Search Buddhist Channel
Departing Buddhists to leave 'big void' in area
By George Jaksa, The Flint Journal, July 16, 2005
FLINT, Illinois (USA) -- Area Buddhists will lose a strong advocate and a local haven this fall when Ken and Visakha Kawasaki pull up stakes and move to Sri Lanka.
"It's time to go," said Visakha Kawasaki, 61, a 1961 graduate of Kearsley High School. "It's good to try something new."
The Kawasakis will be editors and proofreaders for the Buddhist Publication Society in Kandy, Sri Lanka, a nation off the southeast tip of India. They also will teach English to Buddhist monks and develop materials for an English textbook they have been writing while in Flint.
"They will leave a big void," said the Rev. Jean Munro, a chaplain at Hurley Medical Center.
"They were involved in many things and with many groups," said Munro, who went on missions to Asia with the Kawasakis, including nearly a month last year in at the Thailand-Burmese border (now known as Myanmar) as the Kawasakis supported the Burmese Relief Center and worked with groups in education and health care.
Munro said she met the Kawasakis when she gathered an interfaith group at Hurley after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Beverly Duval of Swartz Creek, a member of Life Enrichment Center in Flint Township, meditates with the Kawasakis at their Woodlawn Park Drive home each Friday evening.
"They have changed my life," she said. "They introduced me to Buddhism, the monks and the pindapata."
"Pindapata" is an ancient Buddhist custom where monks walk the streets seeking food for their daily meal. They will enact it Aug. 6 in the Flint college and cultural neighborhood.
The Kawasakis have been deeply involved with human rights issues. They join a group each Sunday at Ballenger Highway and Miller Road for anti-war demonstrations. They also are involved with the Greater Flint Interfaith Council.
The Kawasakis returned to Flint in 1999 from Japan, where they had lived for 30 years teaching English most of the time.
While here, the Kawasakis established a Buddhist Relief Mission and the Burmese Relief Center. Their home served as a meditation center for area Buddhists, who up to that time had no place to gather in the Flint area.
They also hosted traveling Buddhist monks and other Buddhists, as well as leading a Buddhist study group at their home and conducting other Buddhist ceremonies.
Although the Kawasakis will sell their spacious home, they said area Buddhists will not be without places to meditate. There are at least 20 sites in Michigan, including houses in Perry, Detroit, Southfield and Warren.
Ken Kawasaki, 59, said the couple has no plans beyond the Sri Lanka position but wouldn't rule out returning to the Flint area.
"We're not closing any doors," he said.
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