Report by Megan.

Dr. Punna Wong was invited to Nalanda Centre to give a talk on Buddhist leadership.

On Sunday 9 April, Nalanda Centre hosted Dr. Punna Wong Yin Onn, who came all the way from Johor Bahru, to present a talk on Buddhist leadership, titled ‘Branching out beyond ourselves’.  Dr. Wong shared that leadership means the ‘act of influencing people towards a certain direction’.  In doing so, it is vital for Buddhist leaders to have Right Understanding, Right Thought, and other factors of the Noble Eightfold Path.

When we engage with people, we should consistently cultivate Nalanda’s Eight Core Values and the four divine qualities of loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity. As is often the case, ‘actions speak louder than words’; when we ourselves have established a strong foundation of Dhamma practice, we will naturally inspire others to be interested in the Dhamma.

Dr. Wong showing a video during his talk on leadership influence.

At the very least, we should practise generosity (Pāli, dāna), morality (sīla) and mental cultivation (bhāvanā) throughout life. Then, we can genuinely guide others to lead a noble life, so that they too can experience the happiness and peace that we enjoy.

Students of Nalanda Dhamma School presenting a song during the Sunday morning service.