We are gathered here tonight to welcome a new year with the chanting of Buddha’s name.
Most of you had finished your reunion dinner in your family and you are now here to have a reunion with Shifu in this Than Hsiang family with spiritual food. I think it is a meaningful way to end an old year and to start a new one.

I wish to share with you three thoughts: 1) The meaning of chanting Buddha’s name tonight; 2) Buddha’s teaching on equality; 3) purification and gratitude.

1) Chanting Buddha’s Name

For many not familiar with the Pure Land teaching, chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name seems odd for this occasion. Actually, nothing could have been more auspicious than Amitabha for our occasion tonight! This Buddha has two names – Amitabha which means ‘Infinite Light’ and Amitayus which means ‘Infinite Life’. For our world system (Saha world), life is impermanent. For our limited life span, another year is nearly over; our life is shorter by one year! If we have infinite life span, we could celebrate infinite new years. We often say, ‘Long live the king! Long live the country!’ have you ever wonder how long can the king or the country live? How can we compare our so call ‘long life’ with the life of the Buddha and his sentient beings in the Pure Land of Sukhavati? So Amitayus represents largest merit.

It is of very little use if we have a long or even an infinite life if it is a life of darkness and ignorance. When we practice spiritually, we are striving for wisdom and when we attain ‘Infinite Wisdom’, we become Buddha. So Amitabha represents highest wisdom.
So when we recite the Buddha’s name, we accumulate largest merit and highest wisdom. If you understand this and recite the Buddha’s name to be one with Him, then you truly understand the meaning for us to recite the Buddha’s name tonight. So please recite with faith, recite mindfully and recite without distraction. Recite until you transcend time – infinite life; and recite until you transcend space – infinite light.

2) Equality

Our world is living in a period of turmoil. Since the September 11 incident, many people in different part of the world live in fear and hatred. These are two very strong negative emotions. I happened to be in New York up country on September 2001! I witnessed both the best and the worst of American reactions towards this tragedy while I was still there in the following week. Until today, different sides take the view that violence and war is necessary to bring justice and peace to the world.

One of the most fundamental teachings in Buddhism is equality. The Buddha rejected the caste system of India, He established the nun order in Buddhism, He taught that animals should be respected and that all sentient beings including those in heavenly and hell realms have potentiality to be enlightened.

Many of the problems in the world today come from conviction in inequality – this include both superiority and inferiority complexes. If we want to be a good follower of the Buddha, we have to understand equality, practice equality and actively promote equality. Many people in different parts of the world are very anxious whether U.S. will attack Iraq. Neighboring countries like Malaysia and Singapore are quarrelling over petty issues. In today’s news, Cambodia and Thailand are in conflict. All these could have been avoided if we develop mutual respect and tolerance.

Ven. Tich Nah Hanh is a very good Buddhist teacher. He practices equality of nuns and monks in his Sangha community in France. We will follow his good example when we do our morning service for the New Year. Our world will be a better one for all if we practice equality and also develop sense of gratitude towards all sentient beings.

3) Gratitude and Purification

I want you to reflect on the past year and develop gratitude and purification. Towards others, you should always be grateful to them.

Think of the kindness of your own mother. ‘When you were in the womb she thought only about how to protect and tend you. She went through great pain to give birth to you. After you were born she took you and wrapped you in soft garments, held you in her arms, gazed on you with eyes of love, smiled on you affectionately, out of mercy gave you milk from her breasts, and held you close to her flesh to keep you warm. Then for year upon year she prepared your food for you and cleaned your mucus and excrement from your body. Even if she was mortally ill and you contacted merely a minor disease she would think solely about you. She shielded and protected you from every difficulty, gave you whatever she could to help you accomplish your wishes, and anything you could not do by yourself she did for you. In fact, she protected your life and person in every possible manner.’

Think of people who had been kind to you, your parents, your teachers, your relatives and friend, should you not be grateful to them? When you reflect further, you will realize that you rely on others for your clothing, food, shelter and transportation. The Buddha teaches us to reflect that we should be grateful to all sentient beings, not only human. Also since beginless past, they had been our mothers in numerous past lives. Like our mother in this life, they had been very kind to us. So we should feel very grateful to them all.

On New Year’s Eve, we should also reflect on our shortcomings for the past year and resolve not to repeat these shortcomings in future. If we are able to do this, then we can purify our body, speech and mind.

To start the New Year, let us all practice mutual tolerance, respect, reflection and gratitude. May all beings be well and happy!