 |
| Photograph: ColomboPage |
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena declared Theravada Buddhism the island’s biggest wealth, at a Buddhist religious festival in Kandy this week.
Speaking at the conclusion of the Esala Perahera festival at the president’s residence in Kandy, Mr Sirisena said,
"We have inherited high moral values that no other developed country in this world possesses, because of our proud culture which developed with the philosophy of the Buddha."
"The biggest wealth we can give to this troubled world is the Theravada Buddhism," he added.
Theravada Buddhism is the branch followed by the majority of Sinhala Buddhists on the island, with followers of the Mahayana sect coming under attack on the island in the past.
As is customary in Sri Lanka, the head of the state was subsequently presented with a set of religious scrolls as the Buddhist festival drew to a close.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
