President Maithripala Sirisena has declared this week (from March 16–23) as Thripitakabhivandana Week, to mark the declaration of the Theravada Thripitaka as a national and world heritage.Thripitakabhivandana Week in the USA commenced with the Maryland Buddhist Temple and Washington Buddhist Vihara hosting events on March 16 and 17, respectively.At the launch of Thripitakabhivandana Week on March 16, the Chief Incumbent of the Maryland Buddhist Temple, Ven. Katugastota Uparatana Thera expressed his gratitude for the honour and privilege of hosting the maiden event of this historic national endeavour at the Maryland Buddhist Temple.
Speaking on the occasion, the Ven. Thera extended his profound gratitude to President Maithripala Sirisena for declaring Thripitakabhivandana Week and the great honour thereby bestowed on the Thripitaka.Emphasis was placed on the significance of the Thripitaka for the preservation for posterity of Buddhist teachings and the relevance of the Buddha’s timeless message for future generations.
Joined by temple devotees, the resident monks chanted seth pirith to invoke blessings on President Sirisena and the whole country and hailed his meritorious deeds for the spiritual upliftment of Buddhists.Ven Nedagamuwe Pragnaloka Thera conducted a Dhamma sermon on the indulgence of people in worldly pursuits and the importance of spiritual mindedness for overall well-being and happiness.
Speaking on the occasion, Chargé d'Affaires Sarath Dissanayake appreciated the directives and guidance given by the Presidential Secretariat and the Foreign Ministry in celebrating a historic milestone in Sri Lanka’s Buddhist calendar and expressed his deep gratitude to the venerable monks for sharing spiritual insights and wisdom on the relevance of Buddhist teachings for a simple and contented life. The day’s proceedings came to a close with the offering of pirikara to the priests and serving of snacks and sweetmeats to devotees.
The Washington Buddhist Vihara, which is the oldest Theravada Buddhist Temple in the US, hosted the second event of the Thripitakabhivandana Week on March 17, with a Buddhist sermon conducted by the Chief Incumbent, Ven. Maharagama Dhammasiri Thera on the significance of Thripitakabhivandana Week followed by a comprehensive spiritual briefing on the historical context of writing the Thripitaka, its preservation to date and the contribution of the Thripitaka for the propagation of Buddhist teachings and values.
The Ven. Thera also spoke of the essence of the Buddha’s noble message for self- emancipation or the salvation of mankind and thanked the foreign devotees in the audience for their interest and support to promote the Buddhist way of living among the like-minded.
The monks conducted a bodhi pooja and invoked blessings on President Sirisena and the country and welcomed his noble endeavour to declare the Thripitakabhivandana Week to symbolise the proclamation of the Thripitaka as a national heritage in January.
Speaking on the occasion, Chargé d'Affaires Sarath Dissanayake appreciated the blessings of the Maha Sangha for organising a special religious activity in celebration of Thripitakabhivandana Week at the Washington Buddhist Vihara and spreading Buddha’s teachings and creating awareness of the sacred scripts of the Thripitaka among both local and foreign devotees.
He briefed those in the audience and sought their support on the campaign launched by Sri Lanka to inscribe Thripitaka as a world heritage in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, given its spiritual, philosophical, doctrinal and cultural significance for the Buddhists and humankind as a whole.
The arrangements at the Washington Buddhist Vihara and the Maryland Buddhist Temple were coordinated by the Embassy under the guidance and blessings of the Maha Sangha with the active support and collaboration of the members of the respective dayaka sabha.
Thripitakabhivandana Week in the US will conclude with two more religious events at the Nisala Arana Buddhist Monastery and the Mahamewnawa Meditation Centre in Maryland on March 23 and 24, respectively.
