According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 2nd Great Shravasti Buddhist Cultural Assembly was held in Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh, India, from 30 to 31 March, with Myanmar Ambassador to India U Moe Kyaw Aung in attendance as the guest of honour.
During the event organized by the Lord Buddha Welfare Foundation Bharat in India, the Myanmar ambassador to India participated in lighting oil lamps at a recitation of the Maha Pathana Treatise in Jetavana Temple.
Next, the Myanmar Ambassador, along with monks, nuns, and other attendees, planted Bodhi banyan trees (Ficus religiosa) and sal trees (Shorea robusta) in Dhamma Sthali village, where a replica of the Ashoka Pillar is planned to be erected.
At the ceremony, Ven Pallengama Hemarathana Nayaka Thero, chairman of Sri Lanka’s Sangha Patrons’ Association, and other monks preached about the benefits of growing the Bodhi tree and related teachings of Buddha.
The Myanmar ambassador explained the practices of Buddhism in Myanmar, including the emergence of Tipitakadhara and Tipitakakovida, religious figures who are able to memorize the Tripitaka, or Buddhist canon, orally and understand its concepts thoroughly.
A total of 150 monks and nuns from Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Nepal, Viet Nam, Tibet, and South Africa, including Myanmar monks residing in India, attended the ceremony. During the event, students from the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies performed Tibetan cultural dances. — ASH/TH
