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SYMPOSIUM>
The Significance of Tripitaka as World Heritage (March 16, 2019)
by Mahinda Deegalle
Symposium: The Significance of Tripitaka
As World
Heritage
Date: 16 March 2019
at 2 pm
Location: The London
Buddhist Vihara, W4 1UD
The Sri Lankan High
Commission in London has organized this symposium in association with the
London Buddhist Vihara.
Presenters include
the following:
(1) Professor Rupert
Gethin (University of Bristol): “The Pali Tripitaka: Its Significance as a
source for the study of Buddhism”
(2) Dr. Elizabeth
Harris (University of Birmingham): “The Tripitaka as Part of World’s Heritage
of Spiritual Resources: A personal response”
(3) Professor
Mahinda Deegalle (Bath Spa University): “Sri Lanka’s Occupation with the
Tripitaka: Ancient and Modern Contributions to the Preservation and
Understanding of Buddhavacana, the ‘Word’ of the Buddha”
(4) Dr. Martin
Seager (University of Leeds): “Influence of the Pali Tipitaka Canon on Buddhist
Traditions in South Asia.”
The context for this
symposium is an event that took place in Sri Lanka. In responding to demands
from activists against distortions of the ‘Word’ of the Buddha by idiosyncratic
translations of some Sinhalese, President Maithripala Sirisena of Democratic
Republic of Sri Lanka declared the Tripitaka as a National Heritage on 5
January 2019. In addition, the week of 16-22 March 2019 has been declared as
Tripitaka Week with celebrations organized around the country and abroad. The
current plan is to enter the Buddhist Tripitaka in the Memory of Register at
UNESCO.
