Nalanda members and devotees marked the end of 2024 on 31 December with a New Year Eve Uposatha Service at Nalanda Centre. There was a palpable sense of togetherness as everyone gathered to welcome the new year by calming down as opposed to counting down.
The service started with meditation, making offerings to the Three Jewels, and chanting. Bro. Tan Siang Chye then delivered a Dhamma talk on the ways to cultivate the mind in calmness and concentration. He shared that this allows us to see things closely and clearly – yathā-bhūta-ñāṇa-dassana; to see things as they really are.
The service concluded with sharing of merits, making noble aspirations and asking for forgiveness. It was a simple but beautiful way to end the year without much pomp and excitement, but rather stilling the mind with Dhamma – an apt way to set ourselves up for 2025.