We are fortunate enough to see the new year 2022. The year 2021 reminded us to be aware of how we live our lives. The pandemic has provided us with a significant sign of uncertainty in our lives. Although many countries are still in the Covid-19 red zone, people take this opportunity to gather to enjoy the New Year Celebration. At midnight on 31 December, the sound of fireworks will signal the beginning of the new year.
The International Buddhist College also arranges this meaningful occasion on 31 December 2021. As a Buddhist institution, we make the celebration in an educative and informative way. The event was held in the colorful and well-decorated lobby, that was prepared by IBC students. We opened the program at 7:30 pm by chanting and transferring merit in three languages of three traditions, Pali, Chinese, and Tibetan.
After chanting, we invited four excellent speakers to give a short talk on the New Year Celebration. The speakers include Ven. Anandajoti, Ven. Dr. Zhen Chan, Ven. Khenpo Rangdrol, and Prof. Tilak. They conveyed excellent messages about the importance of meditation practice to the students. It is mainly to advise the young members to put persistent effort into their studies, spiritual practice, and self-awareness. We appreciated such beautiful and meaningful messages from our seniors.
The highlight of the evening was the gift exchange program, which was started after the new year speeches and cake cutting sessions. Every one of us is excited to give our gift to our friends and seniors. It is a good interaction among the members. Through these activities, good relationships and friendships will be developed.
Finally, we ended up the program by listening to the songs performed by the teacher and students, which was very enjoyable. The faces of the participants were full of smiles and happiness. On the first morning of 2022, the greeting we say to one another is Happy New Year. These are the blessing words to everybody.
As previously mentioned, we are fortunate enough to see the new year 2022. Many people do not have a chance to join the celebration because the situation does not allow it. Even many innocent people lost their lives due to infection with covid-19. Moreover, one thing that comes along with the new year is becoming more senior. As the Buddha said, human life is short. One has a limited time to reach life goals. None of us know whether we will have a chance to see the next new year, 2023 or not. Therefore, it is time for us to be aware of life, take responsibility for ourselves and society, and apply the Buddha Dhamma into our daily lives.
Happy New Year!
Reported by: Ven. Saksith Sounthorn
