On August 11, in Hanoi, the Viet Nam-Sri Lanka Friendship Association held an information-sharing session entitled “Buddhism in Sri Lanka - Traditions, Characteristics and Relations with Vietnamese Buddhism.” The program featured Venerable Thich Phap Quang, Standing Member of the Central Dharma Propagation Committee of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha, Member of the Liaison Committee for the Vietnamese Community in Sri Lanka, and founder and abbot of Truc Lam Viet Nam Zen Monastery in Sri Lanka, as the keynote speaker.
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| Venerable Thich Phap Quang speaks at the event. (Photo: Pham Ha) |
The event was organized as part of the Association’s efforts to implement its orientation of strengthening engagement with the Vietnamese community in Sri Lanka and promoting the role of individuals with credibility and expertise in people-to-people diplomacy, culture and Buddhism, in line with the guidance of the President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations at the Association’s 2nd National Congress for the 2026-2031 term.
According to Associate Professor and PhD Pham Van Linh, former Vice Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council and President of the Association, Buddhist exchanges are an important channel for strengthening understanding and closer ties between the peoples of the two countries. The session introduced distinctive values of Sri Lankan Buddhism while providing a forum for dialogue and networking between the Association and relevant agencies, organizations, experts and individuals interested in Viet Nam-Sri Lanka relations.
At the event, Venerable Thich Phap Quang introduced Sri Lankan Buddhism and the activities of Truc Lam Viet Nam Zen Monastery in Kandy, the first Vietnamese temple built in Sri Lanka.
Established in 2020, the monastery currently serves as a place of Buddhist practice and community gathering for around 200 Vietnamese people in Sri Lanka, more than half of whom are Buddhist monks and nuns studying at Buddhist institutions in the country.
In addition to featuring Vietnamese architectural and culinary traditions, the monastery provides free Vietnamese-language classes for local children with support from former Vietnamese Ambassadors to Sri Lanka. According to Venerable Thich Phap Quang, the classes at one point attracted more than 100 students, many of whom became able to communicate in Vietnamese and sing more than 20 Vietnamese songs.
Venerable Thich Phap Quang recalled that during the visit to Sri Lanka by the high-level Vietnamese delegation led by General Secretary and President To Lam in May 2026, two Sri Lankan children who had studied Vietnamese at Truc Lam Viet Nam Zen Monastery wore traditional costumes from Viet Nam’s mountainous regions and performed the Vietnamese song Di hoc (Going to School) in Vietnamese for the delegation.
The monastery has also organized meditation courses for local residents. According to information shared at the event, more than 200 meditation courses have been held to date, while the Truc Lam Scholarship Fund provides 35 scholarships for disadvantaged pupils and students. The monastery has also participated in well-digging, the construction of charitable houses and support for local people during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis.
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| Delegates pose for a group photo. (Photo: Pham Ha) |
Sri Lanka has a long-standing Buddhist tradition, with around 70% of its population practicing Buddhism. Venerable Thich Phap Quang said one important connection between Vietnamese and Sri Lankan Buddhism is the Nikaya canon, translated into Vietnamese by Most Venerable Thich Minh Chau and currently used in Buddhist education and training in Viet Nam.
At the session, delegates discussed similarities and differences between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, models of monastic organization, Buddhist education, as well as the process of building temples for the Vietnamese community in Sri Lanka.
The session took place as Viet Nam and Sri Lanka had recently upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Partnership in May 2026. In the Joint Statement issued during General Secretary and President To Lam’s State visit to Sri Lanka, the two sides agreed to strengthen connections between Buddhist organizations, promote cooperation between friendship and solidarity associations, and expand people-to-people exchanges.
Source: Vietnamtimes
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