INTERVIEW WITH
JOHNNY HO
 |
| Johnny Ho |
The Vajra Buddhist Centre in Singapore is at the
top of a narrow wooden staircase, the entry to which is through an unassuming
doorway on the busy corner of Geylang and Lorong 40. At the side of the doorway is a Chinese
vegetarian restaurant, a rarity in this city of gastronomic diversity. I’m here to meet the secretary, Johnny Ho.
We were meant to meet at 1.pm but having the
foresight to call him, he tells me that our meeting will have to be delayed as
he has to pick up a monk from Taiwan at the airport. It is now 5.pm
With the sweat pouring down my face, (Singapore
often has a humidity level of 100%) I enter the shrine room which is
surprisingly cool with standing fans spinning in various positions around the
floor.
Johnny tells me he was born in Singapore but not as
a Buddhist. I’m from a Tao family, originally Tao, he tells me in his clipped Chinese-Singaporean
accent. I ask him how he became a
Buddhist and he says a friend had told him Buddha does not control you. You
believe in him, you go to him. You don’t believe in him, you can move
back. You have a problem you go back to
him. He’s really wonderful. Things are very free in a Buddhist society.
He tells me he was thirty-five when he turned to
Buddhism, Thai Buddhism at first, meeting many teachers. Alex is his personal friend and he was the
one who helped him turn to Buddhism, in particular Tibetan Buddhism. Nodding his head he says, No one can do it on your behalf – you have
to do it yourself and give your heart to the society.
The building does not belong to the centre but is rented. Originally they practised on the other side
of the city. They moved into the
building about seven years ago with ten members. By
going to a house, there’s no fun because you’re maybe with your family.
On my first visit to the centre a few days before,
we were welcomed by Madame Soh, a petite lady of indeterminate age who smiled
without saying much, leaving me with the impression that she didn’t speak much
English. The deference with which she
was treated by others leads me to think she has played an important role in the
functioning of the Vajra Buddhist Centre.
Johnny says her role was important to the establishment of the
centre. Whenever their finances were in
the black, they would not ask her for help:
but when they were in debt they requested money which was forthcoming.
He tells me, We
met Ringu Tulku Rinpoche this year [2012] for the first time. He was on
the way to the World Buddhist Organisation in Jakarta and through some email
corresponding he agreed to come to Singapore to give us a talk and
teaching. He stayed in Singapore for a
few days. First he gave a general
teaching then he gave a two-night teaching at Ngee An Auditorium in Singapore and he gave some teaching here
about dharma.
He says his sangha liked his teaching because he
knew English and he explained things very well.
He gave a very important Tibetan teaching. Most of them [the lamas] we
do not understand the language, but Ringu Tulku, he knows very well and gave us
a lot of explanations. There were about
30 or 40 people in the audience. We
managed to get one Ani [Ani Khusang Lhamo who translates for Sangye Nyempa
Rinpoche] who could speak Chinese and
English and she translated. Hopefully I
will meet him again in the future; he is still in our minds. We have a very strong image of him. He’s not doing it for himself, all his hard
work is for others…you can go to his website and see a lot of things. He does not
gain anything for himself, all is for others.
We are very lucky to find a Tulku at that high level.
Johnny says that he hopes to own a place in the
future. He would like a property in
Singapore but property in the city is very expensive. The centre relies mostly on members. It costs $S3000 per month to run the
centre. On top of this are the charges
for facilities like electricity, rates and water. Most of the committee members pay if they can
afford it. They rely on the donation box
to pay for food for the resident lama who stays on the upper floor.
 |
| The shrine at the centre |
On the walls are some beautiful thankas representing various aspects of Buddhist lore. One is of King Gesar which seems older than the others.
He will not make any pilgrimage this year because
he has a lot of activities including a visit from Lama Norlha Rinpoche, a
meditation and retreat master who will give a teaching and empowerment. He is resident in America. The Sixteenth
Karmapa and Kalu Rinpoche had brought him to America, he says. He is
from the nyingmapa sect, he tells me.
He teaches the Six Yogas of Naropa
only in retreat. He will not teach
outside of the retreat. You can go to
his website and see. [http://kscmiami.wordpress.com] He teaches Kagyupa only. Those who practised about twenty or thirty
years ago, they know his name. He can
teach Nyingmapa, Gelugpa, Kyagupa, [and Sakyapa]. He
knows all about dharma.
What I remembered most when I left the centre was
the profound effect Ringu Tulku Rinpoche had left on the sangha at the Vajra
Buddhist Centre in the short time he was there.
Also, the contrast between the cool, shaded and peaceful ambience of the
centre and the bustling, noisy streets outside brought home to me what a haven
the centre is. Singapore is home to
hundreds of Buddhist dharma centres, but they need an inspired and dedicated
member like the personable Johnny Ho to develop; and my wishes are that he is
successful in finding a more permanent residence for the sangha – and a place
for teachers as inspiring as Ringu Tulku Rinpoche to visit in the future.
