Via Buddhist Council of Canada…
Buddhism Heritage Day at the Ontario Legislature, Oct. 10 2013
History was made today when nearly 150 Buddhists of Ontario attended a Buddhism Heritage Day at the Ontario Legislature building on Oct. 10. Initiated by Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Dipika Damerla, Mississauga East-Cooksville, she was helped by Bhante Dr. Saranapala of the West End Buddhist Vihara.
Among those invited guests attending the event were the members of the Respectable Sangha of a variety of temples in the Greater Toronto Area, Parliamentarians, Professors and other Professionals. Witnessing the unfolding of history was also a batch of York University students, of varied ethnocultural and religious backgrounds, enrolled in the course, “Religion, Media, Culture” taught by Prof. Veronique Tomaszewski.
Speaking at the event were MPP Damerla, Bhante Saranapala and Prof. Suwanda H J Sugunasiri, President, Buddhist Council of Canada. While he concluded his speech with a poem, “Watering A Soil” in honour of MPP Damerla, Bhante Saranapala’s gift to her was Ven. Walpola Rahula’s What the Buddha Taught.
Presented at the event was a short DVD presentation of the life of the Buddha.
The participants also came to be given a collective blessing by the Sangha members present, all chanting in Pali, a first, beginning with a Homage, namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa ‘Homage to Him the Fortunate One, Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One’.
The event ended with refreshments as participants mingled and chatted, met old friends and made new friends even as they browsed through the displays presented by the temples and the standing banners displayed by the Buddhist Council of Canada.
For more details, please visit www.buddhistcouncil.ca.
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