The temple’s Facilities: To Propagate Buddhism And Benefit Sentient Beings
The new building was twice the size of the original and includes
- Prayer Hall on the first floor (which enshrined a Vairocana (Pilu) Guan Yin)
- Office, conference room and Zu-Lin Altar on the second floor
- Vegetarian canteen on the third floor
- Classrooms for Buddhist studies on the fourth floor
- Accommodations for monastics on the fifth floor
- Lecture hall, prayer chamber and a shrine for ancestral tablets in the basement
The 12m high bronze statue of Guan Yin Bodhisattva has stood guard over the temple for more than thirty years. Her lotus platform measures almost two metres. The statue’s expression is compassionate. In her left hand, she holds a bottle while her right hand bestows courage. Standing on the lotus, Guan Yin showers blessings on countless sentient beings with immeasurable nectar.
新寺新风貌–续佛慧命，利乐众生
重建后的新寺楼高6层（包括地下层），面积增加一倍，比原有的三层可容纳更多设施，包括：
- 一楼为圆通宝殿（供奉毗卢观音）；
- 二楼为办公室、会议厅、竹林坛；
- 三楼为五观堂；
- 四楼为佛学课堂；
- 五楼为法师居住的寮房；
- 地下一层为地殿，分为圆通讲堂、功德堂和安养堂。
守护着新寺的地标，依旧是这尊已相伴竹林寺30载的12米高露天纯铜镀金滴水观音圣像。莲花底座近两米，观音菩萨神态慈祥自在，左手持瓶，右手施无畏印，双足立于莲花上，以无尽的甘露，福泽众生心田。
Worship the Buddha And Purify humanity
When the temple’s construction is completed, it shall collaborate with the Singapore Tourism Board. It will be designated as a tourist attraction so that more people will be introduced to the spirit and culture of Guan Yin Bodhisattva. This will help to spread Buddhism and serve the public.
In his congratulatory message to the temple on its 30th anniversary.The Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong mentioned that Zu-Lin Temple is not just a venue to promote Buddhism. It is also one of the tourist attractions in the western part of Singapore (with Little Guilin nearby). Other than facilitating worship for Buddhists, the temple is also able to attract visitors from different cultural backgrounds as well as tourists from neighbouring countries. This is not just to achieve interfaith interaction it can also make society more prosperous
In his congratulatory message, Minister Lawrence Wong also emphasised that the temple is a fortress of Buddhism. If it is able to do well in Buddhist education, it can help people achieve calm and happiness as well as ensure stability and peace for the nation’s future. Urban dwellers living in a pressurising and competitive environment face depression and anxiety. The Minister hopes that Zu-Lin Temple will bless and purify people with Buddhist education so that they may be free from delusion and suffering, so as to make contributions to the community.
As such, having another centre of Buddhist cultural education in the western part of Singapore is not just a place to purify humanity, it will also be a multi-purpose hub for cultivating Buddhist cultural education, interaction with others and a new tourist attraction for those who want to worship the Buddha.
礼佛观光，净化人心
新寺建成后，将与新加坡旅游局携手合作，将竹林寺列为旅游景点，进一步弘扬观音菩萨的精神与文化，更好地广传正法，净化人心，为民服务。
李总理在竹林寺三十周年庆特刊的贺词中提到，竹林寺不只是一座弘扬佛教的道场，也是我国西部的旅游景点（毗邻小桂林）。除了供佛教徒礼佛朝圣外，还能吸引更多不同文化背景的参观者，甚至包括邻国游客前来观访。这不但实现了宗教文化的交流，同时也促进社会繁荣。
黄循财部长也在贺词中强调，寺院是佛教的堡垒；把佛教教育办得好，不但可以帮助人们获得平静与快乐，也为国家社会带来稳定与和平。现时很多处在高压力和竞争激烈的都市人，多少都会面对情绪抑郁的心理问题和精神上的困扰。部长寄望竹林寺以佛法教化滋润众生心田，让人们破迷开窍，离苦得乐，为信众社区作出贡献。
因此，在新加坡西部添加一处领略佛教文化的清静所在，不只是净化人心的道场，也是具有多元功能的小区中心，让竹林寺成为佛教文化教育培训、对外交流、礼佛观光的新亮点。
Passing The Torch To Next Generation
正法薪传，迭代自新
Our current permanent honorary advisor Professor Ho Kah Leong has pointed out that Zu-Lin Temple is able to spend generously on reconstruction because its finances have been competently managed. With appropriate management, the temple will be able to attract youths and renew itself. He hopes that through the organisation of classes and talks, more young people will join and ensure that the temple continues to have new blood and will be passed on to the next generation.
According to Zu-Lin Temple’s abbot Venerable Kwang Phing, ever since the temple moved to Bukit Batok Avenue 5, its facilities have become bigger and can accommodate more students. With the upgrade of “hardware”, the temple’s “software” must also keep up with the times. For example, the quality of its teaching has to be more vigilant. The Dharma classes must be more relevant to the lives of people. In 2019, the temple organised a Youth Wing to attract more young people to take up Buddhist studies and increase more membership for Buddhism.
