He is Gone
You can shed tears that he is gone,
Or you can smile because he lived,
You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see him
Or you can be full of the love that you shared,
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember him and only that he is gone
Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on,
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what he would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
(poem by David Harkins)
Today is the third anniversary from the day Chang discovered that he was suffering from Stage 4 kidney cancer. Exactly three years, after that fateful day, Chang has passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at 12.10 pm this afternoon. His family wishes to inform that you may pay your last respects at:
Wake: 11 & 12 September 2012
Time: 7 pm onwards
Gui Yuan Funeral Parlour
Room 1
Room 1
Jalan 229 Section 51A,
Petaling Jaya
46100 Selangor
Funeral (cremation): 13 September 2012
Time: 2pm
Venue: MPPJ crematorium (next door)
May the roads rise to meet you,46100 Selangor
Funeral (cremation): 13 September 2012
Time: 2pm
Venue: MPPJ crematorium (next door)
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rain fall soft upon your fields
And, until we meet again,
May the Lord Buddha hold you in the hollow of his hand
(adapted Celtic blessing)
(Posted by Chang's friend)
My deepest condolences to Chang's parents, wife, children and siblings. He will be deeply missed but fondly remembered forever.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Chee
New Zealand
RIP Chang. And my condolences to his immediate family, relative and friends for their lost of a great man. Chang is now free...
ReplyDeleteJohn Tay
Suddenly at 1130 this morning I had a rather odd feeling.. Been melancholy since... Now I know why..
ReplyDeleteMy deepest condooences to the family...
Always will remember you
RIP my friend. My deepest condolence to the family.
ReplyDeleteDear CT,
ReplyDeleteMay you rest in peace.
Dear CT's family and friends,
With deepest sympathy. May your inner strength be still greater than the infinite loss.
Your Hong Kong reader
Deepest condolences to CT's family. Be strong.
ReplyDeleteCT, thank you for all the info throughout your journey.
A silent reader since May 2012
Rest in Peace Mr. Chang.
ReplyDeleteJohn.
My condolences to the family.
ReplyDeletei'm very sad at your lost.
I had a feeling at 2pm(Sydney) that he had passed.
What a legacy he has left behind with this blog. The sub headings down the right hand side will help many in the future.
john
He has always been a strong character since the days when I knew him when he was working in ING Insurance.And I know he will be strong and brave in his new life too.As long as we are in this human cycle of birth and death, we shall meet again.
ReplyDeleteHave a happy rebirth and may you have a fulfilling life again.
Kenneth
My deepest condolence to Chang's family.
ReplyDeleteRIP - Chang
Cindi
My heartfelt condolence to CT's family.
ReplyDeleteEvelyn
With deepest sympathy to Chang's family. Thank you so much to Chang's friend for all the updates and the latest sad news.
ReplyDeleteMy deepest condolence to Chang's family. However, at least he is now freed of the pain & suffering which he had to endure for the past 3 years. Yet, during those times, he still unselfishly penned his thought & researh on the various alternative treatment for cancer. He's a fighter & he didnt give up the fight till his body could no longer take it although mentally he's very strong throughout. A remarkable man made out of a personal crises & a lesson to be learnt from him. Most of all, he had learnt to accept his fate & willing to let go & move on to a better rebirth. May you come back in the human plane to guide us in a different capacity. May you be well & happy wherever you are.
ReplyDeleteTo Chang
ReplyDeleteHave a good life next time, rest in peace.
G
He is gone, but he is always on my mind.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to see he is no more suffering, for now....
CT Chang, you have impacted on me, and for that matter, many of us. That's what you can pride yourself of. That's what can last for a long time to come, if not forever, not the body that you carry, we carry.
Peace on you, CT Chang.
Gary Kang
My condolences to Chang's family.
ReplyDeleteRIP Mr. Chang.
Deepest condolences to Chang's family and friends. He is in a much better place now and may his soul rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteWendy
Chang,
ReplyDeleteSad that you are gone, but glad that you have end all your sufferings. Your contributions to mankind will be much appreciated. May you have a peaceful journey and condolences to your family.
