Gladys Pangco (傳品), Consultant

Five years ago, Gladys was feeling depressed because her husband and mother-in-law had just died within months of each other. She was afraid this “bad luck” might still continue in the family. So, Gladys consulted a psychic who happened to be a student of meditation in Ocean Sky. He told her: “You only know how to earn money. You don’t know how to use this money to cultivate your merits.” The psychic then advised her to come to Ocean Sky so that she can be properly guided on how to get rid of her “impending bad luck.”

Gladys soon visited the monastery and felt the compassion and concern of the Shifus who gave her the proper guidance. From then on, she has been attending Dharma ceremonies, and writing red tablets for blessing of her family, and yellow tablets to offer memorial prayers for her deceased relatives. Often, Gladys is one of the benefactors in the ceremonies. Gladys said: “When I attend the ceremony, I can feel the calm and serene atmosphere inside the Chan hall. It really heals my mind, and I no longer feel tense and depressed.”

Gladys likes to chant sutras, and will find every opportunity to chant in Dharma ceremonies and to listen to the Shifu’s Dharma talks even with her busy workload. Because she is the sole breadwinner of the family, she has to attend to her thriving wholesale business. Gladys is very generous in donating many essential things that the monastery needs, things as small as toilet soap, to food and electrical appliances like a washing machine.

During the annual summer camp, Gladys’ four children helped take care of the little kids by volunteering as assistant teachers (AT) and study Buddhism together with them. Gladys also contributed T-shirts and bags for the use of the Bodhi Stars. Every year, Gladys joins the Tour of the Bodhi Mind in Chung Tai in order to offer prayers during the Ullambana ceremony and the Da Meng Shan food offering. She promised: “My practice of Buddhism has given me a lot of benefits. I always feel that the bodhisattvas are keeping watch over my family. I will keep on coming to Ocean Sky to listen to Dharma talks, to cultivate more merits, and improve my practice, in order to change my life for the better.”