This is the second opportunity that the Brazil Buddhist Society of Brazil has to honourably being able to represent the Brazilian Buddhist community in this Conference.
The Brazil Buddhist Society, headquartered in Rio De Janeiro, has had as spiritual guide Ven spiritual. Puhulwelle Vipassi Nayaka Thero, born in the Sri Lanka and resident in Brazil since 1990, until its death in October of 2006. Since this great loss for Dhamma in Brazil and South America, BBS has been engaged in the spreading of the Project Rio Buddhavihara, a long term initiative of that aims to create a firm and lasting home for the Buddhist Teachings and its practice in Brazil.
This Project will be accomplished through the establishment of Study and Practice of Buddhism under orientation spiritual of the Theravada Bhikkhu Sangha. Thus, it represents an initiative for enormously strenghtening the presence of the Dhamma in Brazil and the South America as a whole.
The Project Rio Buddhavihara has as specific objectives:
I) To establish a lasting home for legitimate representatives of the Bhikkhu-Sangha, in such a way assuring the preservation and transmission of the Teachings of Lord Buddha;
II) To build and to mantain a landmark of Buddhist Culture and Teachings in Brazil, thus unifying the International Buddhist Theravada Buddhist Community;
III) To build a new physical structure in the configuration of a Buddhist Vihara, in acordance to the objectives of the project in the long term and for the benefit of many.
BBS's members have the honor to be able to represent the Brazilian Buddhist Community in this auspicious event, as at it represents an unique opportunity for strengthening the dialogue and definition of long-term partnership and cooperation initiatives aiming at a World-wide Buddhist Community joined and active in the construction of a future of peace and religious tolerance, basic principles of the Teachings of Lord Buddha.