Members of various religions help Buddhist monks affected by the Myanmar earthquake
A day after Buddhists marked Vesak Poya, a fundraiser was held in Colombo, attended by 80 Myanmar monks . Muslims, Hindus, and Christians also joined the show of solidarity. After the earthquake in Myanmar, many Sri Lankans raised funds and collected aid for the more than 400 monks studying in the country after their families and donors could no longer support them. For Fr Rohan Silva, the student monks need a helping hand, like Sri Lankans did after the 2004 tsunami.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Venerable Sasthrapati Kithalagama Hemasara Nayaka Thero, abbot of the Mirihana Vivekaramaya temple and Chief Sanghanayake of the Western Province in Sri Lanka, led a traditional almsgiving tour on 13 May, an event held for the past 11 years the day after Vesak Poya, a major Buddhist celebration.
Muslim, Hindu, and Christian religious leaders and groups joined the Mirihana Vivekaramaya Temple Council (Dayaka Sabhawa), the Buddhist Women's Association, the Maharagama Regional Secretariat, and the Dharma Shakhi Organisation, to contribute to this charitable initiative. Some 80 Buddhist monks from Myanmar were also present at the event.
The recent earthquake in Myanmar killed thousands of people with tens of thousands of injured and displaced. Dry rations, hygiene kits and financial aid have been provided to Myanmar monks who have been studying in Sri Lanka for years.
Venerable Kithalagama Hemasara Thero said that more than 400 monks from Myanmar are in the island nation to pursue secondary and higher education as well as postgraduate degrees.
Hitherto, relatives and donors in Myanmar met their needs during their studies in Sri Lanka but, following the earthquake, many were killed, while others were injured or displaced, forcing the student monks to seek help elsewhere.
The abbot of Mirihana Vivekaramaya praised the decision made by the president of the Dharma Shakthi, Dr Assaji Nayaka Thero, and retired Methodist Bishop Asiri Perera, with Muslim, Hindu, and Christian religious leaders, to support as much as possible the Myanmar monks.
Effective fundraising allowed many people to participate. “They all contributed material aid and cash, which are a great help to Myanmar monks in this troubled period,” Bishop Perera told AsiaNews. “A few Sri Lankan monks, along with 60 monks who came from Myanmar, embarked on the alms drive today, and we are happy to offer the love of our Christian hearts to them this way,” he added.
For Sri Lankans, the Myanmar earthquake brought back memories of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that hit the country.
“We saw how the people of Sri Lanka as well as people from foreign countries, came to help us,” said Fr Rohan Silva speaking to AsiaNews. “The support given with warm hearts during a disaster enabled us to take care of our people who were affected for months,” added the clergyman, who heads the Centre for Society and Religion in Colombo. “Therefore, we wanted to extend our hands of love in any way we could to the helpless people affected by the earthquake in Myanmar.”
The initiative, titled “Shaken Hearts against the Shaken Earth,” was posted on social media, seeking support for the fundraiser. A significant number of people heeded the call, including several women's religious orders, as well as Caritas Sri Lanka-SEDEC, making a financial contribution, both individually and as a group.
“When we heard about this disaster, we were thinking about how to help them. Finally, we got this opportunity from the Venerable Kithalagama Hemasara Thero to help those who need our help,” Sister Chrishanthi Basil told AsiaNews.
“The people who were helping the Myanmar Buddhist monks have been affected severely, and they are not in a position to continue their usual help,” said the Good Shepherd nun, who is also a member of the committee that runs the Dharma Shakthi Foundation. “So we are happy that we could help the monks with necessities as much as we can.”
“We are unable to support in person those who are affected,” Sister Chrishanthi explained. But “Helping the people who are closer to us is a good way to show our sensitivity towards the affected.”
The nun also mentioned that 400 Buddhist monks from Myanmar were studying in Colombo, and elsewhere in the country.
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24/01/2007
