October 19, Colombo (LNW): A group of 86 Vietnamese Buddhist monks, nuns, and lay followers based in the United States arrived in Sri Lanka on Friday (17), to embark on a week-long spiritual and cultural pilgrimage.
The delegation is being led by Venerable Thien Thero, the abbot of the Lien Hoa Buddhist Temple in San Antonio, Texas, and is visiting the island under the spiritual guidance of Venerable Udumule Saranapala Thero, a Royal Pandita and senior teacher affiliated with the same temple.
During their stay, the group is expected to engage in a number of religious and cultural activities aimed at deepening their understanding of Sri Lanka’s Theravāda Buddhist traditions. A key part of their itinerary includes formal audiences with the Most Venerable Maha Nayaka Theros of the Malwatta and Asgiri Chapters in Kandy, as well as spiritual leaders of the Atamasthana—the sacred eight sites of Anuradhapura.
In addition to these ceremonial engagements, the visitors will take part in religious observances and offer alms and educational assistance to local monastics. The delegation is also scheduled to visit several iconic heritage sites such as the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, the ancient ruins of Anuradhapura, the rock fortress of Sigiriya, and the Dambulla cave temple complex.
Venerable Saranapala Thero explained that the journey is not only a pilgrimage, but also a gesture of spiritual solidarity with Sri Lanka’s monastic community, with the broader goal of fostering global Theravāda unity and supporting the continued revival of Buddhist practice in the region.
