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| Saturday, 29 June 2002 |
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The twenty million rupee three storeyed International Buddhist Centre and computer school with the dagaba on the top of the building built at Yatiyana, Minuvangoda will be ceremonially opened tomorrow, Sunday, June 30. As a prelude, an offering for the previous twenty eight Buddha's who walked on earth and asirvada puja conducted by Venerable Kolonnave Sumangala Thera and the Ven. Uduve Dhammaloka Thera will commence at 4.30 this evening (Saturday) followed by Sarvaratrika paritrana desana. On Sunday, the Bhikkhu Sangha will be offered the dana at 6.30 a.m. The IBC and the computer school is the brain child of the Ven. Parawahera Chandaratana Nayaka Thera of France. He says the three-storeyed building will provide everything the community needs in education, culture, religion, spiritual emancipation and economic advancement. Two large statistics of the Samadhi Buddha and the recumbent Buddha sculptured in the third floor will be consecrated at 6.30 on Sunday morning. Those assembled will engage in meditation before the Samadhi Buddha statue to inaugurate the spacious meditation hall. At 2.30 p.m., the library named after the Venerable Kadurupokune Sri Dhammavasa and the Buddhist Book Centre will be opened. The Nayaka Thera said, the computer school will provide computer education to children of low-income earning families. The school is fully equipped with all modern computer techniques donated by Sri Lankan expatriates and French Buddhists and friends of Buddhism in Europe, mainly from France where the Buddhist Centre in Le Bourget has been providing Buddhist education to the people for several years. The ceremonial meeting will be chaired by the ven. Rajakiya Pandita Ambanvelle Pragnesekhara Anunayaka Thera of the Malwatte Chapter of the Siyam Maha Nikaya. The Nayaka Thera Chandaratana who arrived in Sri Lanka early this week said the major contribution of the building was made by the Sri Lankans living in France for the specific purpose of providing welfare facilities to the poor and the needy children in both urban and mainly rural areas of Lanka - absolutely free. Those receiving proficiency in foreign languages and training in computer education will be able to gain lucrative employment after the end of their courses. All curricula are drawn with that objective, he added. He said, the estimated monthly expenditure of providing free education at the centre and the school is Rs. 75,000 to one hundred thousand. The Nayaka Thera said, the International Buddhist Centre in Le Bourget, France has organised 50 scholarships to deserving schoolchildren and 100 school books, stationery and bags to be distributed at this centre on August 31. (NM) |
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