Buddhism not an extremist religion: PM

Sri Lanka as a Buddhist nation gained international prestige by successfully conducting the UN Vesak Day festival recently. While engaging in such activities we should also try to protect and safeguard Buddhism without leaving room for any misgivings about Buddhism, said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Irrespective of whether we belong to the Buddhist clergy or laity, we should not create the impression that Buddhism is an extremist religion by word or deed. Violence and extremism had no place in Buddhism. For that matter, extremism had no place in any religion, he said.

"We have witnessed the damage caused by spreading extremist ideas into religion when the Western world too is deeply interested in Buddhism. We should protect Buddhism from extremists," Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

The Prime Minister expressed there sentiments addressing the gathering at the Upasampada (High ordination) ceremony of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya held at the Kalutara Bodhi complex on June 25.

The Prime Minister said the western world which was in the international forefront in the sphere of technology including information technology, was using machines to study and investigate the human mind.

"The Western world including US, UK and Germany as well as other European countries had immense wealth. But many of their people have faced problems regarding worldly life such as what end result could be gained by powerful nations by war, unlimited worldly pleasure and luxury and so on. They were searching for a feasible alternative for all these," the Premier said.

"This was where they get inclined towards Buddhism. There was a large number of Buddhists in the UK today. The Buddhist temples there were being maintained with the assistance of Englishmen who were Buddhist," he added.

He said, German people were more inclined towards Buddhism. All of them were now paying special attention toward Theravada Buddhism. They learn Buddhism with the help of books and journal. The Western world was turning towards Buddhism because it rejected greed, enmity, hatred and violence. Our duty today was to spread Buddhism with greater vigour and enthusiasm.

The Prime Minister said during his recent visit to New York, a friend came to meet him. The friend told him that he had purchased an old church building which is being used for Buddhist missionary activities. When asked as to how he managed to raise necessary funds, the friend told him that since Buddhists were few and far between, a majority of the residents who were non Buddhist Americans assisted him because they were interested in Buddhism.

Wickremesinghe said the Amarapura Nikaya had rendered a great service towards the revival of Buddhism since the 19th Century.

It was the Nikaya's first Upasampada ceremony presided over by Ven. Kotugoda Dhmmavasa Thera in his capacity as the new Mahanayake Thera and he was privileged and happy to attend the ceremony presided by the new Mahanayake Thera.

Wickremesinghe said he had a association with the new Mahanayake Thera for a very long time and the would extend his greetings and good wishes to new Mahanayake Thera.