Commemorating the birth, the enlightenment, and the passing away of the Buddha, Vesak Day was celebrated on May 15, 2022 with the participation of the Sri Lankan Community at the ‘Grande Pagode du Bois de Vincennce’ in Paris.
After a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Vesak Celebrations were organised by Ven. Parawahera Chandrarathana thera, Chief of the International Buddhist Centre, Le Bourget, Paris with the support of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Paris.
The event commenced with a procession of Buddhist relics, flags accompanied by traditional music and the offering of flowers to Buddha. Religious observances in Theravada and Mahayana were conducted.
The event consisted of a sermon from Ven. Chandrarathana on Vesak Day and its objectives in today’s context, an address by Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the French Republic, highlighting the importance of Vesak Day to all the Buddhists around the world including Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam Cambodia and Laos and finally the event was concluded with a meditation program conducted by Alain Durel on ‘the four noble truths and the eight paths’.
The Maha Sangha from Sri Lankan, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, and Taiwanese temples in Paris, officials of the Embassy of Sri Lanka and devotees from different Buddhist Communities were in attendance to commemorate this important day.