Sis. Nandini introduced the Bhāvanā Sutta, a new learning series on the path of cultivation.

On Thursday 17 July, Nalanda KL Branch members and devotees gathered for the Weekly Thursday Meditation session at Nalanda Education & Outreach Centre in Kuala Lumpur.  Last Thursday’s session served as an introductory overview, helping participants understand the purpose and direction of this sutta-based practice.

Sis. Nandinī introduced the teachings of the Bhāvanā Sutta — setting the stage for this new learning series on the path of cultivation.  This discourse from the Aṅguttara Nikāya, Chapter 7, Sutta 71 emphasises a key truth : “Even if one longs for liberation, without practice and cultivation, one cannot be freed from defilements.”

The Buddha illustrated this with vivid similes — a hen brooding over her eggs, a carpenter’s tool handle gradually wearing down, and the weathered ropes of a boat — all pointing to the truth that only through consistent cultivation of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, Four Right Efforts, Four Bases of Spiritual Power, Five Faculties, Five Strengths, Seven Factors of Enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path can true liberation be achieved.

We thank Sis. Nandinī for her guidance, and we rejoice in the wholehearted presence and commitment of all participants.  Over the next six weeks, we will gradually explore each group of Dhamma factors in depth — allowing for a structured, experiential, and sustained path of learning.