Buddhajayanthi to be celebrated

S M Wijayaratne- Kurunegala corr

Arrangements are underway to commemorate the 2600th anniversary of Buddha's Enlightenment on an islandwide and international level under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister D M Jayaratne.

To mark this event, steps have been taken to pay tribute to Dhamma school teachers who voluntarily teach on Sundays at Dhamma schools. Accordingly, 250 felicitation ceremonies have been organized in the Kurunegala District this year.

The Government has allocated a sum of 78 million rupees during this year for these voluntary teachers.

The Prime Minister has instructed all Divisional Secretaries to set up a special meditation centre in each division of Divisional Secretarat to inculcate the noble teachings of the Buddha with a view to create a just society for the future generation.

Ven Kadigamuwe Dhammadassi Nayake Thera, the Chief Advisor of Dhamma Schools in the Kurunegala District told the Daily News that 7,500 novice monks would be trained for overseas missionary work in 2011.