According to the temple’s manager Mr Chua Hoo Tai, the temple should be equipped with Buddhist knowledge and management from professional backgrounds so as to attract talent for the temple to grow and propagate Buddhism. As such he feels that after reconstruction and under the leadership of Venerable Kwang Ping to strengthen the monastics, a resurgence in Dharma propagation, the broadening of Buddhist education, the organisation of more Dharma assemblies and provision of short-term ordination will improve interactions with the temple and Buddhist communities from overseas.
现任永久荣誉会务顾问何家良博士指出，竹林寺今天能够耗巨资重建，是因为财务状况经营良好。今后只要管治得当，就能吸引更多青少年加入，达到自我更新的目的。他希望寺庙通过主办佛学课程和讲座等活动，广招年轻人加入，以确保寺庙新血不断，才能后继有人。
竹林寺方丈光品法师则表示，竹林寺搬回武吉巴督西5道后，地方宽敞，能容纳更多学员，硬件获得提升，软件也必须跟进，譬如教学素质得更加精进，讲经说法必须更贴近民生民心。此外，竹林寺于2019年正式设立了青年团，希望吸引更多年轻人学佛，为佛教界注入更多生力军。
竹林寺总务蔡和泰也认为，寺庙必须要有懂得佛理以及有专业背景的管理层，才能吸引人才，让庙务得以发展，佛法得以传扬。因此，他认为重建后的竹林寺，将在方丈广品大和尚的引领下，增强法师团队，加强弘法，扩展佛教教育，主办更多法会，提供短期出家安排，并促进本地及海外佛教寺庙团体的交流。
To Benefit And Bless Sentient Beings With Compassion
慈悲利生，广种福田
Former Northwest District mayor and Member of Parliament for Bukit Panjang GRC Teo Ho Pin wrote, in his congratulatory message, that the monastics of Zu-Lin Temple will embody the compassionate spirit of Guan Yin Bodhisattva to lead society to take up charitable causes. This would realise the spirit of Buddhism as well as improve society. He hopes that the temple’s monastics will keep striving to realise the compassionate spirit of Guan Yin Buddhism, build up virus acts and create a societal culture of compassion and care.
As such, Venerable Kwang Phing hopes that the reconstructed Zu-Lin Temple will have a library and conduct regular parenthood lessons, Buddhist classes for Beginners, short-term ordinations, etc, He wants to be proactive in propagating the sutras so as to widely benefit society and continuously upgrade the cultural cultivation of the temple.
Zu-Lin Temple the late Chairman Datuk Lim Kim Chong prayed that after reconstruction, Zu-Lin Temple will contribute to charities and clinics so as to provide free dialysis services for kidney patients from lower income households. Due to spatial constraints, the temple can set up a dialysis centre at the nearby HDB blocks. Patients who need dialysis thrice a week have to spend a few hundred dollars on each session. This would have a huge impact on the lives of patients who are from lower income households. Out of compassion and a desire to help the vulnerable, he suggested setting up a dialysis centre,
Now that the six storeys of the temple have been built, everyone in the temple shall continue to bless sentient beings with compassion, so as to alleviate them from suffering and delusion. As Singapore emerges from Covid and returns to normalcy in daily interactions and the economy, Zu-Lin Temple would have undergone five years of reconstruction and will open a new chapter in 2022 and many coming years. The reconstructed temple will, under the guidance of Guan Yin Bodhisattva and the Sangha, continue to benefit sentient beings with compassion, nurture their Buddha nature and actualise the Bodhisattva spirit.
前西北区市长暨武吉班让区国会议员张俰宾博士在贺词中写道，竹林寺的僧众们将以观音菩萨“大慈与一切利众生，大悲拔一切众生苦”的精神，将慈悲观念引入现今社会的公益慈善事业，实践佛教精髓的同时也推进社会进步。他期许竹林寺僧众继续朝观音菩萨的慈悲根本精神前进，努力营造奉善、慈悲和关爱的社会氛围。
因此，广品方丈展望，重建后的竹林寺将通过设立图书馆、定时开办亲子教育班、青年基础佛学班、短期出家等等，积极开展讲经说法，广泛参与社会公益，不断丰富和提升寺院的文化内涵。
竹林寺主席拿督林金聪则祈愿竹林寺重建开幕后能继续在慈善、医药方面有所贡献，为生活相对贫困的肾脏病患提供免费的洗肾服务。寺庙空间不足，或可在寺庙附近的组屋底层设洗肾中心。病患每周需洗肾三次，每次需花费几百元，将极大影响贫困肾脏病人的生活。慈悲为怀，帮扶弱小——这是他建议设立洗肾中心的初心。
现今六层新寺的落成，全寺上下将继续以大慈大悲的力量广种福田，让芸芸众生浸沾甘露，消除心中的痛苦与迷惘。在新加坡摆脱新冠疫情回归生活正轨和经济复苏之际，竹林寺也在历经5年的重建路之后，于2022年掀开了历史新篇章。重建如新生的竹林寺，也将在观音菩萨和寺庙僧众的护持下，继续慈悲利生，启蒙众生佛性，践行菩萨精神。
