Excerpt of a Dhamma talk by Bro Tan.
“Spiritual strength and resilience is essential to help us face disasters with calmness and kindness. It is important that we cultivate our minds and nourish our spirits with a lot of positive and wholesome qualities, such as patience, moral virtues, fortitude, perseverance, right understanding and wisdom. Read more
Report by Sandy Lim | Photographs by Gan Jia Cheng
On Saturday 5 July, 46 registered participants attended the first lecture of the much-anticipated BPS 402 – Higher Certificate in Buddhist Studies – offered by Nalanda Institute Malaysia. A similar course (BPS 401) was last organised 5 years ago, also by Nalanda Institute’s Department of Buddhist & Pāli Studies, from July to December 2009.
Read moreReport by Tan Jee Jian
On 5 and 6 July, 27 Nalanda Kuala Lumpur Branch Junior Dharma School students between the ages of 9 and 12 years old stayed-in at Nalanda Centre, Sri Serdang. The objectives of the stay-in were to foster bonding among facilitators and students, to learn Buddhist culture and chanting, as well as to involve parents in rendering service to the Buddhist community. Read more
The Malaysian Government today called for flags to be flown at half-mast until Monday 21 July, to mourn the loss of 298 lives on board MH17. At tomorrow morning’s Service Sunday, Nalanda Founder Bro. Tan will offer a reflection on the tragic air-crash as well as recite prayers for the victims and their loved ones.
Read more18 July 2014 marked the late Nelson Mandela’s 96th birth anniversary. This year, we do not have the good fortune of celebrating his birthday with the man himself, as he had passed on in December last year. This is Mandela’s first birthday, without Mr. Nelson Mandela.
Read moreIn view of the tragic crash of Malaysia Airlines MH17, we would like to invite devotees to participate in ‘Pindacāra’ (monk going on alms-round) at Seri Kembangan market tomorrow, and thereafter transfer merits to the 298 casualties. Giving alms is among many wholesome deeds we can perform in memory of the unfortunate victims.
Read moreIn a Media Statement issued on Friday, 18 July at 7.30am, Malaysia Airlines confirmed that all 298 people on board MH17 (as opposed to 295 people inferred earlier) had perished in the tragic air crash. MH17 was on a regular scheduled flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. As the Boeing 777 was flying over Eastern Ukraine, it was purportedly shot down by a ground-to-air missile.
Read moreNews agencies reported yesterday evening (17 July) that a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 – flight MH17 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur – has crashed in the Ukraine. It was reportedly shot while flying at an altitude of 10,000 meters over the eastern part of that country, and crashed shortly afterwards. 280 passengers and 15 crew members were on board; all 295 were feared dead.
Read moreReport by Thong Fee Shen | Photographs by Gan Jia Cheng
On Sunday 6 July, Bro. Tan gave an uplifting Dhamma teaching quoting a discourse in the Anguttara Nikāya, whereby the Buddha described 4 kinds of good practitioners using the ‘simile of thoroughbreds’. They are (1) one who upon hearing about the pain or death of a man or woman, realises that the same could happen to him, and thus stirred to cultivate; (2) one who sees before his eyes a man or woman in pain or dead, and feels the urgency to cultivate; (3) one whose family members, closed friends or loved ones are in pain or dead, and he feels the urgency to cultivate; and (4) one who experiences pain himself, and feels the urgency to cultivate. Read more
This year’s 7-week long Gimhāna Period Retreat, which began on 28 May, came to a wonderful and inspiring close last night. Over the weeks, more than 200 devotees packed Nalanda Centre especially on Wednesdays and weekends for meditation, chanting, and community service.
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