ECONOMYNEXT – Vietnam Truc Lam monastery in Kandy’s Ambakote area in Digana is promoting meditation and is attracting interest from Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese and Tamil communities as well as foreigners.

On Vesak Day a newly built Danasala (refectory) and kuti (lodging) for monks were opened adding to the other buildings including the Main Hall, which were build earlier.

Villagers were associated in the opening ceremony officiated by the Vietnam Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ho Thi Thanh Truc.

Young people in the area and students are also closely involved with the temple.

“When we first started the monastery, it was the children who came to see what this was about,” Venerable Dhammaloka Thero said.

“They helped me plant trees. The parents came later and got involved in temple activities.”

The monastery conducts English classes and Vietnamese classes for children and adults.

“We had a 70 year old lady who came to study Vietnamese as well,” he says.

Venerable Vietnam Dhammaloka thero came to Sri Lanka 10 years ago to study at the Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy (SIBA Campus) in Pallekelle.

When Vietnamese groups visited Sri Lanka, they were asking whether there was a Vietnam temple in the island, he said. At the time he was planning to go to London to read for a Master’s degree.

But also at the time there were five young Vietnamese monks studying at several Pirivenas in Sri Lanka. Out of consideration for them he abandoned plans to go to London did his Master’s in Buddhist Studies and Pali language at the Kelaniya University in Sri Lanka.

He then started to make plans to set up a Vietnam temple.

The two-acre land for Truc Lam Monastery was donated by Venerable Ilwane Ananda Thero, the chief incumbent of Sri Sugatha Thapowana Temple in Digana, where the Vietnamese monk had stayed while studying for his degree.

“There were a lot of bamboo trees in the land,” the monk recalls. “Truc Lam means forest of bamboo.”

The main hall was built first. Benefactors from Vietnam and others helped him.

“We focus on meditation,” Venerable Dhammaloka explains. “Everyday in the evening from 5 to 6 pm many locals come to our temple to do meditation.

“Every Sunday we have mindfulness meditation for adults and foreigners. On Poya Days we conduct a meditation program for children. I have been to many Dhamma schools in Sri Lanka to teach meditation to children.”

The monk has also taught meditation to children at several local Tamil language schools.

“At the Truc Lam Monastery we make no distinction between ethnic groups or religions ,” explains the Thero.

“Everybody is welcome. Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Tamil and Sinhalese and foreigners come here.”

It took four years from 2020 to build the Main Hall, Budu Geya, the Main Gate, as well as the Danasala and Kuti which were the latest buildings to be opened on Vesak day 2024.

The Covid pandemic was a tough time for the villagers who are considered the family of Truc Lam Temple.

“We provided rice and dry rations for those in need,” recalls the Chief monk. The Temple also helped dig wells in the Ambakote village and the school.

On Poya days food is still distributed to some needy people.

Then a scholarship program was set up for students. Each student in the program now gets 5,000 rupees and 10 kilograms of rice per month.

The Truc Lam scholarship program was also extended to students who went to university with a 10,000 rupee stipend. One student is in Jaffna university, one in Peradeniya and one in the Open University.

They are sponsored by the Chief monk and benefactors in Vietnam.

The temple is also helping some elderly nuns, who are around Kandy. “They are very old and cannot support themselves,” the monk explains. (Colombo/June02/2024)