Two
days ago, we went to the PBUM Buddhist Camp for a volunteering service. That
was my first time driving to Kuantan. We started our journey at four past half
in the morning. The route was very dark and dangerous, especially there are
some places where the roads are sinuous. I have to stay alert at all times, but
at last ending up passing the driving task to my friend due to serious and
uncontrollable drowsiness. We manage to reach the Pahang Buddhist Association
safely around eight in the morning. It was raining cats and dogs there.
Fortunately for the aunties who already been volunteering there, our presence is a gift of relieve for them as they are short of manpower. We arrived just in time. We were welcomed by this black-white kitty who seems to be friendly and fearless of human.
Pahang Buddhist Society, or well-known as Wan Fo Dian Temple, is a famous Buddhist landmark in Kuantan.
The significance of this place is that there is a large lake at the backyard of the temple. During the day, you may see catfishes, turtles, carps, terrapins and monitor lizards swimming around the lake. There are even otters inhabiting there. At night, the place was decorated with beautiful and wonderful lighting just like a lantern exhibition. Unfortunately, the rain lasted for a day Its quite a waste for not having the opportunity to stroll around that area.
The rain stopped at noon of the next day. Here, my opportunity came where I could get my new device to work. In front of the stairs going up to the shrine hall, there are two big urn planting containing purple lilies that blooms in the morning. Not sure whether that's an autumn lily, but it did remind me of the following verse in the Dhammapada:
Ucchinda sineham attano, kumudaṁ sāradikaṁ va pāninā
Santi maggaṁ eva brūhaya, nibbānaṁ sugatena desitaṁ
Cut off your affection as though one plucks an autumn lily by hand
Cultivate the path towards Nibbāna as expounded by the Auspicious One
~Dhp. 285~
That day was Sunday, so there will be students of the Sunday Dhamma Class feeding the aquatics in the lake with bread pieces together with their parents.
At the side of the lake, there's a small waterfall flowing down beside a carved rock. The rock was named "The Rock of Moving Mind."
Next, the followings are the inhabitants of lake that appeared upon my presence there. It's rare to see otters in a lake, but it did appeared in front of my eyes, its a school of them! However, they appeared at a distance from where I'm standing. Too bad, I didn't own any telephoto lens.
Pigeons pecking on grains
A huge-sized monitor lizard
A turtle-sized terrapin
An otter appear in the middle of the lake
A Japanese carp munching on bread
It's amazing that we could find a place rich with natural biodiversity here. If you need a place to relax in Kuantan, besides carrying yourself to the beach, you may consider this place as your interest. My life journey continues~
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