Vincent Yeoh Soon Hwa (73 years old)
We used to have sketching and printmaking classes here, and now we’ve added Nagomi pastel painting. I find pastel art very unique—it doesn’t require water or brushes like watercolor. We use our fingers to blend and spread the colors, along with soft erasers and stencils. The results are beautiful.

For this Wesak Day exhibition, the teacher taught us to paint Bodhi leaves and little monks. In Buddhism, the Bodhi leaf carries deep meaning—it symbolizes “awakening” and “wisdom,” as the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. I hope that whoever sees my work will be inspired toward goodness and enlightenment.

Back then, our school principal discouraged us from visiting the temple so we could focus on studies. But as the number of residents dwindled, he eventually allowed us to get involved with temple activities. I left school around 18 or 19, in the 1970s. That’s when I met a Dharma friend named Khor Say Sin, who was also a patient here. Every Wesak Day, he helped decorate the float and asked me to join. We worked together for five years. After he stopped helping at the temple, no one asked me again, so I gradually stopped going too.

During the temple’s most vibrant days, Sister Tam Yoke Si  taught us to portray various legendary characters. She was in charge of everything—from selecting the actors to designing the floats. For two years, she asked me to help with float backdrops. One year, I painted a “Bamboo Forest Guanyin” scene. The next year, for the “Flooding of Jinshan Temple,” she had me paint a pagoda being engulfed by water. She described her vision, and I brought it to life.

In 1976, Sister Tam even chose me to play Liang Shanbo. I was originally cast as Zhu Yingtai, and Xu Liang Sheng was to play Liang Shanbo. But he was too short, so we swapped roles.

Besides acting, I also sang with others in the temple. We sang a song called “Buddhist Youth,” taught by Chiam Jin He, a fellow patient from Pulau Jerejak. The lyrics go:

Buddhist Youth
Lyrics: Li Bing Nan | Music: Chen Guan Sheng

Sunrise on snowy mountains, fresh morning air,
Though clouds float by, they cannot block the light.
Buddhist youth, Buddhist youth,
Let your conduct be as pure as the snowy peaks,
And your wisdom as radiant as the sun.
The sun burns with powerful heat,
Like the vow of our youth—
A vow of compassion, joy, and selflessness,
To share equality with all beings.