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Kirsan Ilyumzhinov to become a custodian of the Buddha Shakyamuni relics |
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 13:38 |
On November 16th 2011 there was an official meeting between the FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and Deputy Secretary of the Buddhist patriarchy Amarapura Maha Nikaya Mr. Pallekande Ratanasara Maha Tepo, to discuss technicalities of the arrival of sacred relics from Sri Lanka to the Republic of Kalmykia.
As Mr. Pallekande Ratanasara underlined, further to the Sri Lanka patriarchy decision, the relics of Buddha will be presented to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov as a gift to commemorate his contribution to the development of Buddhism in Kalmykia, Russia and the world.
Following the Buddhist Sangha tradition of Sri Lanka, the relics of Buddha can be passed to a specific individual, after the decision of the Sri Lanka Buddhist patriarchy.
The Buddhist monk stressed that this decision dates back the mid 90s, when the activities of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in the matters of the development of Buddhism in Kalmykia has become noticeable not only in Russia, but in the world.
However, due to various circumstances, political and not, the transfer of the relics was postponed.
However, during the summer visit of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov to Sri Lanka, the Head of the Sri Lanka Buddhist patriarchy has confirmed his determination to pass the relics of the Sacred Teacher. Besides, alongside with the sacred relics, the FIDE President will receive a shoot of a sacred tree Jaia Sri Maha Bodha, which, according to a legend, has been grown, from the sprout of a tree, under which Buddha Shakyamuni received his enlightenment, and which was brought to Sri Lanka in 288 BC by Ashoka the Emperor. According to Mr. Pallekande Ratanasar, in future, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, as a custodian of the sacred relics, will be able to pass them, by his decision, to a specific person or one of the Buddhist temples.
The same day, there was a telephone conversation between Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in the Russian Federation Udayanga Weeratunga, brother of the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa. During the conversation the Ambassador congratulated Mr. Ilyumzhinov on this remarkable event and expressed his wish to arrive in Kalmykia on a working visit, on the day when the sacred relics reach the Republic.
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