Hon Gamini Jayawickrema Perera , The Minister of Buddhist Affairs paid homage to the Buddha’s tooth relic, at the Ling Guan Temple in Beijing China with H.E Karunasena Kodituwakku the Ambassador of Sri Lanka in China . Mr Asanka Perera Member of North Western Provincial Council, Mr Sumathi Dharmawardena (Attorney at Law)- Hon President Sri Lanka China Buddhist Friendship Association (SLCBFA) , Mr R.Y.B Jayasekera Coordinating Secretary to Hon Minister and Media Secretary to Hon Minister of Foreign Affairs ,Mr.Susantha Balapatabendi (Attorney at Law)-Vice President of SLCBFA, Mr Kanchana Rathnayake Deputy Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs , Mr Hao Weimin took part in this visit .
Most Ven Chang Zhang the Chief Incumbent of Ling Guan Temple accorded formal welcome to the delegation and made arrangements to pay homage to Buddha’s tooth relic at the inner chamber of the pagoda which was constructed in 7th Century AD during the Tang Dynasty . Most Ven Chang Zhan informed that In 1961 , Tooth Relic in Ling Guan Temple was brought to then Ceylon (Sri Lanka) , for the exposition and large number of devotees had paid homage . Thereafter , Lord Buddha’s Tooth Relic was taken to Myanmar and Thailand for expositions , where large number of Buddhists paid homage to sacred relics .
Hon Gamini Jayawickrema Perera stated, that Sri Lanka and China had maintained close friendship , due to Buddhist Friendship which started over 1600 years back . Hon Minister of Buddhist Affairs made a request on behalf Sri Lanka Govt. to Chief Incumbent of Ling Guan temple to bring the Buddha tooth relic to Sri Lanka for Vesak celebrations of 2019 , for Buddhist of Sri Lanka to pay homage to Buddha’s tooth relics . Most Ven Chang Zhang agreed to the said request . In addition Hon Minister invited Most Ven Chang Zhang to visit Sri Lanka for the Esala Perahera .
Hon Minster of Buddha Sasana met most Ven. Xue Cheng thero, President of Buddhist Association of China at Guang Ji Temple in Beijing and discuss of promotion of Buddhist Friendship between our two countries . H. E. Karunasena Kodituwaku – Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to China joined, the Hon Minister of Buddha Sasana and discuss about making arrangements for the exposition of Lord Buddha’s Tooth Relic in China, during next Vesak festival , to be held in 2019 May in Sri Lanka . Most Ven Xue Cheng Mahanayake thero -The President of Buddhist Association of China undertook to consider this request favourably . Mr Wang Li, Director International Affairs of Buddhist Association of China also took part in this discussion.
Hon Minister of Buddhist Affairs is visiting China on an invitation extended by Buddhist Association of China and coordinated by the the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka China Buddhist Friendship Association .
Mr Sumathi Dharmawardena presents a replica of a Sri Lankan Dagaba (Pagoda) to Chief Incumbent of Ling Guan Temple . Minister of Buddhist Affairs Hon Gamini Jayawickrema Perera and Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to China H.E.Karunasena Kodituwakku were present .
Lord Buddha’s Tooth Relic at Ling Guan Temple . This Tooth Relic was brought to then Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1961 for public exposition and large number of Sri Lankan’s paid homage .
