The event organized by the embassy in Bangkok highlights close relationships based on Theravada foundations.
At the Bangkok Rama IX Golden Jubilee Temple on Saturday, the Sri Lankan Embassy held a ceremony to honor Vesak, the three three holy occasions that preceded the Buddha‘s beginning, revolution, and death.
The occasion even marked Sri Lanka’s 70th celebration of diplomatic ties with Thailand, highlighting their enduring religious and cultural ties, which are rooted in Theravada Buddhism.
In the third century BC, Arahant Mahinda, the brother of the Indian Emperor Ashoka and a loving priest, made his way to Sri Lanka as part of a noble quest to spread the Nirvana beyond India.
The king’s conversion was a result of Arahant Mahinda’s traditional encounter with King Devanampiyatissa near Mihintale, which established the Theravada custom in Sri Lanka.
Buddhism has spread throughout the area over the course of the past 2,000 years, shaping its cultural history, moral philosophy, and national identity.
Ancient Phradevvajra Nyanakavi, associate priest of the Rama IX Golden Jubilee Temple, stated in his opening address that Sri Lankan Buddhism was introduced to southern Thailand, then known as the Srivijaya Kingdom, in the third century BC.
He claimed that over time,” Lanka-Wangsa” Buddhism, or Sri Lankan heritage Buddhism, became firmly rooted in Thai culture.
He also cited a significant time in the spiritual change between the two nations, noting that King Sri Vijaya Rajasingha sent an envoy to King Borommakot of Ayutthaya to request the presence of Thai priests to promote the revival of Buddhism there.
He claimed that the Thai Sangha had a significant role in reinstating the church, which Sri Lankans now acknowledge as the basis of the” Siamwangsa” lineage.
Buddhism has been a gate of harmony and mutual understanding between our two countries for more than 800 years, according to Phradevvajra.
The Sri Lankan Embassy organized the event in acknowledgment of this shared belief by organizing a range of activities to develop stronger people-to-people contacts and develop religious and cultural bonds.
Individuals from both nations took part in the event, which started with a prayer and a Brahman talk given by Wat Chak Daeng’s Phra Maha Jonas Ariyawangso.
Following this, followers had the opportunity to give monks meal and participate in merit-making in accordance with Buddhist traditions.
Afterwards in the day, young people took part in a factory on making Vesak lanterns, which promoted creativity and social understanding among the younger generation.
A lantern-lit service and a meditation service, which represented the illumination of wisdom and peace, marked the conclusion of the event.
Vesak, according to Sri Lankan Ambassador Wijayanthi Edirisinghe, is the most divine day in the Buddhist timeline to observe the Buddha’s baby, revolution, and passing.
Sri Lanka and Thailand are two Theravada Buddhist countries, which have a common belief and a deeply rooted relationship that has been strengthened by generations of cultural exchange, she said.
” Now, as we observe Vesak, we are not just honoring our shared past, but we are also reaffirming the spiritual path we follow up. May this ceremony spur us on to strengthen our process, foster inward harmony, and spread compassion throughout our houses, communities, and borders.