New Year Dharma Talk

By Venerable Wu Dao for the Mituo Village in North America

Respected fellow practitioners of Mituo Village in North America,
Happy Lunar New Year!

Time passes quickly. In January of last year, I visited Mituo Village and conducted a Three-Session Mindfulness of the Buddha Ceremony. Before arriving there, we were invited by practitioners in New York to hold the same ceremony. Truly, as Buddhism teaches, impermanence moves swiftly—more than a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, I would like to share a few words. For Chinese communities abroad, celebrating traditional festivals is not merely cultural—it is an education in gratitude and filial piety. We should guide our children and grandchildren to remember their roots, their ancestors, and the heritage passed down to them.

The Purpose of Mituo Village

The concept of Mituo Village was proposed years ago by our late teacher, Venerable Master Chin Kung. Its purpose is to establish a community where elderly and retired practitioners can live together, study together, and practice Buddha-recitation together.

The core aim remains the same everywhere:
to develop faith and vows, recite Amitabha Buddha’s name, and aspire to rebirth in the Pure Land.

However, many practitioners today find their recitation lacking effectiveness. As the Master often quoted Mr. Li Bing-Nan of Taichung: “Many recite the Buddha’s name, but few truly attain rebirth.”

The root cause lies in the lack of moral and ethical foundations. Without the foundation of basic virtues—filial piety, respect, compassion, and the Ten Wholesome Deeds—Buddhist practice cannot be firmly established.

The Three Foundations and the Threefold Pure Karma

Master Chin Kung strongly emphasized the “Three Roots”:

• Confucianism: Standards for Being a Good Student and Child

• Taoism: Treatise on Response and Retribution

• Buddhism: Ten Virtuous Deeds Sutra

These correspond to the first level of the Threefold Pure Karma taught in the Contemplation Sutra:
Filial piety, respect for teachers, compassion, and practicing the Ten Good Deeds.

Only with this foundation can one truly arouse the Bodhi Mind and sincerely aspire for rebirth in the Pure Land.

Management and Harmony in the Sangha

A cultivation center requires harmonious management. When people live together, proper governance ensures peace of mind, which in turn supports effective practice. True leadership begins with self-discipline.

When the environment is harmonious, practitioners can settle their minds and focus on Buddha-recitation.

The Importance of Cause and Effect

Great Master Yin Guang strongly promoted works such as:

• Liao Fan’s Four Lessons

• The Book of An Shi

• Treatise on Response and Retribution

Without correcting faults and cultivating goodness, recitation will not yield strength. The Earth Store Sutra, which teaches the law of cause and effect, serves as the spiritual foundation of any cultivation center.

New Year Encouragement

As the New Year arrives, may we strengthen our foundations, deepen our faith and vows, and diligently cultivate. May every practitioner of Amitabha Village attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land in this very lifetime.

May you all increase in blessings and wisdom,
Be filled with Dharma joy,
Advance in pure practice,
And enjoy immeasurable light and life.

Amitabha Buddha.