Chinese monks participate in Pirith ceremony to commemorate 65 th. anniversary of Sino-Lankan diplomatic relations

Colombo, February 28 (newsin.asia): Chinese monks participated on-line in the Pirith ceremonies to commemorate the 65 th anniversary of Sino-Lankan diplomatic relations held in various places in Sri Lanka on February 26.

The Sri Lanka-China Buddhist Friendship Association in collaboration with the Buddhist Association of China conducted a Blessing/Pirith Ceremony at the Abhayagiriya Temple in Anuradhapura, and the Sri Lanka Vidyalaya, Maradana. The Buddhist Association of China had made arrangements for the Venerable Theros from the Lingguang Temple in Beijing and Putuao Temple in Guangdong to join the ceremony online.

The chanting ceremony by the Chinese Buddhist monks was led by the Most Ven. Chang Zhang Thero and Most Ven. Ming Sheng Thero.

Ven. Fa'Xian Thero had spent two years at Abhayagiri Temple early in fifth century AD collecting and translating Sinhala language Buddhist texts. He later produced many records of his visits.

Despite the COVID-19 related restrictions in China, the Sri Lankan Ambassador in China, Dr. Palitha Kohona and four officers from the Embassy also attended the event at the Lingguang Temple, a historic shrine, where one of the two Tooth Relics of the Buddha is kept. The other is in Kandy.

After the formal ceremony, the Ambassador and the Embassy Officials were given the rare opportunity to worship the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha.

The Lingguang temple was originally built in the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD). The temple had been designated a National Key Buddhist Temple of the Han Chinese by the State Council of China in 1983.

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