Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance will be amended soon -President

The amendments to Sections 41 and 42 of the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance will be introduced soon ensuring the formal establishment of the Sangha Council, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today.

He said this at the ceremonial awarding of the 'Sri Sannas Patra' to the newly appointed Mahanayaka Thera of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya, Most Venerable Karagoda Uyangoda Maithree Moorthi Maha Nayaka Thera at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH).

The President said amendments to Sections 41 and 42 of the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance have been drafted and steps will be taken to present them to the Cabinet soon and that once approved, they will be submitted to Parliament for enactment, ensuring the formal establishment of the Sangha Council.

The President also said that discussions are currently underway with the Mahanayaka Theras regarding the Buddhist Dialogue Act as well. 

Addressing the ceremony, President Dissanayake said that in the process of restoring a morally upright nation, the Maha Sangha and religious institutions of this country bear an irreplaceable and profound responsibility.

The President further emphasised that no matter how many economic and political victories are achieved, they will be meaningless if a just and virtuous society is not established.

The President highlighted that the restoration of the nation’s fractured society cannot be achieved through law alone and stressed the need to build a compassionate society. 

He further stated that the country urgently requires a strong national dialogue on the essence of liberation, as preached by the Buddha and other religious leaders, for the well-being of its citizens. and granting the necessary authority to the Mahanayaka Theras and the Sangha Sabha.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented the ‘Sri Sannas Patra’ to the newly appointed Supreme Mahanayaka Thera of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya.