Mahavira News:

On January 7, 2023, Mr. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment of Indonesia attended the Chinese New Year Blessing Culture Banquet as the guest of honor.

In the evening, the guests entered the auditorium under the leading of Venerable Abbot Most Venerable Hui Xiong.

The Chairman of the preparatory committee, social leader Mr. Yu Yuling, businessman Mr. Zheng Hanlie, Mr. Lin Yuanlong, Mr. Guan Youjin, Mr. Wu Nengbin, Ms. Yang Xiuzhen, Mr. Shi Jinchang, Mr. Zhang Zhenzhong, Mr. Li Binguang, Mr. He Shuzhong, Mr. Lin Niming, Mr. Jiang Chuanyu, and Venerable Bo Rue from Australia, etc.; More than 400 elders Sangha and donors from local and abroad, community leaders, Venerable Da Xiong, Venerable Fa Ci, and Venerable Xian Dao, attended the Spring Festival Blessing Conference.

The preparatory Chairman Mr. Yu Yuling welcomed the ministers and all guests who attended this cultural banquet.

In his welcome speech, he said When I was chatting with the minister just now, I talked about the Indonesian thousand-year-old pagoda that is older than Borobudur. The pagoda was situated in Kompleks Candi Muaro Jambi.

Archaeologists have certified that this pagoda came earlier than all the pagodas, and it is also a treasure gem of Buddhism.

The Minister made huge research on Buddhism to promote pilgrimage tourism; because today’s generation is living under the pressure of technology and information.

Through religious travel, we can let go of all pressure and enter the culture of Buddhism, which is beautiful, solemn, and liberating.

At the same time, the president has opened up and eased measures to allow more activities to resume.

We were all affected by influenza in the early part of this century, and now we are affected by the new covid-19 epidemic, so our lives are spent in the epidemic. We must train to improve immunity, learn to let go, and coexist with the epidemic to achieve safety.

In the Chinese horoscope, the year 2023 is a Water Rabbit year. The water rabbit is to bring us new hope, water represents everything that human beings need to survive.

Cherish everything and achieve a harmonious life.

Most Venerable Hui Xiong, the senior vice president cum secretary-general of the World Buddhist Sangha Council, and the president of the Indonesian Buddhist Center Association, in his New Year speech, said, new year, and new hope.

In Chinese custom, to welcome the New Year, we must try our best to do good deeds. People in this world are perusing and desire wealth but at the same time, we must not forget to cultivate good deeds.

In order to celebrate the Chinese New Year, a series of charity activities were conducted.

On 2022 December 17th, the Buddhist free clinic served thousands of local citizens and on 2023 January 6th, Chinese New Year gift hampers were distributed, and in the evening the cultural banquet was organized.

In the Dharmapada Sutra, the Lord Buddha taught: “Do no evil deeds; practice all good deeds; purify your own mind: this is what all Buddhas teach.”

This is the truth of Buddhism. Buddhism is the education of learning the Buddha’s spirit. The Buddhist spirit emphasizes the mind.

To be a Buddhist is to “refrain from doing all bad things, diligently do all good deeds, and purify the mind, helping each other, don’t slander each other and at the same time do charity and help others. Although we have obtained blessings, all wealth in this world is impermanent.

I have it today, maybe next week, I will lose it again; there is an induction, and supernatural powers cannot match our karma.

Therefore, the field of blessings in the world cannot bring us relief from troubles and pains, it is impermanent and keeps changing. Therefore, we need to know more about the meaning of self-purification in the Buddha Dharma.

In the new year, we need to obtain the wealth of body, speech, mind, and karma; only by obtaining holy wealth, we can truly get rid of afflictions and gain inner peace. In addition, those who study Buddhism at home have to practice five precepts to purify our bodies and mind.

Through practice and observed precepts, we can obtain concentration and wisdom. Meditation with five precepts brings inner peace of mind.

The wisdom we have obtained will get rid of our troubles and it is a kind of cultivating pure and solemn body and mind; how can we be afraid of poverty? you will be happy because the blessings you have planted are called getting rid of troubles and gaining great wisdom.

While practicing the bodhisattva way, we should arouse the mind of a Bodhisattva, cultivate Bodhicitta to become a humanistic bodhisattva and correspond with the power of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. We will surely gain great liberation, and in the future, we will be able to achieve supreme fruition in our practice and achieve the Bodhi way.

The guest of honor Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, congratulated all Indonesian Chinese a happy new year.

In his speech; he also thanked the Association of Indonesian Buddhist Centers – Vihara Mahavira Graha Monastery for hosting today’s Chinese New Year banquet.

Last Friday, the president announced to reopen and lifted the COVID-19 restrictions. Although we are free now and our personal body immune has reached 98.5%, we still have to pay attention to hygiene, wear masks in public, and avoid crowds in protecting ourselves.

This year, we are hosting the World G-20 Conference, and the world is paying attention to Indonesia’s ability to achieve the highest growth rate of national income among countries in the world, or at least perhaps.

With our rapid economic growth, I was criticized by many people in the early days, saying that we were under pressure from China. In fact, when we met with the Chinese foreign minister several times in 2012-2013, they supported our opening border, our products abroad have reached 100%.

Advance technology makes it easy for us to obtain information.

Last year our National income reached 39.3 billion, such substantial profits have attracted the attention of the world. We and our friends in China are very supportive and cooperate with our plan.

I would like to thank Mr. Zheng Hanlie who attended the banquet, he introduced many investors. Invest in Sulawesi Province to support our plan.

Of course, the second point is that we have already entered the process of computerization. I also take this opportunity to make our plans more transparent through computerized information instead of bidding.

Transparency, and more procedural administration.

In the evening, the Venerable abbot led all the participants to the stage to present souvenirs to the minister and take group pictures thereafter.

At the finale, an Indonesian song “Bagimu Negeri”, which means loyal and faithful to the country was sung to send off the guests.

Due to the covid lockdown, people’s hearts are hesitant and stressed. The Venerable abbot cordially invites the president of the Australia-China Buddhist Association, Most Venerable Bo Rue, to give a Dharma speech for the new year.