Celebration to mark the 2600th Sambuddha Jayanthi in London, by the Buddhist organisations across the UK

British Buddhists come together to celebrate 2600^th Anniversary of the Enlightenment of the Buddha

Report By Pandula Ranatunga - Pictures By Rohan Herath, Chinthaka Weerasinghe & Amila

“On a full-moon day in May, he sat under the Bodhi tree in deep meditation and said. "I will not leave this spot until I find an end to suffering." During the night, he was visited by Mara, the evil one, who tried to tempt him away from his virtuous path. First he sent his beautiful daughters to lure Gautama into pleasure. Next he sent bolts of lightning, wind and heavy rain. Last he sent his demonic armies with weapons and flaming rocks. One by one, Gautama met the armies and defeated them with his virtue.

As the struggle ended, he realized the cause of suffering and how to remove it. He had gained the most supreme wisdom and understood things as they truly are. He became the Buddha, 'The Awakened One'. From then on, he was called Shakyamuni Buddha.”

On Sunday, 29th May 2011, in celebration of Buddha’s 2600^th Anniversary of Enlightenment a remarkable event took place at London’s Hammersmith Town Hall. This was a part of a series of events that culminated in a vibrant and memorable programme probably, the biggest Buddhist gathering UK has witnessed, that brought the Buddhist community across Great Britain to mark the 2600^th Anniversary of the Enlightenment of the Buddha. The event which was spearheaded and initiated by London Buddhist Vihara with help from the Buddhist Society, was the result of a unique collaboration between many Buddhist temples and organisations, across the UK, who co-operated and planned this event for over a year.

On the day, Hammersmith Town Hall was resplendently decorated with two impressive banners hung either side of the entrance-way depicting the unique moment of enlightenment in the Buddha’s life. The whole Hall was filled with the sweet aromas of colourful and fragrant flowers that were delicately arranged near the stage while seven traditional ceremonial brass lamps decorated in vibrant floral arrangements and foliage added a touch of grandness to a very rare and a respectful celebration. An enchanting stage backdrop of an image of the famous awe-inspiring Ruwanweli Saya from Sri Lanka brought a sense of reverence and majesty to the occasion. This was a rare opportunity for the whole of the Buddhist community in the United Kingdom to come together to celebrate in a one eventful day and collectively pay gratitude to Buddha for the supreme gift he passed on to the world. To pay homage to the Buddha’s incomparable compassion and his universal love for all beings captured, the stage bore witness to a series of inspirational talks, sermons, meditations, chantings and performances of music and dancing celebrating not just the true meaning of Buddhism but also its portrayal of cultural influence around the world.

The programme, which was hosted by Yann Lovelock a Senior Advisor of the Network of Buddhist Organisations, began with a Buddhist flag bearer’s procession representing different schools and traditions and escorted special guests in to the Main Stage. After the lighting of the Ceremonial Lamp, and the administering of The Five Precepts, Ven. Bogoda Seelawimala, Chair of the 2600^th Sambuddha Jayanthi Committee and Head of London Buddhist Vihara welcomed a packed hall of close to one thousand two hundred specially-invited guests who attended the event. A large section of the audience comprised Buddhist Monks, in the various shades of saffron and orange robes, which brought an air of colourful serenity not normally seen in a busy metropolitan performance hall. Among the speakers at the event were Ven. Ajahn Amaro (Abbot of the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, near Hemel Hempstead), Shinzan Miyamae Roshi (a Japanse Zen Master), Dr. Desmond Biddulph (Chair of The Buddhist Society, London). In addition to this, an inspirational keynote address delivered by Dr. Ananda Guruge (Director of the International Academy of Buddhism, University of the West, Los Angeles, USA), highlighted the timeless qualities of the Buddha's teachings and their relevance to modern international life.

The celebration also showcased the diversity of Buddhist culture in the UK with performances of music and dance, starting with the London Buddhist Vihara Choir, who sang a Sri Lankan Devotional Song; which was followed by a graceful Banner Dance performed by the Dunhuang Dance troupe of the London Fo Guang Shan. Additionally, the beautiful dance item presented by Miss. Bimala Maharajan of the Lumbini Nepalese Buddhist Society reflected the importance of the Bodhisattva Manjushri to the Nepalese Buddhist community. Finally, the audience enjoyed an uplifting choral performance from the Glorious Life Chorus, representing Sokka Gakkai International (UK), who sang 'Life is a Voyage', a song based on words of a poem by Dasiaku Ikeda (Lay Leader of Sokka Gakkai International) set to music by Roy and Howard Jones.

Finally, the assembled congregation were led in meditation on loving-kindness by Ven. Sr. Ajahn Sundara, of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, which was followed by chanting by monks of different Buddhist traditions. A Vote of Thanks was given by the Secretary of Sambuddha Jayanthi Committee, Dr. Arosha Bandara, on behalf of the Organising Committee who paid tribute to the cooperation of all the collaborating organisations.

The organisers express their sincere gratitude to the many Buddhist organisations and individuals who provided assistance, by donating both their time and money, to make this event possible. Additionally, they would like to thank Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham Council, the Acting High Commissioner of Sri Lanka and the various faith leaders, including Dr. Harriet Crabtree Director of the Interfaith Network for the UK and Father Walter de Mello, OBE, The Director of the Community of Reconciliation and Fellowship for attending this event. London Buddhist Vihara volunteers were instrumental in organising the logistics on the day, including the venue decorations, stage management, sound, souvenir production and refreshments.

For those who would still like a copy of the colourful 2600^th Sambuddha Jayanthi commemorative Souvenir, it is now available at the London Buddhist Vihara, The Dharmapala Building, The Avenue, Chiswick London W4 1UD
Telephone: +44 (0)20 8995 9493
Fax: +44 (0)20 8994 8130

Email: london.vihara@virgin.net