A Maha Sangha convention organised by the Sasanarakshaka Sangha Sabha met in Colombo on Monday, calling for stronger protection of the Buddhasasana and warning of what senior clergy described as growing challenges facing Buddhist monks.
Addressing the gathering, Senior Professor Venerable Agalakada Sirisumana Thero said attempts could be made in future to discredit Buddhist monks and to create a situation in which they would be unable to engage freely with society. The Thero is a senior governing member of the Shasanarakshaka Sangha Sabha.
He alleged that certain groups had been working to weaken the influence and role of the Buddhist clergy, and said such efforts had been under way for some time. Monks could face greater challenges in the coming years, he said, calling for unity among the Sangha in responding to them.
Ven. Sirisumana Thero said the clergy should recognise their responsibilities and not remain silent in the face of such challenges, adding that the saffron robe carried a significant role in society and a duty to act with awareness of what it represented.
He stressed, however, that the purpose of the gathering was not to engage in political activity or to seek a change of government, but to demonstrate unity and address challenges facing the Buddhist community.
The convention was held under the theme “Sukha Sanghassa Saamaggi” — the harmony of the Sangha — at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre, with thousands of monks from across the country expected to attend. It also urged authorities to continue fulfilling the constitutional responsibility of protecting and fostering the Buddhasasana.
Organisers had said ahead of the event that they intended to adopt a set of proposals addressing the challenges raised and to submit them to the relevant authorities.
