This programme was conducted recently, at the ancient Ling Thong Pagoda in the outskirts of Ha Noi. The Dhamma classes included a question and answer session on the Dhamma as well as key historic events of advent and spread of the Dhamma in Sri Lanka and Vietnam. All participants who gave the correct answers were awarded prizes by the Sri Lankan Ambassador Dr. K. G. Ivan Amarasinghe. The young Vietnamese were extremely eager to express their knowledge of the Dhamma and events of historic significance to both countries.
Venerable Surapanno Thero, a young Vietnamese Theravada Bhikku with post-graduate education in Sri Lanka has been the main facilitator of this project as well as many Buddhist outreach assistance projects of the Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Vietnam. Addressing the gathering, Venerable Surapanno Thero stated that Sri Lanka offers to the wider world a knowledge based on Buddha Dhamma as hardly seen anywhere else in the world. The initiative of the current Ambassador in sharing the Dhamma with the Vietnamese people and educating the younger generation is most welcome. It forms the essential bedrock on which spiritual practices so venerated by the Vietnamese would validate Buddhism as needed for everyday life.
Venerable Thi Dam Hue, Head Bhikkuni of Ling Thong Pagoda thanked the Ambassador for his presence with her people in their local Pagoda. On behalf of the recipients of the awards, she thanked the Ambassador for his generosity in contribution.
Vietnam Television (VTV) recorded the event for broadcast in their national programmes.
Ambassador Amarasinghe in his speech thanked the Head Bhikkuni of Linh Thong Pagoda for the facilitation of the gathering and the welcome extended to him. It is an honour and privilege for Sri Lanka to reach out to Vietnamese people in spiritual matters. The Ambassador expounded on the significance of the Buddhist spiritual revivals in the social fabric in post-colonial countries like Sri Lanka and Vietnam. National well being and development are intrinsically intertwined with spiritual revival if true independence to pre-colonial prosperity is to be the goal of the people. Viet Nam which has over 17000 ancient Pagodas spread around the country has the village model based on the Pagoda, the Community Hall, the village reservoir and the paddy fields. This is very much similar to the village model of Sri Lanka in its days of ancient prosperity. The future friendship and solidarity between our two countries would no doubt be based on the natural eagerness shown by our younger generation to prosper under the unique Dhamma which underpinned the righteous paths of prosperity sought.
