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Vietnam Truc Lam Monastery near Kandy takes meditation to all communities
ECONOMYNEXT – Vietnam Truc Lam monastery in Kandy’s Ambakote area in Digana is promoting meditation and is attracting interest from Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese and Tamil communities as well as foreigners.
On Vesak Day a newly built danasala (refectory) and kuti (lodging) for monks were opened adding to the other buildings including the main hall, which were build earlier.
Villagers were associated in the opening ceremony officiated by the Vietnam Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ho Thi Thanh Truc. Young people in the area and students are also closely involved with the temple.
“When we first started the monastery, it was the children who came to see what this was about,” Venerable Dhammaloka Thero said. “They helped me plant trees. The parents came later and got involved in temple activities.”
The monastery conducts English classes and Vietnamese classes for children and adults.
“We had a 70 year old lady who came to study Vietnamese as well,” the monk says.
Venerable Vietnam Dhammaloka thero came to Sri Lanka 10 years ago to study at the Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy (SIBA Campus) in Pallekelle. When Vietnamese groups visited Sri Lanka, they ask whether there was a Vietnam temple in the island, he said.
At that time he was planning to go to London to read for a Master’s degree. But at the time there were five young Vietnamese monks studying at several Pirivenas in Sri Lanka. Out of consideration for them he abandoned plans to go to London and did his Master’s in Buddhist Studies and Pali language at the Kelaniya University.
He then started to make plans to set up a Vietnam temple.
The two-acre land for Truc Lam Monastery was donated by Venerable Ilwane Ananda Thero, the chief incumbent of Sri Sugatha Thapowana Temple in Digana, where the Vietnamese monk had stayed while studying for his degree.
“There were a lot of bamboo trees in the land,” the monk recalls. “Truc Lam means forest of bamboo.”
The main hall was built first. Benefactors from Vietnam and others helped him.
“We focus on meditation,” Venerable Dhammaloka explains. “Everyday in the evening from 5 to 6 pm many locals come to our temple to meditate.
“Every Sunday we have mindfulness meditation for adults and foreigners. On Poya Days we conduct a meditation program for children. I have been to many Dhamma schools in Sri Lanka to teach meditation to children.”
The monk has also taught meditation to children at several local Tamil language schools.
“At the Truc Lam Monastery we make no distinction between ethnic groups or religions ,” explains the Thero.
“Everybody is welcome. Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Tamil and Sinhalese and foreigners come here.”
It took four years from 2020 to build the Main Hall, Budu Geya, the Main Gate, as well as the Danasala and Kuti which were the latest buildings to be opened on Vesak day 2024.
The Covid pandemic was a tough time for the villagers who are considered the family of Truc Lam Temple.
“We provided rice and dry rations for those in need,” recalls the Chief monk. The Temple also helped dig wells in the Ambakote village and the school.
On Poya days food is still distributed to some needy people.
Then a scholarship program was set up for students. Each student in the program now gets 5,000 rupees and 10 kilograms of rice per month.
The Truc Lam scholarship program was also extended to students who went to university with a 10,000 rupee stipend. One student is in Jaffna university, one in Peradeniya and one in the Open University.
They are sponsored by the Chief monk and benefactors in Vietnam.
The temple is also helping some elderly nuns, around Kandy. “They are very old and cannot support themselves,” the monk explains.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
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