A gift of sight for five

By CHRISTINA LOW, The Star, August 20, 2008

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- GETTING a chance to regain her sight was definitely a dream come true for Sumithra Ragavan. The 28-year-old was one of the three cornea recipients under the Buddhist Maha Vihara’s (BMV’s) A Gift of Sight, A Gift for Love project last year.

<< An act of kindness: Don Dayananda Ranasinghe (left) presenting a token representing the corneas to Veera (right) while Dhammaratana (second from left) and Sasana Abhiwurdhi Wardhana president Leslie Tilak look on.

“I was surprised when my doctor told me that I had been chosen to receive the cornea for my left eye,” said Pahang-born Sumithra, whose eyesight had deteriorated in recent years.

“Now I can see much better and have no problems reading and using the computer, unlike before,” said Sumithra at a ceremony last weekend in conjunction with the second year of the BMV project.

Sumithra, who works as a cashier in a local hypermarket, underwent two operations last year. The two corneas she received were from donors in different countries.

This year, five lucky Malaysians have been chosen to receive corneas donated by the Sri Lankan government together with the Sri Lankan Eye Donation Society in memory of the late Ven Dr K. Sri Dhammananda.

“Even though he (Dhamma-nanda) has left us, his wonderful memories will never be forgotten,” said chief high priest of Malaysia, the Most Venerable K. Sri Dhammaratana Maha Nayaka Thera, who embarks on meritorious deeds in memory of Dhammananda.

On Sunday, Dhammaratana presented the corneas for the recipients to Tun Hussein Onn Hospital director Professor Datuk Veera Ramani during a luncheon attended by High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Malaysia Dr Don Dayananda Ranasinghe as well as guests from several associations for the visually-impaired and hearing-disabled in the country.

“It is my hope that this act of kindness will prompt the Malaysian people to be more understanding and open about organ donation.

“Being able to give someone the gift of sight is a wonderful thing,” said Dhammaratana, who hopes to fulfil his dream of giving at least 80 Malaysians the gift of sight.

The event included performances by children from the Buddhist Institute Sunday Dharma School and a guest performance by the Godfrey Singers.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.


Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team


Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv


TOP