{"id":112368,"date":"2021-03-05T16:55:44","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T23:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=112368"},"modified":"2021-03-05T16:55:44","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T23:55:44","slug":"50th-anniversary-1957-2007-of-the-first-sri-lankan-buddhist-mission-to-germany-commemorated-with-the-issue-of-a-commemorative-postage-stamp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/03\/05\/50th-anniversary-1957-2007-of-the-first-sri-lankan-buddhist-mission-to-germany-commemorated-with-the-issue-of-a-commemorative-postage-stamp\/","title":{"rendered":"50th Anniversary (1957-2007) of the first Sri Lankan Buddhist Mission to Germany commemorated with the issue of a commemorative postage stamp"},"content":{"rendered":"

Janaka Perera<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Buddhism is definitely making headway in Germany and the rest of\nEurope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

http:\/\/archives.dailynews.lk\/2007\/08\/28\/news24.asp<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"First<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

First Sri Lankan Buddhist Mission to Germany<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 First Sri Lankan Buddhist Mission to\nGermany  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

http:\/\/collect.ceylanka.net\/itempage.asp?prod=MS-LK-07150&dum=19<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  Buddhism is\ndefinitely making headway in Germany and the rest of Europe.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expressing this view were prominent German invitees to a very\nsignificant event marking the 50th anniversary (1957-2007) of the first Sri\nLankan Buddhist Mission to Germany, at the Savsiripaya Auditorium in Colombo 7,\nSri Lanka on August 22.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka honoured the mission – sponsored by the German\nDharmadutha Society – with the issue of a commemorative postage stamp and a\nfirst day cover by the Government Philatelic Bureau. This is the second time\nthat a Sri Lankan Postage Stamp depicting a scene in Germany has been issued\nhere. Nihal Sangabo Dias designed the new stamp issued on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guest of Honour, German Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Juergen Weerth\nthanked the Sri Lankan Authorities for honouring his country in this manner.\nFocusing on Buddhism’s contribution to the creation of close and sustainable\nlinks between the two countries, he said the understanding the teachings of the\nBuddha had been growing in Germany and the rest of Europe for the past 50\nyears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: “Germans have always been fascinated by the Buddha’s\nteachings. Arthur Schopenhauer called it the most perfect of world religions.\nEinstein said that if there was any religion that would cope with modern\nscientific needs it would be Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are we fascinated? It is because Buddhism is a philosophy of\nrationality, realism and ethical purity. The respect for Buddhist approach\ntowards creation in general can lay the foundation of universal social ethics –\nthat are dedicated to ecological well-being and social justice and to world\npeace.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delivering the keynote address – ‘The German\nContributions to Theravada Buddhism and the Reception of Buddhism in Germany\nand its influence on German Culture ‘ – Professor Karl Heinz-Golzio of the\nUniversity of Bonn: traced the history of Buddhism in Germany from the early\n19th Century to the present day and drew attention to the services of many a\nGerman thinker and scholar to the cause of Buddhism in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among them were, Arthur Schopenhauer, Karl Eugen Neumann, Dr. Paul\nDahlke, the Venerable Nyanatiloka (the first German to become a bhikku) and the\nVen. Nyanaponika.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer,” Prof. Golzio said,\n“was among the thinkers who had recognized the validity of Buddhism before\nits sources were edited and translated into European languages.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Golzio said: “To him Buddhism was the best of all religions\nbecause it is preferable to Brahminism with its caste system and even more to\nChristianity with its fallacious ideas about God and its defective code of\nethics in which animals were given no consideration”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Professor further noted: “Schopenhauer claimed that his\nown philosophy agreed with the Buddha’s teachings. The affinity between\nSchopenhauer’s philosophy and Buddhism is in many ways striking. “<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Golzio said that the advent of the Nazis heralded a dark period\nfor Buddhism in Germany. Some Nazi sympathizers had distorted and\nmisinterpreted the Buddha Dhamma, giving it a racial connotation and called it\nan Aryan religion similar to Hitler’s National Socialism. At the same time true\nBuddhists suffered under the Hitler regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among them was Dr. Paul Dahlke’s former Secretary, Dr. Kurt\nFischer who published a Buddhist Journal each issue of which the Nazis\ncensored. After Fischer died of a heart attack in 1942 upon hearing that he was\nto be arrested by the notorious Gestapo, the latter confiscated all his books\non Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Today, ” Golzio noted “More and more and more\nWestern people have become interested in Buddhism – especially in meditation –\nas a way to mental peace and calmness. And they convert to Buddhism after a\ncritical trial period.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that Buddhism – although still not an officially\nrecognized religion in Germany – it is now a subject in the school curriculum\nthere. This according to him is very significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is a chance to teach Buddhist values and Buddhist ethics,\nloving kindness and compassion and unselfishness to the younger generation of\nGermans – especially at a time of materialism, consumerism, environmental\ncrime, pollution and natural disasters, terrorism and war. Many western people\nhave lost confidence in Christianity and are searching for rational ways of\nleading a spiritual life. They are also looking for guidance to lead meaningful\nand happy lives.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richard Lang <\/strong>–\nDirector of Geothe Institute, Colombo – observed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“One of the articles on Buddhism by Golzio has been\nparticularly quoted again and again – because he puts forward a very\ninteresting question: Whether we can expect even a larger number of Europeans\nturning to Buddhism in the future – probably because of this in world which we\nare living.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief Guest, Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Karu\nJayasuriya said that the German Dharmadutha Society’s first mission – Initiated\nby a young Sri Lankan Businessmen Asoka Weeraratna – was the beginning of a\nlong and deep-rooted relationship between Sri Lanka and Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It was not a mission for conversion but an undertaking to\nmeet the German people and give them solace in their hour of need. Asoka\nWeeraratna saw the immense potential for Buddhism in Europe , particularly in\npost-World War II Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I reiterate that this mission was not for conversion but to\ngive the Buddha’s message – to give that philosophy. It is the greatest gift\nSri Lanka can offer to the West. I cannot think of anything better.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minister said that today Buddhism has become part of the\nWestern culture. According to him, in America alone there are over a million\npeople looking at Buddhism. “Germany and Sri Lanka have had a very long\nand warm friendly relationship. People of this country have a very special\nplace for Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lankans will never forget names such as Wilhelm Geiger, Paul\nDahlke, Ven Nyanatiloka and Ven Nyanaponika. Socially Germans are very fond of\nthis country. When they visit once they visit many times. I thank the good work\ndone by the German Cultural Institute (Goethe Institute).”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief Sanghanayaka of Europe and Chief Patron of the Austria\nBuddhist (Theravada) Society, Sri Lankan Bhikku Venerable Dr. Wijayarajapura\nSeelawansa after speaking briefly in Sinhala gave a lengthy talk in German on\nBuddhism to the Germans in the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that many Germans are deriving an immense benefit from the\nservices that the Berlin Buddhist Vihara (Das Buddhistische Haus) in Berlin –\nFrohnau in offers. Giving the vote of thanks Emeritus Prof J. B. Dissanayake\nspoke on the Buddhist connection between Sri Lanka and – Greece – the first\nEuropean country known to people here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honorary Secretary of the German Dharmaduta Society Senaka\nWeeraratna also spoke. Raja Kuruppu was the compere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asian Tribune<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 50th Anniversary of the German Dharmaduta Society \u2013 21\nSeptember, 2002 \u2013 4.50 (R)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2002 The 50th Anniversary of German Dharmaduta Society – 21 September – 4.50 (R)<\/a><\/blockquote>