Vesak celebrations at the Berlin Vihara 2013

Sri Express, 4 Jul 2013

Berlin, Germany -- Vesak was celebrated at the Berlin Vihara (Das Buddhistische Haus in Berlin – Frohnau, Germany) on Sunday May 26, 2013 under the patronage of Hon. Sarath Kongahage, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Germany and in the presence of a large gathering of Buddhists and well – wishers drawn from various nationalities including Sri Lankan, German, Thai, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Laos, Burmese, Bangladesh among others. 

Altogether five Buddhist monks participated in the Vesak Day programme which was organised and co – ordinated by Mr. Tissa Weeraratna, Manager of the Berlin Vihara and Vice – President of the German Dharmaduta Society. They were the well known American monk Ven. Bhante Yogavacara Rahula, Ven. Mahasengama Punnananda Thero (Viharadhikari of the Kurunegala Athkanda Raja Mahavihara), Ven. Dikwelle Seelasumana Thero (Resident Monk), Ven. Kongaspitiye Santharakkhitha Thero (Resident Monk) and Rev. Nyanaviveka (German monk).  

Ven. Bhante Yogavacara Rahula in his Bana sermon explained the significance of Vesak as a special day for the Buddhists and commended the meritorious services being rendered by the German Dharmaduta Society via Das Buddhistische Haus (Berlin Vihara).

Hon. Sarath Kongahage, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Germany said that the spread of wrong views through mis- interpretation of the Buddha’s teachings was a matter of grave concern as it tended to harm the image of Buddhism, and discredit the Buddha’s sublime message, and therefore he said that the time has come for the Maha Sangha to address this problem seriously without any delay.

Ven. Dikwelle Seelasumana Thero in his sermon dealt with the importance of celebration of Vesak and the manner in which the observance of Vesak ought to be conducted in a meaningful and consequential way. He also thanked and offered merit to all those who had assisted in making the Vesak day event a success.

Ven.  Kongaspitiye Santharakkhitha Thero identified some of the prevailing misconceptions concerning Buddhism and proceeded to clarify them, and in addition explained how one could become a true Buddhist by striving to protect Buddhism from various challenges.

Mr. Tissa Weeraratna translated some of the addresses from English into German.   

A special pinkama (Buddha Puja) was held in the evening at the Berlin Vihara and the large gathering was delighted to listen to a moving Kavi – Bana sermon in Sinhala (use of poetry in the discourse) by the highly talented Dhamma preacher Rajakeeya Panditha Ven. Mahasengama Punnananda Thero from the Athkanda Vihara, Kurunegala.

Kavi Bana is a modern form of Dhamma preaching using poems and it is increasingly seen as effective in drawing the attention of the listeners and keeping them attentive throughout the sermon.

The members of the Sri Lankan community in Berlin, participated in the Vesak Day related organizing activities with much enthusiasm and were instrumental in colour washing parts of the building and decorating the premises in a manner appropriate to the celebration of Vesak.  Buddhist Flags and colourful  lanterns were prominently seen. A Dansal for lunch was organized by the Sri Lankan community and Afternoon Tea was offered to the visitors by the Berlin Sri Lanka Society.

The Berlin Vihara (Das Buddhistische Haus) is maintained by the German Dharmaduta Society founded by Asoka Weeraratna in 1952, and based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.


Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team


Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv


TOP