An historic conclave that addressed the Vinaya (monastic discipline) was held in India’s capital, New Delhi, earlier this month. The two-day conference concluded on 19 March and was attended by HH the Dalai Lama, the former prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile Samdhong Rinpoche, Sri Lankan Buddhist leaders, and monks from both Tibet and Sri Lanka, including members of the Asgiri Chapter (a division of the Sri Lankan monastic order Siam Nikaya) and the president of the Mahabodhi Society.
HH Dalai Lama and senior Sri Lankan monks. From Jeremy Russell/OHHDL
The purpose of the gathering was to discuss the Vinayas of the Theravada and the Nalanda traditions of Buddhism, the former being that practiced in Sri Lanka and the latter in Tibet and the Himalayas. A statement from the Home Ministry in India said that the meeting of the two traditions, which was organized by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) in India and coordinated by the IBC Sri Lanka Chapter, was “the first in 1300 years since the reign of King Harshavardhana in the 7th century” (The Times of India).
After a day-long dialogue, the Dalai Lama concluded that both traditions are in fact similar. “We compared the Theravada and Mulasarvastivada traditions, which are the Vinaya traditions of Sri Lanka and Tibet respectively, and found no significant differences between them,” he said (Tibetan Review). Following the discussion of other religious texts, His Holiness stressed that “We are spiritual brothers following Shakyamuni Buddha, but you are the senior students. I often mention that the Chinese are senior to us in their study of the Buddha’s teachings too. However, Tibetans make up for their junior status by the depth of their study and understanding. I am convinced we can learn from each other, and this has been a good beginning” (Tibetan Review).
The Dalai Lama with Ven. Nopena Premasiri. From indianexpress.com
The delegations of monks from Sri Lanka, which included the Mahanayakas (heads) of the three principal Sri Lankan Buddhist traditions (the Ramanna, Siam, and Amarapura Nikayas), and Tibet also met with Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs in India. Rijiju assured them of the conservation and repair of all Buddhist archaeological sites in India. “India is the birth place and the cradle of Buddhism and the government will ensure the upkeep and maintenance of all its archaeological sites,” dna reported Rijiju as saying.
The Sri Lankan monks also voiced their wish, and the wish of many Sri Lankan people, that the Dalai Lama would visit their country. His Holiness agreed, and urged the Sri Lankan monks to dialogue with Tibetan monks in India as well.
The International Buddhist Confederation was formed in 2012. Its motto is “Collective wisdom, united voice. Preserving our heritage, sharing our values,” and it now has a membership of over 300 Buddhist groups in 39 countries (The Times of India).