Saturday, 24 May 2014 00:00
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The Vesak festival organised by the Sri Lankan Embassy in Cuba was held from 14 to 18 May at the Embassy premises on a grand scale for the second consecutive year.
The members of the Sri Lankan community and the students in Cuba enthusiastically took part in religious observances including offering of alms and flowers and other meritorious deeds. The Embassy premises were colourfully decorated with Buddhist flags, illuminations, lanterns, pandals, etc. for the Thrice Blessed Day which was reminiscent of a typical ‘Vesak’ festival in Sri Lanka.
A special feature of the Vesak was the opportunity afforded to members of the Diplomatic Corps and Cuban dignitaries to join the celebrations and participate in Buddhist rituals.
Ambassador Sarath Dissanayake in his brief address to the audience spoke of the importance of promoting peace, compassion and understanding among people of different religious and socio - cultural backgrounds by respecting other religious beliefs, and practising loving kindness toward one another.
He also noted that ‘Vesak,’ which is celebrated by Buddhists as the holiest day in the Buddhist calendar, is a day of reflection for them to re-dedicate themselves towards attaining moral emancipation.
The Vesak Festival held at the Embassy premises was a happy and spiritual occasion for the Buddhist community in Cuba which brought happy memories and peace of mind in keeping with the teachings of the Lord Buddha.
