The forthcoming International Sangha Forum Bodhgaya-2023 (ISFB) will make history as the largest Buddhist gathering of the century, scheduled for December 20th to 23rd, 2023, this monumental event will convene representatives from over a hundred International Buddhist Organizations worldwide. Taking place in Bodh Gaya, the sacred birthplace of the Buddha, the forum will be presided over by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and joined by a distinguished assembly of over two thousand Maha Sangha from Sri Lanka, India, Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Bhutan, Nepal, Japan, Russia, Korea, and Mongolia.
The primary objective of the International Sangha Forum is “to bridge the gaps between various Buddhist traditions, fostering a deeper understanding of the diverse traditions scattered across the globe”. By narrowing these distances, the forum aspires to contribute to creating a united global Buddhist community. With this vision in mind, the forum theme is the “Study of Similarities Between Different Buddhist Traditions and Using Buddhism as a Practical Tool for the Modern World.”
Simultaneously, the forum will host the second international Bhikku exchange program. The Foundation for Buddhist Brotherhood is the organiser for this event in Sri Lanka. Over a hundred laypersons and monks from Sri Lanka are expected to participate, led by the Chairperson of the Foundation for Buddhist Brotherhood, Dr. Damenda Porage and the Supreme Patriarch of Tri Nikaya in Sri Lanka.
The chief guest for the first day of the event is the Most Venerable Warakagoda Gnanarathana Thero, the Maha Nayaka of the Asgiri Chapter. The pinnacle of the event will be the discourse conducted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on December 24th. Additionally, His Holiness will bestow blessings through the recitation of Pirith at the Maha Bodhi Stupa in Bodh Gaya.
Concluding the four-day event on December 24th, a grand Pirith chanting ceremony will be led by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, accompanied by 2000 Maha Sangha members, offering blessings to the world.
© satipatthana.net
