Erudite Buddhist monks, a great asset to the country - PM

Kapila Somaratne - Panadura group correspondent

Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne said that erudite Buddhist monks were a great asset for the promotion of Buddhism in the country. The Buddhasasana in India where the Lord Buddha was born was diminishing, but in Sri Lanka the Buddhasasana has been well safeguarded by the Maha Sangha for over 2,600 years.

He was addressing a felicitation ceremony held at the Talpitiya Meditation Centre in Wadduwa, to pay tribute to the Ven. Hedigalle Vajira Thera, the Chief Incumbent of the Talpitiya Meditation Centre and the Principal of the Wekada Bauddhaloka Maha Vidyalaya of Panadura.

The Prime Minister said that the Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Maha Sanga Sabha had paid a great tribute to the Ven. Vajira Thera by appointing him to the new post. The Thera had contributed for the development of the Buddha Sasana as well as for the education of students of several schools in which he served for the last 30 years continuously in the Kalutara District. The Prime Minister made an appeal to the Ven. Vajira Thera to use his erudite knowledge of Pali and Sanskrit languages and translate books written in those languages to the English language. The government would meet all expenditure of the translation works, the Prime Minister assured.

The Chancellor of the Jayawardenepura University and Anunayake of the Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Samagi Maha Sangha Sabha, the Ven. Professor Bellanwila Wimalaratana said that the present law enactments of the country should be dispelled with and new laws should be introduced to combat crime and other nefarious activities committed by ordinary people as well as politicians in the country. He further stated that the Ven. Hadigalle Vajira Thera was a well disciplined Buddhist monk in the Kalutara District and that he deserves elevation to the responsible post.

Provincial Minister of Health, Indigenous Medicine Child Care and Women’s Affairs, S. Angage and Professor, Homagama Dhammananda Thera also spoke. The Prime Minister presented the Act of appointment to the Ven. Hadigalle Vajira Thera while the Viginipatha was presented by Western Provincial Council Member Vikum Gunasekera. Prof. Kotupitiye Rahula Thera Lecturer of Peradeniya University delivered the anusasanawa .