Launching of "ABC of Buddhism" in Sign Language

The Buddhist Channel, Nov 8, 2009

Reaching out to the Hearing Impaired community

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- The Dharma for the Deaf Society is pleased to launch the first ever Dhamma VCD for the hearing impaired community with the support of the Buddhist Maha Vihara Brickfields.

Launched by Ven K Sri Dhammaratana Nayaka Maha Thera during the Society’s 10th Anniversary Dinner, the VCD contains a brief introduction of the ABC alphabets, common Buddhist terms, question and answers on Buddhism, the Vihara and a simple Buddhist Chanting – ALL in SIGN LANGUAGE supported with a voice over.

The Society conducts classes on Buddhism and moral education every fortnight at the Vihara in sign language, and is the only known Dhamma class for the Deaf in Malaysia. There is an estimated 100,000 people who are Deaf in Malaysia of which about 20,000 are Buddhists.

Although handicapped by their hearing, the Society members conduct their activities and meetings independently using sign language. They conduct two Charity programs yearly in conjunction with the Chinese New Year and Deepavalli, giving cash and donations in kind to hardcore poor people. They raise funds for these charity events through collection of donations among themselves and also through sale of recycled items.

Among the future projects of the Society include starting a Dhamma class for Deaf children, producing more VCDs on Buddhism in sign language and training normal children of Deaf parents to become sign language interpreters. In 2001, the Society with the support of the Buddhist Maha Vihara successfully lobbied the Ministry of Telecommunications and Multimedia to encourage telecommunication companies to exempt the Deaf community from mobile phone access fees, as they only benefit from text messaging given their impairment.

In the future, they plan to pursue lobbying for a discount for the Deaf community on the usage of the MMS service which truly benefits the deaf as this allows for the first time, live sign language communication between Deaf people over the phone in Malaysia. Normal people who do not have hearing impairment have been enjoying voice communications on their fixed line and mobile phones for decades. Technology has truly helped to bridge the communication network among the Deaf.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.

Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team

Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv

Search Buddhist Channel

Launching of "ABC of Buddhism" in Sign Language

The Buddhist Channel, Nov 8, 2009