Buddhist Gem Fellowship – Malaysia

Buddhist Gem Fellowship or BGF was started to promote the growth of Dhamma and create a better world for all beings. The motto is “Awakening”, and its activities are based on the “Joy of Giving”.

The BGF was established with a very clear vision to promote the growth of Buddhism and create a better world for all living beings. An essential factor for this is developing Dhamma-inspired Buddhists who contribute to the growth of Buddhism.

Its objective is to tap the intellectual resources of Buddhist professionals, especially those who have graduated from colleges and universities. With such human capital, the BGF hopes to contribute towards the well-being and development of the Buddhism community.

The BGF espouses a non-sectarian ideology and adopts an eclectic approach towards the various Buddhist traditions. While individual members are encouraged to follow a definite practice, especially in their meditation, they are also taught to respect the beliefs and practices of other teachings and traditions within Buddhism.

The BGF likes to stay focussed on a few core areas that it believes it has the strengths and expertise to contribute towards the betterment of the community. The key areas are as follows:
– Spiritual Development and Dhamma Propagation
– Training and Leadership Development
– Publication and Research

Since 1992, BGF runs a free counseling service three times a week, open to all regardless of religious affiliations. The purpose is to help relieve crisis or distress of persons in need through telephone counseling, face-to-face counseling, or through correspondence. The counselors undergo regular training by local and foreign professionals as part of their skill upgrading.

Many fellowship activities are organized for members and their family. This includes gatherings, outings, and outdoor activities. It organizes activities for members children such as the BGF Children Connection, story telling, competitions and telematches. An important part of our fellowship activities is to forge closer links with other Buddhist societies in Malaysia and Singapore. A choir group that meets every week at the BGF centre for those musically inclined and would like to express the joy of Dhamma in music. For the health-conscious members, BGF holds weekly classes on Qi Gong at the BGF Centre. The welfare activities include BGF House Dana, fund raising through jumble sales, and blood and organ donation. In 1995, it established the Sangha Welfare fund to help any Sangha member who requires financial assistance, such as medical expenses and books.