President Rajapaksa participates annual Katina Ceremony of Gangarama Temple
Onlanka News – By Janaka Alahapperuma
(Pix By: Chandana Perera)
President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Mrs Shiranthi Rajapaksa participated the annual Katina ceremony organized by the Gangaramaya Temple, Hunupitiya, Colombo in the early hours on 08 November. The Katina Perahera (procession) was started from the Temple Trees with participation of the President, family members, Temple Trees staff and large number of devotees of the temple. The Katina Robe, holy relics and other sacred Buddhist objects with flower poles and flags were paraded to the temple.
The Katina dhana along with the Katina Robe was offered to Maha Sanga with great respect and devotion by President Rajapaksa and the members of the dayaka sabhawa. Maha sanga headed by Mahanayaka of the Asgiriya Chapter Ven. Dr Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Nayaka thero, Chief Incumbent of the temple Ven. Galaboda Gnanissara Nayaka thero and Ven. Dr Kirinde Assaji thero conducted the religious sermons.
Chairman of the Gamgaramaya Temple dayaka sabhawa, Ranjith Wijewardhena also participated at the ceremony.
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He is a real JANA NAYAKA (a leader of people). We are lucky to have such a devoted Buddhist leader for our mother land. He always will be an example for many leaders in homeland and other lands as well. He is brave, righteous and also just and wise.
Ciram jayatu maharaja!
May the Trile Gem bless you!
I agree with Ven Chandavimala Thero. How fortunate SL is in having such a great leader! Hon Mahinda Rajapaksa is not only a politician, he is a Statesman. He is a spiritual man who respects all major religions as serving man’s spiritual aspirations. He leads a virtuous life.
Man is not just flesh and blood. Man has also a spiritual soul which is eternal. By living according to our conscience we become virtuous. We realize GOD in ourselves. God the Great Spirit will dwell in our souls. Our soul becomes the living Temple of God. We will then have peace and joy in us that will radiate out to our fellowmen. Through our righteous lives we declare God’s presence on earth. There will be peace on earth if we all lead spiritual lives by living according to our conscience. It is not a great deal to ask. MR is setting example to his brother politicians to live according to their conscience. Not to be grasping but to be giving. To be detached from self-seeking, self-serving and self-agrandising. This is the great universal noble truth Holy Buddha taught us 2600 years ago, when he became enlightened as he meditated under the sacred Bo tree. To be free of desire.
The leader of the nation, above all, should set the example of not being self-serving but self giving. Not to be aspiring after power and glory but seeking to be serving the nation as one people, with no minorities, as MR quite rightly declared. The Sri Lankan nation is one family. We should respect each other’s spiritual and cultural values, aspirations and rights. We should not be divisive. JVP and TNA are divisive. They have become blinded to spiritual values. Their leaders are full of turmoil within themselves. They are blind to spiritual and moral values, which lead to peace and joy. Such men mislead people to riot and political strife. They have become degenerates. They are wicked in trying to gain power, through riots, militancy and bloodshed, over the bodies of those who have been misled and sacrificed, to realize their narrow, petty politcal objectives.
Stalin, Hitler and VP are no more. They were evil dictators with narrow political objectives. They caused suffering to millions. They now suffer for all eternity in hell.
Our Hon President is a unique model for the whole world of what a Statesman should be. He is a spiritual man whose objectives are to serve the nation, to uphold everyone’s right to quality life. Another such great son of Buddhism is Asoka the Great. He followed the teachings of Lord Buddha to serve the peoples of his time in India, which he had unified. From a blood-thirsty, power-hungry madman, he became a gentle, noble, spiritual man, totally detached of desire, to serve the nation humbly, to uphold everyones rights and aspirations. Our noble Mahinda Rajapaksa is following in the steps of Asoka the Great, to lift Mother Lanka to be a bright sun to enlighten the whole world, not only to care for our people but also to care for our environment its fauna and flora, which sustain us. He seeks to build and not to destroy. His virtuous life is his shield against his enemies. Devdutta could not kill Lord Buddha. Neither could the enemies of MR kill him. The noble Mahinda has many more years to serve his people to unify and re-build a tattered nation. We should all work to realize this objective by walking along the Mahinda Chintanaya.
May the Lord our God grant him long life and a long reign!