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| The Assembly in celebration of Vesak, the Birthday of Buddah. |
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| On May 23rd, at the Buddhist Temple of the Pure Land, located in 315/316 South, the Ambassadors of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Malaysia organized a special ceremony celebrating the birthday of Buddha. |
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| From left to right, Ambassador of Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen Van Huynh, Ambassador of Malaysia, Mr. Tai Kat Meng, Ambassador of Thailand, Mr. Siree Bunnag, Ambassador of Myanmar, Mr. U hla Myint and the Ambassador of Sri Lanka, General Rohan de Silva Daluwatte. |
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| The Ambassadors watched the assembly side by side. |
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| The Temple of the Pure Land was full of Buddhists who came to celebrate this very special day. |
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| On this special day, followers of both Hinayana and Nichiren Buddhism prayed together. The temple, built by the Nichiren Buddhists little after Brasília was founded, is a replica of the FUKUI Temple, in Japan. The ceremony was first inaugurated by Monk Shojo Sato, Head of the Temple, and then by Reverend Puhulwilli Vitassi, priest of the Hinayana Buddhists who came from the Sri Lankan Buddhist Temple in Rio de Janeiro especially for this event. |
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| Monk Shojo Sato, Head of the Temple. |
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| Reverend Puhulwilli Vitassi, priest of the Hinayana Buddhists who came from the Sri Lankan Buddhist Temple in Rio de Janeiro especially for this event. |
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| After singing the mantras of the namo myoho rengye kyo, of the Nichiren Buddhists, and of the Hinayana Buddhists, the assembly ended with a speech from each priest, who reminded that both Nichiren and Hinayanas originated from the same beliefs first taught by Buddha, born in India around 2,500 years ago. |
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| Both priests gave their sermons after the mantras were sung, reminding everyone of the importance of the teachings of the great Buddha. |
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| Later, the ambassadors of Sri Lanka , General Rohan de Silva Daluwatte, Thailand , Mrs. Siree Bunagg and of Myanmar , Mr. _ gave speeches on behalf of their other colleagues and the members of their embassies. They said little about Sidarta Gautama, Buddha, but meaningful words about the importance of his teachings. “It would be futile on my part to talk about the great Buddha after these wonderful priests did so, but I would like to point out the importance of us, from different 'nikayas' or sects of Buddhism, being under one roof to pray in harmony on this special day, living the ideals of Buddha”, said the Ambassador of Sri Lanka. |
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| Ambassador of Sri Lanka, General Rohan de Silva Daluwatte talked about the importance of people from different sects being under one roof to pray in harmony. |
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| Ambassador of Thailand, Mr. Siree Bunnag, also spoke to those who were present. |
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| Ambassador of Myanmar, Mr. U hla Myint. |
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| After the ceremony, General Rohan Daluwatte invited all those at the temple to have lunch. At the table set by the right side of the altar, typical dishes of the participant countries were offered. |
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| The delicious and varied food of the East, different dishes prepared by each of the five Embassies. |
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| The priests blessed the meals before lunch started and all could taste the delicious food in an atmosphere of total easiness and harmony. |
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| The priests blessed lunch together. |
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| Ambassadress of Sri Lanka, Mrs. Jayanthi Rohini Daluwatte and other guests serving lunch. |
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| Vesak
Buddha Day is is also known as Vesak. It is celebrated on the day when the Buddhists believe that “a unique and most profound knowledge and insight which arose in him on the night of his Enlightenment. This coincided with three important events which took place, corresponding to the three watches or periods of the night.
During the first watch of the night, when his mind was calm, clear and purified, light arose in him, knowledge and insight arose. He saw his previous lives, at first one, then two, three up to five, then multiples of them .. . ten, twenty, thirty to fifty. Then 100, 1000 and so on.... As he went on with his practice, during the second watch of the night, he saw how beings die and are reborn, depending on their Karma, how they disappear and reappear from one form to another, from one plane of existence to another. Then during the final watch of the night, he saw the arising and cessation of all phenomena, mental and physical. He saw how things arose dependent on causes and conditions. This led him to perceive the arising and cessation of suffering and all forms of unsatisfactoriness paving the way for the eradication of all taints of cravings. With the complete cessation of craving, his mind was completely liberated. He attained to Full Enlightenment. The realisation dawned in him together with all psychic powers.
This wisdom and light that flashed and radiated under the historic Bodhi Tree at Buddha Gaya in the district of Bihar in Northern India , more than 2500 years ago, is of great significance to human destiny. It illuminated the way by which mankind could cross, from a world of superstition, or hatred and fear, to a new world of light, of true love and happiness.
The heart of the Teachings of the Buddha is contained in the teachings of the Four Noble Truths, namely,
The Noble Truth of Dukkha or suffering
The Origin or Cause of suffering
The End or Cessation of suffering
the Path which leads to the cessation of all sufferings.
The teaching of the Buddha became a great civilising force wherever it went. It appeals to reason and freedom of thought, recognising the dignity and potentiality of the human mind. It calls for equality, fraternity and understanding, exhorting its followers to avoid evil, to do good and to purify their minds.
Realising the transient nature of life and all worldly phenomena, the Buddha has advised us to work out our deliverance with heedfulness, as 'heedfulness is the path to the deathless'.
His clear and profound teachings on the cultivation of heedfulness otherwise known as Satipatthana or the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, is the path for the purification of beings - for the overcoming of sorrows and lamentation, for the destruction of all mental and physical sufferings, for the attainment of insight and knowledge and for the realisation of Nibbana. This has been verified by his disciples. It is therefore a path, a technique which may be verified by all irrespective of caste, colour or creed”.
- Venerable Mahinda
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| THE GUIDE wishes all Buddhists a happy Vesak and congratulates for conducting this ceremony. |
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