Many of my home town friends studied in a La Sallian school and participated in Christian based activities during our school days but we kept our faith.
The Young Christian Societies were active in many of these schools. In my former school, the Saint Anthony School, I attended their weekly meetings held in the Convent School across the road from my school in Teluk Intan. I sang Christian hymns and listen to a Catholic nun by the name of Sister Winnie's telling stories about Jesus. Even in my school band, we used to play the tune "Amazing Grace" during the many funerals that the school band were invited to attend as lead marchers.
After all these influences, affiliation and motivation, it never managed to convince me to embrace Christianity. On the contrary, the Christian-based environment in my school and mingling around with Christian friends, singing their hymns and attending their meetings makes me more curious to search for answers and to understand the meaning of the faith written on my birth certificate - Buddhism.
I search and managed to get hold and read the first Buddhist book after my fifth form public examination. In that sense, the Christian environment during my school days actually provokes me to search and try to understand the meaning of the Teachings of the Buddha.
Few years later I was involved actively as a Buddhist advocate in the university and the community. Some of my school-days friends too were surprised on my strong commitment towards Buddhism after we left school.
During the many years that I was involved in the national level youth movement, I was in contact with many youth leaders and government officers from the Muslim community. I attended many functions and meetings where Islamic prayers and rituals were conducted. Not forgetting those lectures or speeches by Muslim based leaders and politicians who are so used to quoting verses from the Quran when giving their speeches. I listen and learn from them but it ends there as for me it is just an opportunity to know and understand other people's religious better.
By understanding other peoples faith and practices, we learn to respect them as what they are even though we may not agree and follow what their religion teaches them. Whatever practices and teachings in their religion stays with them. We respect their right to their religion that teaches their followers to be at peace with oneself and those in their surrounding.
On the other hand, I will seek any opportunity and persevere to explain the true meaning of my religion to those who might have mis-conception regarding my religion. I let them know the religious path that I follows. The intention is never to convert but to open their eyes and heart so that they will be able to know me and my religion better. That should be the way - mutual understanding and mutual respect amongst people of different faith by learning about each other. - Loka
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