Nalanda Buddhist Society would like to thank His Majesty Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah of Kedah who is stepping down as the 14th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong today after a successful five-year reign. His Majesty was elected Malaysia’s Supreme Ruler for the second time on 13 December 2011. He was the country’s 5th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong from 1970 to 1975.
Read moreMessage from Vijaya Samarawickrama, Chairman of Nalanda Education Team
“Moving forward together”
More than 2,600 years ago, in the sacred Deer Park in Sarnath, the Blessed One set in motion the ‘Wheel of glorious Dhamma’. Soon after hearing the injunction to “preach the Dhamma – excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, excellent in the end – for the welfare and happiness of the many”, the Buddha’s first 60 arahant disciples went far and wide to compassionately propagate the Buddha-Word.
Read moreTeachers and Dhamma facilitators at Nalanda will mark this year’s “Education Day” with a workshop on 12 December to plan programmes for the next two years based on holistic education philosophy. Officers from Nalanda Dhamma School, Nalanda Institute, the Free School, Youth Centre, and ‘Dhamma Families’ will participate in this important workshop, the second one to be held since 2013.
Read morePhotograph credits to Gary Chen and The Star.
Malaysian daily The Star reported that 135 ‘bhikshus’ (monks), ‘bhikshunis’ (nuns), and novices went on an alms-gathering procession on the streets of George Town on 8 December. The alms-round was held in conjunction with a novitiate programme organised by Kek Lok Si, the largest Māhayana Buddhist monastery in Penang.
Read moreNalanda Buddhist Society members and devotees extend our felicitations and warmest wishes to Venerable Dr. Henepola Gunaratana Nāyaka Thero on his 89th birthday today! Popularly known as ‘Bhante G’, Ven. Gunaratana is a renowned meditation teacher and author of several influential works, such as the best-selling ‘Mindfulness in Plain English’.
Read moreNalanda ‘Education Day’ is celebrated around 11 December every year with a series of programmes for teachers, devotees, teenagers and children. This date marks the anniversary of the launching of Nalanda’s “Education Philosophy” which calls for a holistic approach in education – balancing and combining knowledge, skills, values and culture – leading to integral development of people.
Read moreFor many years, Nalanda Buddhist Society had been marking 5 December with an annual felicitation message to the people of Thailand on the occasion of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s birthday. This year, we are continuing with that tradition, but the message is inevitably sombre. The late King is no more; but his legacy and memory will no doubt go on forever.
Read moreA special exhibition on Wisdom Park was officially launched on Sunday 27 November at Nalanda Centre. The exhibition is held in honour of the first anniversary of Wisdom Park Development Committee (WPDC), which was formed in October 2015 and entrusted to conceptualise a “Master Development Plan” for Wisdom Park, reflecting its function as a national Buddhist education hub.
Read moreIt was another much anticipated third Saturday of the month, when Nalanda’s educational ‘Pindacara’ programme took place in Seri Kembangan on 19 November. As usual, throngs of devotees had prepared food to be offered to Sangha members on their alms-round at Jalan Besar market.
Read moreA tragic air-crash took place yesterday in Colombia, South America where a chartered airplane carrying the Brazilian football team ‘Chapecoense’ crashed near the town of Rionegro. 75 passengers and crew on board were killed, but miraculously, six others survived. The ill-fated Avro RJ85 was en route from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to Medellin, Colombia when it crashed.
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