Frank Lee is a retired engineer living in Singapore, where his days are shaped by two young boys — Sadhana, 11, and Yeshe-de, 8 — two Chocolate Labradors, and a camera always within reach. A devoted street photographer and long-term student of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Frank has sponsored the translation of The Questions of Bhadrapāla the Merchant  •  Toh 83

How did you first hear about 84000?

I first heard about this project in 2009, when Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche met with some great masters from other lineages, and they discussed and emphasized how important it is to preserve and translate the Tibetan Canon into other languages for the future.

What are some of your hobbies, and do they connect to your practice in any way?

One of my hobbies is street photography. I like taking pictures of people engaging in their daily lives. I’m not really a dharma practitioner, but how it helps me in my daily practice is noticing moment-to-moment awareness as you observe the transitory nature of things around you. It requires patience and concentration, waiting for the right moment to press the shutter.

My two kids also have a small digital camera with them, and they have fun taking pictures. Sometimes I will add a little dharma element, like how to focus their concentration on the subject and be calm and mindful before framing the shot. They show me pictures they took during family trips and their kids’ dharma camps. Having a common hobby keeps our family closer, it also keeps them away from screen time, and makes them more aware of their surroundings.

How do you bring dharma into family life with your children?

We try to infuse the more digestible wisdom of the dharma into our daily life — like the nature of impermanence. When their grandmother passed away, we talked about how all things that are born will also someday pass away. Although the body will die, it doesn't mean the mind will die, but will continue to the next life.

When the toys they have break or are damaged, we try to fix them together. Sometimes they are irreparable, and we are reminded that they are also impermanent, so there's not much point in getting sad.

What led you to sponsor this translation?

When my mother passed away, we thought it was good to support the translation of the sūtra in her honor. Of course, it also brings a lot of merit to her, but to have the words of the Buddha readable in modern languages for everyone who wishes to read them is inconceivable.

What drew you to this particular sūtra?

Although I do not read the sūtras much, sometimes, when I read one of the new translations, I am very impressed by how the Buddha transmitted wisdom to people from all walks of life. I heard that this sūtra is taught to merchants and businesspeople. The title inspired me to read more about it, as there is a common misunderstanding that you can only learn Buddhism by being a monk or nun, or by attending a retreat.

In Buddhist tradition, offerings are often made quietly and without expectation. How do you personally understand this act of sponsorship?

It reminds me of my younger days, when we would go to a Buddhist library in between school lesson breaks. My first encounter with Buddhist sūtras was not in Sanskrit but in English. I’m grateful that someone took the pains to translate them — if not, I may not have had this connection with the dharma.

I do not personally consider it an act of generosity for my family or me. I just do it as I should as a Buddhist.

What is your aspiration for this offering, and has it brought any personal reflection?

Personally, aspiration comes and goes. Knowing the importance of this sponsorship and its benefit for mankind, I encourage more people to do the same.

I’m happy to have supported this translation. Having read a little of this translated sūtra, I feel that more people should come to support this project in whatever way possible. Having more translated texts means more relevant sūtras available for different audiences. The benefits are immeasurable.

How do you see this work contributing to the world — as an individual act or something larger?

Everything is interdependent — definitely a shared collective effort, big or small.

In these unstable times, supporting this translation would mean that one day our world leaders might encounter and appreciate the Buddha’s wisdom. Understanding the laws of karma, non-self, and compassion, I can’t think of any reason they would wage wars or discriminate based on these values.

How do you see this sponsorship as part of a larger continuity, and who does it honour?

I see this sponsorship as a way of keeping the words of the Buddha as close to the original as possible while translating them into a modern language that can be understood by people in modern times.

According to the sūtras, all beings have been our parents and teachers in past lives. So I think everyone is included. May everyone encounter the dharma and be liberated from confusion.

What does it mean to you to help preserve the Buddha’s words for the future?

I feel that what we are doing benefits oneself and others. Who knows, in our next life, we may encounter 84000 on some kind of screen, if we happen to be born human again.

What would you say to others who are quietly considering supporting this work?

Keep up the good work! May more people be involved or connected.

To support those who see this as important and to do one’s part for mankind.

How might such an offering support one’s path, even without outward recognition?

To see that ultimately there’s no inside or outside.

Just as the story of the emperor who asked Bodhidharma what merit he had for building countless temples, this offering gives us a chance to study the teachings of the Buddha and ultimately to see our own innate nature, and that brings us to liberation.

The work of 84000 relies on the generosity of sponsors just like you. To learn more about making a donation or sponsoring a sūtra, please visit our Ways to Support page.

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