Heartfelt congratulations to the Buddhist Association of China ,the Hong Kong Buddhist Association and the China Religious Culture Communication Association for the organization of the 3rd World Buddhist Forum. Great assemblies like this forum are brilliant contributions to strengthen international friendship and dialogue for the benefit of working towards a harmonious society. Its remarkable and exemplary for bringing together hundreds of Buddhist of various traditions from all over the world.

Buddhism is one of the oldest religions of the world and is practiced by a large number of people in many parts of the world, particularly the South East Asian countries. As Buddhism made progress and spread to different parts of the world, new thoughts and improvisations came to be attached with the existing beliefs and practices. This led to the development and evolution of different schools of Buddhism or Buddhist sects.

As the President of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress, I am here today from the island of Sri Lanka known as Seng-Kia-Lo (Simhala-The Kingdom of Lions) or Seih-lan (Simhalē), the Simhaladipa (Sri Lanka) to China right from about 1st century B.C. It was undoubtedly Buddhism that laid the foundation for the glorious friendship between Sri Lanka and China which strengthened by the commercial relations that existed between the two countries to date.

The Chinese Buddhist monk Fa-Hsien and Sinhala navigator Nandi built cultural relationship that developed between two lands. This unbroken long friendship between the two kingdoms had already inherited over twenty centuries.

The theme of this year’s forum, Common Aspirations and Actions Towards a Harmonious World, is a very necessary appeal to share the profound wisdom of the many methods through their implementation and practical application in all aspects of our modern society, in order to find new solutions to overcome the present global emergencies and environmental crisis. The World Buddhist Forum is a platform for joining hands and is of major significance for a common dedication towards building a peaceful and harmonious world. I greatly rejoice in the organization of this auspicious event and hope it will be of great inspiration for this and the future generations.

Buddha’s advice towards good governance known as Dasaraja Dhamma,

which if implemented assists the spiritual leadership of a Dhammaraja resulting in sustainable peace towards preventing war-displacement.

What becomes clear from the teachings of the Buddha contained in inscriptions the canonical scriptures which are evidently the words of the Buddha himself is that living in accordance with Buddhist principles should minimize conflict. A harmonious world is the most important goal for the future and Buddha-Dharma is the best vehicle to reach this goal. In the Madhupindika Sutta the Buddha describes his teaching as one that enables a person living in conformity with it to live in the world without entering into dispute with anyone in the world. It is a teaching that guides people in the direction of eliminating all latent corruptions in their minds, the latent tendencies to attachment, aversion dogmatic clinging, doubt, conceit, attachment to becoming and delusion.

We consider that this year’s main theme of the World Buddhist Forum will be more useful for the changing world to overcome the issues and problems by the teaching of the Buddha. We Buddhist engage in Buddhism and apply the moral qualities known as brahma-viharas to our lives. It is by cultivating these noble qualities and practicing them that we will be able to maintain a healthy mind and a healthy body. All these qualities convey a universal message. They give the most satisfactory way of living in harmony with one’s fellow men and women for everlasting world peace.

May all living beings be well and happy !

（SPEECH BY MR. JAGATH SUMATHIPALA, PRESIDENT OF THE ALL CEYLON BUDDHIST CONGRESS – SRI LANKA）