concept of networking for Buddhist professionals and was fortunate to have support from three other Buddhist organisations.
“Seriously…who would care?”
I asked myself as we began planning Walkie Talkie: a networking event for Buddhists that involves a scenic walk with two networking partner swaps.
I still had doubts about my idea (but hey, I had plenty of doubt when starting HOL, and look where we are now!) but I went ahead and launched it.
Within two days of the launch, we reached the 40 sign-up limit with a 15-person waitlist. The response was overwhelming, and my inner critic was silenced.
Sometimes, we need to ignore that inner critic and put our assumptions to the test.
Detour into Ghosts in Singapore
In the spirit of Ghost Month, take a look at a local influencer's video on ghost hunting in Singapore. Not for the faint-hearted!
Thank you for being a valuable part of our journey!
Metta,
Heng Xuan
Wall of Impact (thanks to you!)
“Your articles are my entry into Dhamma. Thank you so much for doing what you do”