President’s services commendable - Asgiriya Mahanayake Thera

Mahanayake of the Asgiri Chapter Most Ven Udagama Sri Buddharakkhitha Thera yesterday commended President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his services in the religious, social and national spheres to coincide with the 2600th Sambuddathva Jayanthiya.

The Mahanayake Thera added that President Rajapaksa deserves the credit from Buddhists all over the country for pioneering a number of meritorious services. “We as Buddhists should be happy over the religious programmes launched by the President throughout the country,” the Mahanayake Thera said.

Most Ven Udugama Sri Buddharakkhitha Thera was delivering an anusasanava at an alms giving to 1,000 Buddhist monks at the President’s House in Kandy yesterday. One thousand Buddhist monks including chief incumbents of temples in the Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Matale districts participated in the alms giving.

The Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter wished that President Rajapaksa would receive all kinds of courage and stamina from the people for the development of the country.

Anunayake of Malwatte Chapter Most Ven Niyangoda Vijithasiri Thera said the President who was born and bred in the Buddhist environment in the village has earned the honour and credit of the members of Maha Sangha.

The Anunayake Thera added that President Rajapaksa has earned honour from people of all walks of life for his untiring efforts to develop the country after it was liberated from the clutches of terrorism. The Thera said the President is blessed with great qualities of courage, will power, dedication and heroism to overcome any challenge that befell the country. He said that the President has the magnanimity of accepting victory and defeat in the same vein.

The quality of President Rajapaksa’s fortitude has resulted in the development of more than 2600 Dhamma schools in the country, he said. The Thera said that development activities are being implemented in each and every temple in the country. The Anunayake Thera was of the view that the government has succeeded in securing more than 165 seats in the legislature due to the President’s quality of herorism and dedication.

He said that the people, Buddhist order and the country at large will prosper under President Rajapaska.

Anunayake Thera of Malwatu Chapter Ven Dimbulkubure Wimaladhamma Thera and Anunayake Thera of Asgirigiya Chapter Most Ven Galagama Aththadassi Thera were in attendance. First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, Prime Minister D M Jayaratne, Central Province Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa, Public Relations and Public Affairs Minister Mervyn Silva,

Deputy Minister of Transport Rohana Kumara Dissanayake, Parlliamentarian Lakshman Wasantha Perera, Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela and Chief of President’s Staff Gamini Senerath were also present.