Bhikkhuni Maha Danaya

Sponsored by Jiuhua Shan of Taiwan, all bhikkhunis in Sri Lanka were invited to a danaya at Manelwatta Temple,Bollagela, Kelaniya on 5 Jan. 2011. It is estimated that appoximately 3000 bhikkhunis attended the event.

                                                                                                                                             

At the same day, a building for future nunnery school was also unveiled.

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Click here for a Sri Lanka newspaper report

first all Sri Lankan Buddhist Nuns' Maha Danaya

Twenty years ago, the very word 'bhikkhuni' was a taboo in Sri Lanka. But on 5 Oct 2010, the first all Sri Lankan Bhikkhuni Dana (alms-giving ceremony) took place in Manelwatta Temple, Bollegala.

The event was initiated by a Taiwan bhikkhuni sangha, Jiuhuashan. After cooperating on numerous charity  projects in Myanmar with T.S.E.A., the head nuns of Jiuhuashan expressed the wish to offer alms to all nuns, including bhikkhuni, in Sri Lanka. Ven. B. Chandima Thero gladly agreed to help and hence the first all Sri Lankan bhikkhuni dana at Manelwatta Temple.

The event took about three months and over 1000 volunteers to organize. All bhikkhuni in Sri Lanka, numbered about 1000, were invited to attended. Buddhist nuns of other status (e.g. dasi sila mata) were also invited. 3000 invitations were sent out and it is estimated that approximately 2,900 nuns turned out for the historical event. It was very successful.

Ven. B. Chandima Thero would like to express his gratitude to all the volunteers and donors who made the first all Sri Lankan bhikkhuni dana possible.
 

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Aid for Tanzania

Once in Thailand, Ven. Chandima met a Sri Lankan monk, Ven. Ilukpitiye Pannasekara by sheer chance. He learnt that Ven. Ilukpitiye Pannasekara had lived in Tanzania of Eastern Africa for many years and devoted himself to help the needy in Tanzania. Tanzania is a relatively poor country where GNI per capita was only $440 USD (World Bank, 2008). In light of the widespread poverty, Ven. I. Pannasekara founded Metta Foundation of Africa in April and plans to establish a children’s home in order to help the street children.

      Ven. Chandima was moved and realized the people of Tanzania are in greater need of aid. Hence, after returning to Taiwan, Ven. Chandima re-allocated aids that had been intended for the refugee camp in North Sri Lanka to be sent to Tanzania. Brother Xu Jinde of Wanhua and other volunteers spent a year collecting aid materials from numerous donors. And Mr. Guo Senxiang of Xinzhuang offered his factory warehouse for Theravada Samadhi Education Association to store and sort out the donated goods. In September, a 40 foot of container with aid materials was shipped to Tanzania. A Mr. Chen of Australia used his own money and bought the container for the future use of Metta Foundation of Africa.  TSEA would like to express  its gratitude to those who donated their time and money in this project. Without their kindness, this aid distribution would not be successful. For photos, please click here.

 

Buddhism and Environmental Protection-by Ven. B. Chandima Thero

2554th Buddha Jayanti Celebration

By invitation of Maha Bodhi Society of India, Ven. B. Chandima Thero of Theravada Samadhi Education Association, joined the 2554th Buddha Jayanti Celebration in India. Ven. B. Chandima Thero also brought a whole shipping container of Buddhist books to be distributed for free among those who might be interested.


The honorable guests who took part in the Celebration included, Ven. Dr. D. Rewatha Thera (General Secretary, Maha Bodhi Society of India), Dr. Brahmanda Pratap Barua, Hon'ble Justice Mr. Arunava Barua, Shri Hrishikesh Sharan, Sri Hemendu Bikash Chowdhury (Vice-President, Maha Bodhi Society of India) and Dr. Brahmanda Pratap Barua.

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