On Saturday, 4 August 2012, a team of Nalandians led by our Deputy President Bro. Lee Teck Beng attended the Ramadhan Muhibah Gathering & Break-Fast with Leaders of various faiths in Bangi. This event was organised by the Islamic Information Services (IIS) Foundation, and sponsored by Jabatan Perpaduan & Integrasi Nasional and Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (MAIS).
Read more5 August marked the start of Children’s Dhamma Class at NEO Centre, Happy Garden. The class is aimed at giving children a good grounding in knowledge, skills, values and culture. The four Nalanda Dharma School facilitators sent to teach at NEO Centre are highly motivated. Lessons are activity-based to make them interesting and lively for the children. The children’s class is held every Sunday, from 2 – 4pm. The annual enrolment is limited to a small number of students so as to enable facilitators to maintain personal rapport with their charges. Parents who are interested to enrol children (age 10 – 12) at Nalanda may contact the School Director, Sis. Sunanda Ong at 03-8938-1501. Enrolment for next year (2013) will begin on 15 October 2012.
Read moreSynopsis Cittaviveka, which in Pāli means “the Mind of Non-Attachment”, is a work by Ajahn Sumedho based on his reflections of teaching Dhamma in the West. The book is divided into two parts - the first part speaks about living our lives skilfully through letting go, listening to one’s mind and understanding the five hindrances. The second part talks about the functions of the monastery to the people and society. The learning from a monastery guides people to be free from attachments, which is the source of much suffering in the world.
Read moreBeginning the day after the full-moon of Asalha month (around July every year), Theravada Buddhist monks are required to observe Vassana or ‘Rains Retreat’ for a duration of 3 months. The Vassana period from July-August to October-November corresponds with the monsoon season in South and Southeast Asia (which were historically Buddhist strongholds), thus making traveling very difficult and even dangerous. Monks and nuns were often invited by Buddhist communities to reside in village Aramas (monasteries and nunneries) for the duration of the ‘rains’.
Read moreAfter 3-weeks sojourning at Nalanda House, Venerable Guttacitta left this morning to return to Bagan Serai. Ven. Guttacitta will be observing the Vassana (Rains Retreat) in Perak, starting on 3 August. Many Nalandians were on hand to bid farewell to the venerable at noon, after the customary request for forgiveness and blessings. We wish Ven. Guttacitta good health and much peace. We would also like to thank all Nalandians and devotees who have kindly and generously provided food, transport and other forms of dāna to the venerable during his sojourn. May your goodness lead you to greater joy and peace. Sadhu anumodana!
Read more20 – 22 July
Over 3 days, Bro. Tan was invited by Gandhārama Vihāra to conduct a commentarial course on the Karaniya Mettā Sutta in Terengganu. The workshop was held at the beautiful Kenyir Lake Resort amidst peaceful surroundings. In a series of 7 talks, Bro. Tan inspired the more than 40 participants with insightful teachings and gladdened everyone’s heart with Dhamma!
Read more26 – 30 July
The Satipatthāna Sutta Workshop held in Nalanda Institute may be over back in March, but its impact and the learning demand resonated throughout the country, whereby six other similar workshops were subsequently held in Penang, Perak, Johor, Sabah, Sarawak, and even Singapore, under the skilful guidance of Venerable Aggacitta Mahathero.
Read moreRehearsing the Dhamma-vinaya
The Pāli term ‘Sangāyana’ can be translated as rehearsal or communal chanting. The purpose of a Sangāyana is to accurately preserve the original teachings of the Buddha. The reciters’ duty is to rehearse, examine, and review the Canon so that no parts of which are added, omitted or altered, and any such deviations were to be rectified. Throughout history, there had been six such formal occasions where the entire Pāli Canon was rehearsed and authenticated.
Read moreSynopsis Kamma and the End of Kamma is a written discourse on the diversity of kamma, how kamma came to be and how to create kamma to end the existing kamma that we have in our current lives now. In this book every known kamma in the Buddhist teachings are being investigated, its nature explained and the ways to overcome them are being taught to all readers who wish to learn more, understand more and to create kamma to end kamma. Included in this book are simple meditation manuals to further assist readers to further benefit from this discourse.
Read more“Self-conquest is indeed far greater than the conquest of other people. For he who has self-mastery and is well-controlled in living, his victory cannot be overturned by others.”
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