Amitabha.
RIP Chang.
ReplyDeleteDeepest condolences to Chang's family. Having lost my mother to lung cancer six months ago, I know how it feel to have lost the loved one. Stay strong. Chang is at a better place now.
YLC
Dear Chang, may you have a peaceful journey ahead. Amitabha.
ReplyDeleteOur deepest condolence to Chang's family.
From,
Sze Yeen and family
My deepest condolences to chang's family.
ReplyDeleteFrom Bong CN
Dear Chang, your journey ends here but starts on another, no matter where but everywhere your Maker is your Guide and eternal Comfort.
ReplyDeleteMing Lock
I have prepared this message last night. I was certain that Chang would choose to leave us today. He could have been gone earlier or even later, but he chose today, exactly 3 years from that fateful day. He had full control of his mind. I have been checking your post many times today. I wanted to be the first to post my message.
ReplyDeleteI was out the whole afternoon, and the first thing I checked when I came back was this blog. This is the message I prepared last night for today.
********************************************
(Thank you, my dear friend of Chang, for so ably and kindly updating us and allowing us to post comments.)
Chang, you are the quintessence of a compassionate Buddhist, with unwavering courage.
I salute you, Chang Chee Teck.
May I recite the final Buddhist contemplation for my friend CT Chang on his final lapse of this life.
May you have a happy and fruitful rebirth!
May you attain the final bliss of Nibbana in due time!
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sama Sambuddhassa
Homage to the Blissful One, the Worthy One, the Fully Enlightened One.
Aniccavata Sankhara
Uppadavaya Dhammino
Uppajjitva Nirujjhanti
Tesamvupa Samo Sukho
(All component things are indeed transient
They are of the nature of arising and decaying
Having come into being, they cease to be
The cessation of this process is bliss!)
Dear CT,
ReplyDeleteMay you Rest in Peace.
My heartfelt condolences to CT's family.
kim
My sincere condolence to Chang's family.
ReplyDeleteThis is my tribute to Chang :
http://goodguy.hubpages.com/hub/Fighting-cancer-ct-chang
This message is for Chang's friend.
ReplyDeleteYou have been an extraordinary friend who stood by CT during his most painful days. Words are not enough to describe how grateful we are as readers for your selfless effort in updating CT's blog.
Thank you very much, Chang's friend!
kim
My sincere condolences. May you rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteI just came back from paying my last respect to this cancer warrior, and also wirth the hope of meeting fellow commentators of this blog like Khadijah, this very compassionate CF (Chang's Friend), and many more.
ReplyDeleteI didn't meet them all, but one nice lady named .... We had a really nice chat. I thank Chang for 'arranging' this meeting with her and for those I haven't met, perhaps we can get to know each other at my vegetarian shop at Tmn Tan Yew Lai, off Jalan Puchong one of the days. You can even write to me at garygarden333@gmail.com
I wouldn't mind playing host if you people like to get together to have a good chat, talk about Chang, etc, etc. Let us show to Chang we can continue his legacy even without his physical appearance.
Gary Kang
To Chang's family, our deepest condolence to you.
ReplyDeleteTo Chang's friend, thanks very much for spending time updating this blog.
Chang, may you have a peaceful journey to your next life, we r sure you have a good rebirth. now you are freed from pain and suffering.
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sama Sambuddhassa
Homage to the Blissful One, the Worthy One, the Fully Enlightened One
Rest in Peace, Chang
Mr& Mrs Heng Yee Choon
My deepest condolence to family of CT Chang. It is quite sad that he finally had to bid farewell to his love ones. Nevertheless, his love ones still can go to the other world to'meet and talk' to him thru 观落阴 method in the future.
ReplyDeletePenang temple has organised this in Aug 2011 and some temples in Taiwan also doing this. So if the love ones miss him so much, pls use this method to 'meet' him. (michael, USJ)
Goodbye, CT. Rest well and then come back to teach us all how to be better persons. To CT's family, CF and other friends, my condolences.
