The Third Phase of the Pali and Sanskrit International Bhikku Exchange Program commenced in India

One of the largest Buddhist settlements in India is located in Mundgod, home to several Tibetan universities that uphold the Nalanda tradition. Among these are Ganden, Drepung, and Loseling monasteries, where around 20,000 Buddhist monks study. The International Pali and Sanskrit Bhikku Exchange Program was inaugurated in Bodh Gaya in 2022 under the patronage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with the aim of bridging the gap between the two traditions and promoting mutual understanding. The third phase of this program commenced in India on December 21, 2024, with participation from Buddhist monks representing Sri Lanka, Tibet, India, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, and Bhutan, including 11 monks from Sri Lanka.

The inauguration ceremony of this program took place on January 7, 2025, at the Ganden Shasthre Monastic University in Karnataka, India. The Chief Guest for the event was the Dean of the Pali and Sanskrit Cultural Exchange Center in Sri Lanka and the President of the International Buddhist Confederation in New Delhi, the Most Venerable Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Maha Nayaka Thero who also serves as the Maha Nayaka of the Sambuddha Sasanodaya Sangha Sabha.
Following the performance of religious activities in accordance with both Pali and Sanskrit traditions, the welcome speech was delivered by Kensur Rinpoche Lobsang Gyatso, the General Secretary of the International Geluk Foundation. During the program, Dr. Damenda Porage, founder of Buddhist Brotherhood and General Secretary of the International Buddhist Confederation, spoke about efforts to preserve Buddhism. He recalled a discussion with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya in 2017, where they emphasized the importance of uniting Buddhist traditions worldwide to create a new pathway for Buddhism. Based on His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s proposal, the International Bhikku Exchange Program was initiated, followed by the establishment of the International Pali and Sanskrit Cultural Exchange Center. Dr. Porage also announced a significant milestone that for the first time a Tibetan Buddhist monk would serve as a resident monk at the center to teach Tibetan language and traditions. For the third phase of this exchange program, a versatile delegation of Buddhist monks led by Venerable Niggaha Gnaninda Thero has taken part, he further said.
The event was graced by the presence of several esteemed personalities including the Sangha Nayaka of Dakshina Lanka, Venerable Kosgoda Gnaninda Nayaka Thero, the Director General of the International Buddhist Confederation, Abhijit Halder, the General Secretary of the IBC, Kensur Rinpoche Jangchup Choden and Pari Jingpa, the East Asian Coordinator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

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