1. Continue and uphold my Buddhist learning and practice
The best way to achieve confidence in the Dhamma and compassion for others is to continue learning and practising Buddhism with good teachers and spiritual friends. Let us strive on to uphold Right View and the Noble Eightfold Path in our daily lives.
2. Prepare for my future – make a will
One can make a will to clearly state the desired funeral arrangement in accordance to one’s religious practice. Please refer to The Law Society of Singapore website for more details on writing a will.
3. Maintain peace and harmony in the family
‣ When a loved one is in hospital
If our loved one is hospitalised, we can request for the hospital or hospice to put up a sign at the patient’s bed to state the patient’s religion and turn down any offers for prayers or meetings with other religionists. If there are different views between family members, we may ask the Medical Social Worker at the hospital to help mediate the differences.
‣ Advice from Venerable Sheng Yen
“In an open society, one may find several different faiths even within a family. We must respect, even support, each other’s choices with an attitude of appreciation, and should never criticise other faiths based on our own subjective standpoint. We should cooperate to create a harmonious, peaceful, happy and warm community in which to live.” (Concluding Address for the International Conference on Religious Cooperation)
4. Protect myself as a citizen to practise my religion – The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act
The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act safeguards us against insensitive proselytising and acts that incite inter-religious misunderstandings or subversive activities. The act empowers the Minister of Home Affairs to issue restraining orders against leaders and members of religious groups.
If we feel harassed by a person or an organisation’s proselytization, we may consult the police or our Member of Parliament on what we can do as citizens. We may also consult our Dhamma teachers on the Buddhist perspective.