CELEBRATING 2,600 YEARS OF BUDDHISMWesak 2011 marks the 2,600th year of the Buddha’s enlightenment and the preaching of His Dharma.
Every year, on the full-moon day in May, Buddhists the world over celebrate Wesak to commemorate three significant events in the life of Lord Buddha – birth, enlightenment and passing away. This year’s Wesak Day falls on the 17th of May. The Buddha gained enlightenment in 588 BCE. Thus, this year marks the 2,600 years of his enlightenment and propagation of Dharma teachings.
Buddhism is the second largest religion in Malaysia after Islam. There are approximately 5.4 million Buddhists in the country. Throughout the world, there are 500 million followers. Despite Buddhism’s long history of destruction and revival due to persecution and calamities, it is gaining wide spread adoption across the world. This proves that the Dharma taught by the Buddha is as relevant and practicable then and now.
Hence, NALANDA Buddhist Society, a leading Malaysian Buddhist establishment, plans to observe this sacred occasion with keen appreciation of the Dharma. More emphasis is placed on learning and understanding the Dharma through various programmes including courses, seminars, exhibition, drama, and movie screenings.
Wesak, therefore, is no longer a one-day affair but a month long devotional programme spanning from May through to June for Nalanda devotees.
The Wesak observance at Nalanda will begin on 15 May with an introductory course to the “Significance of Wesak”. This short course will prepare one for a more meaningful Wesak observance and is vastly suitable for the general public.
Buddhist friends and devotees are also encouraged to participate in the devotional activities such as alms-giving, blood donation, chanting, meditation, and Dharma talks, which will be held from 15 – 17 May.
“The Journey of Dharmaraja” exhibition, which relates the spread of Buddhism from its root place in India to Sri Lanka, South East Asia, Central and East Asia, will be held for three days from 15 – 17 May. The exhibition will also feature major events and teachings of the Buddha during his 45 years of Dharma preaching.
In the evening of Wesak Day, Nalanda will hold a “Dharma Appreciation Night” incorporating Dharma verse recitation, heritage procession, drama, and meditation on loving kindness. Highlight of the evening is a sketch on “The Story of Patacara” staged by the students of the Nalanda Dharma School. It was said that during the time of the Buddha, there was a fine lady by the name of Patacara who lost her mind after all her family members perished in a single day. The tragic story came to a joyful end with Patacara attaining sainthood after listening to a discourse by the Buddha.
More notable programmes come post Wesak Day, namely the “The Path to Liberation Seminar”, “Dhammacakkappavattana and Anattalakkhana Sutta Camps”, “The Sigalovada Sutta Seminar”, and “2011 Wesak International Film Festival”.
Liberation from suffering is the ultimate goal for all Buddhists, regardless of schools and traditions. The “Path to Liberation” seminar will clarify the similarities and differences in teachings and practices seen from three main Buddhist traditions - the Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana.
The “Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta” and “Anattalakkhana Sutta” weekend sutta camps will shed light on the first two sermons preached by the Lord Buddha immediately following his enlightenment. Participants will be taken on a thorough tour of the two discourses also known as the discourse on ‘Turning the Wheel of Dharma’ and the discourse on ‘The Characteristic of Non-Self’, respectively.
The “Sigalovada Sutta” seminar has high relevance to the general public as it focuses on the code of ethics and happiness for lay people. The discourse was given to Sigala, a middle-class young man, who dutifully paid homage to the six directions out of obeisance for his late father. The Buddha expounded the meaning of the six directions as respect and support for parents, teachers, wife, friends, employees, and religious figures, which gives rise to a blissful householder’s life.
The much-anticipated “2011 Wesak International Film Festival” featuring popular big-screen Buddhist movies, documentaries and animations will be held on 11 - 12 and 18 - 19 June. This free movie screening is a collaborative effort by several Buddhist organizations with the main objective of increasing public awareness on Buddhist arts and culture.
Majority of the activities will be held at the Nalanda Centre, a centre of educational excellence, located in Sri Serdang, Selangor. Whilst, out-campus programmes in collaboration with other Buddhist associations will be held at various places within the Klang Valley.
For more information on Nalanda’s Wesak programme and how you may participate or contribute, please contact Ms Nandini Tan at 03-8938 1500 or 8939 1501. You may also e-mail your enquiries to info@nalanda.org.my. For detailed programme of Wesak Observance at Nalanda, kindly log on to www.nalanda.org.my/wesak.
HIGHLIGHTS OF WESAK 2011
DATE & TIME
ACTIVITY
TYPE
LOCATION
15 May 2011, Sunday
3pm - 6pm
The Significance of Wesak
Short Course
Nalanda Centre,
Sri Serdang
10am – 6pm
The Journey of Dharmaraja
Exhibition
16 May 2011, Monday
10am – 6pm
The Journey of Dharmaraja
Exhibition
Nalanda Centre,
Sri Serdang
17 May 2011, Tuesday
10am – 6pm
The Journey of Dharmaraja
Exhibition
Nalanda Centre,Sri Serdang
7pm – 10pm
Dharma Appreciation Night
Performance
22 May 2011, Sunday
9am – 1pm
The Path to Liberation Seminar
(A dialogue of Three Buddhist Traditions)
Seminar
Nalanda Centre, Sri Serdang
28 May 2011, Saturday
9am – 4pm
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
(Discourse on the Turning of the Dharma Wheel)
Sutta Camp
Nalanda Centre,
Sri Serdang
29 May 2011, Sunday
9am – 4pm
Anattalakkhana Sutta
(Discourse on the Characteristic of Non-Self)
Sutta Camp
Nalanda Centre, Sri Serdang
5 June 2011, Sunday
8am – 6pm
The Sigalovada Sutta Seminar
(Discourse for the Householders)
Seminar
Sun Tau Jing Sheh, Petaling Jaya
11, 12, 18, 19 June 2011, Saturdays & Sundays
10am – 10pm
2011 Wesak International Film Festival
Free Movie Screening
Malaysia Tourism Centre, Jalan Ampang
In line with its non-profit objectives, all programmes are provided free to the public. Enquire within for more information on the programmes or visit www.nalanda.org.my/wesak.
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ABOUT NALANDA BUDDHIST SOCIETY & ITS AFFILIATES
Nalanda Buddhist Society is a leading Buddhist establishment in Malaysia. Established in early 2003, Nalanda aims to be a centre of excellence for Buddhist education, development and propagation. A non-profit, service-oriented organization, Nalanda focuses on promoting holistic Buddhist education for integral human development.
As part of its effort to reach out to the wider public with varied social and spiritual needs, the Society subsequently extended its operations to include Nalanda Vidyalaya – Dhamma school for teenagers and youths, Nalanda Institute – Buddhist educational centre for adults, and Nalanda Book Café – a community service centre and café.
With the increasing demand for its effective educational programmes and valuable services offered to the community nationwide, the Society has expanded its building facilities with the opening of the new Nalanda Centre in December 2009. For more info, visit http://www.nalanda.org.my
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