Sis. Santi showing a volume of the Buddha’s discourses to course participants.

On Saturday 26 March, Nalanda Institute offered the third session of its BPS 201 Intermediate-level Buddhist Studies in Mandarin.  The topic was ‘Buddhism after the Buddha’, and it was conducted by Sis. Santi Cheang and Sis. Sandy Lim.  They also shared about the history of Buddhism in Malaysia and the significance of the Tipitaka in Buddhism.

Buddhist missionaries first arrived in Southeast Asia during the reign of Emperor Asoka Moriya of Pataliputta, India around 230 BCE.  According to Asokan Edicts, the Sangha elders had rehearsed the entire Pāli Tipitaka and thereafter dispatched missions to propagate true Buddhist teachings out of India.  It was one of those missions headed by Arahants Sona and Uttara that came to Southeast Asia.

We thank Sis. Santi and Sis. Sandy for their informative sharing.  Sadhu anumodana.

Sis. Sandy sharing the history of Buddhism in Malaysia with course participants.