Every little bit counts

Sometimes, volunteering at the outlets doesn’t mean a whole day full of big sales and inspiring every customer towards Enlightenment forever! Sometimes, the days that I volunteer at the outlets are very quiet and volunteering means helping the store manager to clean shelves, clear stock or run out to buy supplies for the store.

Sometimes, I admit, I wonder if maybe I’m not being useful enough. On those days when the cash till moves slowly, it can be frustrating and you wonder what you’re doing there. I’ve come to learn though, that every little bit helps, even if you are polishing endless numbers of glass shelves, or running out to buy flowers for the in-store altars.

Our Lama, H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche reminds us constantly that the four Dharma outlets are extensions of our temple, mini gateways that introduce Dharma and a happy spiritual path to all the countless people out there in Malaysia and the region.

To volunteer some of our time there therefore, is not merely just about working for a few hours in a shop, but about serving the temple directly. When you clean the shelves, you are beautifying and wiping dust away from a special, sacred place – the very spot which may inspire somebody towards the beginnings of their own Dharma practice, or relieve someone’s sufferings.

And we mustn’t forget all the many, many, many beautiful Buddha images all over the store! Every little bit of help can be offered up to the many Buddhas there, with a personal prayer that our work can somehow benefit and inspire others – the shelves are not merely displays but mini, 21st-century altars where the Buddhas bring their Dharma to the new world.

Also, by pitching in and doing whatever needs to be done at the outlet – no matter how small it may seem ­– you contribute towards partially relieving the workload of the full time staff and managers there so that they can spend more time talking to customers and sharing Dharma with them on the days that you are not there. All of it, I believe, contributes directly towards making it as easy and accessible as possible for people walking into our stores to get Dharma!

Ultimately, we must remember that the purpose of all departments and branches within the Kechara family is to share Dharma and bring benefit to others. In this way, they are all part of the temple, and volunteering our time in each department is equally important as any other.

And what better place to start than the outlets, where any level of skill, effort and time contributes directly towards having an impact on anyone who walks through the store doors.