The Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Melbourne, in association with the Resident Monks and Management Committees of Dhammasarana Buddhist Temple at Keysborough and Mahamewnawa Meditation Centre in Melbourne, organized two special religious programmes on 16 and 24 March 2019 respectively to commemorate the National Thripitaka Week.
At the Dhammasarana Buddhist temple the Most Ven. Kotte Santhindriya Thero delivered a special Dhamma Sermon on the significance of the Thripitaka. The Most Ven. Thero appreciated the efforts of the government in preserving the Thripitaka and especially the decision of His Excellency Maithreepala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka, to declare Thripitaka as a National Heritage and also to take appropriate action to propose to the UNESCO to accept the Thripitaka as a World heritage and to list the same under the World Heritage Register of the UNESCO. Pursuant to the Dhamma Sermon over 150 devotees engaged in a discussion with the Most Ven. Santhindriya Thero on the importance of Thripitaka to Theravada Buddhists in the World and especially to Sri Lankan Buddhists.
With the participation of over 300 devotees the second Special Religious Programme was held at the Mahamewnawa Meditation Center on 24th March 2019. The religious observances was conducted by the Residence Monks of the Center. The special Dhamma Sermon was delivered by the Chief Sangha Upasthayaka Thero of the Mahamewnawa Meditation Centre. The Most Ven. Thero highlighted the importance of Theravada Thripitaka which is a unique national heritage of Sri Lanka. The Most Ven Thero referred to the dedication of Sri Lankan Buddhist Monks who have tirelessly preserved the Thripitaka over two Millennia and also to the fact that the Pali Canon was first written at Matale Alu Vihare during 1st Century BCE under the patronage of the King Walagamba which ensured the continuity of the Texts and propagation all over the World.
A documentary video on the Significance of Thripitaka was also screened at the beginning of the programme and a demonstration on online access of Thripitaka Version through the Mahamewnawa Website was held at the end of the programme.
