A News Item 20 February 2016
A Pinkama was held at the Berlin Buddhist Vihara (Das Buddhistische Haus) on Sunday February 14, to bestow merit and gratefully remember the altruistic and undying services rendered to the Buddha Sasana by Ven. Madulwawe Sobitha Thera, Dr. Paul Dahlke (founder of Das Buddhistische Haus), Asoka Weeraratna (later Ven. Mitirigala Dhammanisanthi Thera), founder of the German Dharmaduta Society, Berlin Vihara and Mitirigala Nissarana and all other former resident monks at the Berlin Vihara who are no longer among the living.
Ven. Kongaspitiye Santharakkhitha Thera (senior resident monk at the Berlin Vihara) conducted the Pinkama. Several Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka, Ven. Talalle Dhammajoti Thera (Senior Lecturer – University of Ruhuna), Ven. Udawalawe Gnanananda Thera (Viharadhipathi, Verona Buddhist Vihara) and Ven Thalpawila Kusalagnana Thera (Viharadhipathi, Hamburg Buddhist Vihara) also took part in the ceremony.
A special attraction at the Pinkama was the presence of a 35- member delegation from China comprising 25 Chinese Buddhist monks from the well known Da Xiang Guo Temple. They were on a tour of Germany and visited the Berlin Vihara for sightseeing and to extend their goodwill in acknowledging the services rendered to spread the teachings of the Buddha in Germany by Das Buddhistische Haus (Berlin Vihara).
Their tour of Germany to project Chinese Buddhist culture on stage to people of Europe is well illustrated in the following website: http://www.berlin-entertainment.org/portfolio-view/da-xiang-guo_-_tempel-des-lichts/
Karunatilaka Amunugama, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Germany), Tissa Weeraratna (caretaker of the Berlin Vihara) and a representative gathering comprising primarily Sri Lankan, Chinese and German Buddhists who are dayakayas of the Berlin Vihara attended the Pinkama.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=140726
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