ReplyDeleteOther than the lo-res small picture in his profile, many of us (myself included) have never met CT in person and do not know what he looked like physically, though he was literally larger than life. Well, here he is doing what he does best -- selflessly sharing, encouraging and giving hope: http://andersonians-arts.blogspot.sg/2011/04/mr-chang-chee-teck-on-why-should-we.html
kk
Singapore
Rest in Peace, Chang
ReplyDeleteCat.
cant find the right words to day at this moment..
ReplyDeleteperhaps ..just continue hoping that Chang is now with our Father in Heaven,,, and that through God's grace and pardon ...he is now an accepted son of our Lord Jesus Christ... and one day we will see him again in Heaven
To his beloved friends and family-- thanks for allowing us to see a glimpse of Chang's last few days with us.. I will surely miss him..
regards,
Lanie (aka nanaymiriam)
RIP, CT Chang.
ReplyDeleteOur deepest condolence to CT's family. found CT's blog while researching for treatment for a family member going thru stage 4 colon cancer. this blog of his has so much information and personal journey of his. thou he is left us. he is leaving his legacy as a true fighter/hero.
Chang may you have peaceful journey to your next life.
Madhu
jb
I have learnt a lot from him... Thanks Chang. My condolences to his parents, his wife and his children and other people who are close to him.
ReplyDeleteM from London
My deepest condolence to Mr. Chang's family.
ReplyDeleteWith such a great mindfulness and wisdom, I believe Chang will have a peaceful journey to the next life and a good rebirth.
Thanks a lot, Mr. Chang
OKHeng
Dear CT's family,
ReplyDeleteMy condolence!
Dear CT,
You have fought a good fight! Rest in peace n let your faith in Buddha takes you to your next chapter!
God bless
Gan
My deepest condolences to Chee Teck’s family, his wife and his daughters.
ReplyDeleteAs I was driving towards the wake last night, both me and my wife just sat in the car in silence thinking about this great friend who had shared his moments with us over the past 40 years. We couldn’t stop tears flowing. Our hearts cringed when we think of how much he suffered when he slipped into the coma 2 days ago, trying to gasp his breath.
When I reach the wake and after seeing him lying in the coffin, he looked so peaceful and serene, just like sleeping. The prayers of the Subang Jaya Buddhist Association members lead by 3 priests from Ti Ratana was very soothing.
I said my prayers silently, a thought or two for this dear friend. I felt sad but at the same time I can see that he had left peacefully, free from all pain and suffering. He had fought hard for 3 years, educated thousands of readers including myself, promoting cancer awareness and seeking alternative treatments. He lead a very meaningful life.
My Dear Friend, Chee Teck, you will be missed but definitely you will not be forgotten. May you have the smooth journey back and a good rebirth.
How Beng & Jenny
My deepest sympathy to the Bereaved Family and to Chang's Friend.
ReplyDeleteChang is truly an inspirational person.
Touching our lives with his courage in facing his illness. His meticulous research towards living a healthy life and finding alternative ways to cancer.
Thank you Chang for showing us to live each day to the fullest so that someday we too will also have the courage to face our own trial in crossing the after life.
You will be dearly missed.
Mike
(Your blog reader since March 2012)
My deepest condolences to Chee Teck's family, his wife and daughters.
ReplyDeleteI could not believe that cancer has taken another of my best friends life. It is sad to see him go but glad that he no longer suffer from the pain that he has to endure. Chee Teck has done great and has left a legacy where we all learn from him. He is great fighter since I have known him in LaSalle School, Sentul, KL. We are a group of 7 best friends and we always sat around the corridor in school to discuss what each of us would like to become. And I dearly missed his good guitar and all the LOBO's song that he sang while we went hiking, travelling and living our teenager's life. He talked a lot about life on how we should cherish the environment and to help others. I have followed his blog's for the past 3 years but have not written on his blogs. We usually use the phone. He is indeed a great person that has touch the life and soul of 75,500 people that has visited his blog from so many countries. I salute you and hope that you will one day come back to enlighten more people to find alternative ways to fight cancer.
Have a peaceful journey and you have shown us all how to live each day to the fullest and spend more time with the family, children and friends.
Thank you again Chee Teck and goodbye.
Har Lian & family