Sunday Times 2
Tripitaka as a World Heritage: London Buddhist Vihara and Sri Lanka HC host scholarly forum
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A section of the audience
Buddhist Studies Professor Rupert Gethin, speaking at the event
The Sri Lanka High Commission in London in association with the London Buddhist Vihara hosted a scholarly forum on “The Significance of the Tripitaka as a World Heritage” on March 16 at the London Buddhist Vihara.
In his opening address, the Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala Nayaka Thera, Chief Incumbent of London Buddhist Vihara and Chief Sangha Nayake of Great Britain, recalled the role played by the London Buddhist Vihara, the oldest Buddhist temple in the western hemisphere, in the propagation of the teaching of Lord Buddha in the western world.
The Venerable Thera commended the Sri Lanka Government for the initiative it has taken to declare the Tripitaka as a national heritage and also stated that the initiative to hold this scholarly forum in London was timely. A message was read out by the Venerable Tawalama Bandula Thera on behalf of the Anagarika Dharmapala Trust.
In her welcome address, High Commissioner Manisha Gunasekera outlined the intention of the Government, to both preserve the texts of the Tripitaka and to propagate the same as a heritage of all human kind. She outlined the Government’s initiative to declare the Tripitaka as a national heritage and inscribe the same in the UNESCO World Register.
The highlight of the event was a panel discussion with four eminent experts on the subject. Prof. Rupert Gethin, President, Pali Text Society & Professor of Buddhist Studies, Department of Religion and Theology, University of Bristol, spoke on the topic “The Pali Tripitaka: Its significance as a source for the study of Buddhism.” Dr. Elizabeth Harris, Department of Theology & Religion, University of Birmingham spoke on the topic “The Tripitaka as part of the world’s heritage of spiritual resources: A personal response.” Prof. Ven. Deegalle Mahinda Thera, professor in Study of Religion, Philosophies and Ethics, College of Liberal Arts, Bath Spa University, spoke on “Sri Lanka’s preoccupations with the Tripitaka: Ancient and Modern Contributions to the preservation and understanding of Buddhavacana, the word of the Buddha.”
Dr. Martin Seeger, Associate Professor of Thai Studies, School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds spoke on the topic “Influence of the Pali Tripitaka Canon on Buddhist Traditions in South East Asia”. The Venerable Dedunupitiye Upananda Thera of the London Buddhist Vihara moderated the scholarly forum.
The presentations by the panellists were followed by a Q & A session which drew an enthusiastic response from the attendees who numbered over a hundred. The attendees included the Venerable Maha Sangha from Sri Lankan Buddhist Temples in the UK and other eminent experts such as Dr. Desmond Biddulph, President of the Buddhist Society in London and Ms. Arani Ilankuberan, Curator of the South Indian Collection at the British Library. Thailand’s Ambassador Pisanu Suvanajata, Myanmar’s Ambassador Kyaw Zwar Minn and Pakistan’s High Commissioner Mohammad Nafees Zakaria also graced the occasion and spoke on the significance of the Tripitaka from the perspective of their respective countries. Diplomatic representatives of Bangladesh and Afghanistan were also present at the event.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Deputy High Commissioner Sugeeshwara Gunaratna.