History of Buddhism; history of Nalanda; history or heritage-related topics.
Today, we felicitate our Indonesian friends and their fellow countrymen on their nation’s 71st Independence Day. The diverse peoples of Indonesia and Malaysia share a two-thousand year history of trade, transmigration, cultural exchanges, and political unions. Vast regions of both countries were once part of the mighty Buddhist Empire of Srivijaya (7th to 13th centuries CE.), which left rich archaeological artefacts in Sumatra, Java, and the Malay Peninsula.
Read moreOn Thursday 2 June, Nalanda founder Bro. Tan was guest at a public lecture by Indian-American historian Professor Tansen Sen at Universiti Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur. The special talk on “The Spread of Buddhism to Maritime Southeast Asia” was hosted by University of Malaya Sri Lankan Endowment Fund, and jointly organised by the UM Departments of History and Indian Studies.
Read moreOn 15 July 2016, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) listed the renowned ancient Buddhist university – Nalanda Mahavihara in India – as a “World Heritage Site”.
Read moreDuring the recent school holidays in June, Nalanda Dhamma School organized a special 4-day study tour to Bujang Valley in Kedah for 75 teachers and students. We were privileged to be led by Bro. Tan, who is an acknowledged expert on Buddhist history in Southeast Asia. With his informative and lively narration, every turn along our journey seemed to hold surprises for us to discover!
Read moreOn Sunday 8 May, the Buddhist Missionary Society of Malaysia (BMSM) organized a seminar on the ‘Historical Development of Buddhism’ as part of its Wesak ‘Buddha Day’ celebrations. Nalanda founder Bro. Tan joined renowned Nepali archaeologist Dr. Basanta Bidari and Australian venerable Bhikkhu Jaganatho on the panel of speakers to discuss the subject, with Prof. Ong Puay Liu as the moderator.
Read moreOn Wesak full-moon ‘Buddha Day’, which fell on 21 May this year, Nalanda founder Bro. H. S. Tan gave an insightful and profound Dhamma talk to commemorate the most important day of the year for Buddhists. This auspicious day also marks the start of the Buddhist Era (B. E.) 2560, marking the 2,560th anniversary since the Buddha’s Parinibbāna (passing away).
Read moreIn archaeology, every brick or stone seems to tell a story. And so it was when well-known Nepali archaeologist Dr. Basanta Bidari took to the podium and delivered a special lecture at Nalanda Centre on Thursday, 5 May. Dr. Basanta shared his recent discoveries in the last two years at the ancient site of Kapilavatthu – the hometown of Siddhatha Gotama, who later became the Buddha.
Read moreOn Monday 2 May, Malaysian Buddhists had a rare glimpse of the Norwegian Schøyen collection of Gandhāri texts from Bamiyan. The world-famous collection was on a special exhibition tour of ASEAN countries, facilitated by the international affairs department of the Sangha Council of Thailand. The Malaysian leg was hosted at the Samadhi Vihara in Shah Alam.
Read moreOn 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.
Read moreThe next time you visit Brickfields area, look out for a replica of the Buddhist masterpiece of Sanchi right here in the heart of Kuala Lumpur! The original structure of the ‘Torana’ (ceremonial gate) at the Great Stupa of Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh, India was built by Emperor Asoka Moriya 2,300 years ago to honour the Lord Buddha. It is one of the most elaborate and impressive Buddhist archeological findings in the world.
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