Sanchi Buddhist Monastery, a monument of love in Buddhism, the starting point of the movement of the wheel of Dhamma during the era of King Ashoka the Great, fostering Thai-India relations from the 3rd Dharma Yatra “Dhamma Yatra of the Buddha's Relics, the Great Ganga, Mekong River Basin” to The 4th Dhammayatra to Buddhabhoomi : Mekong- Ganga Declaration on the Century of Dhamma in the land of Buddha, the Republic of India”, joining in proclaiming the century of Dhamma, connecting all religions to peace and tranquility.
It is a miracle that the relics of the Lord Buddha and the relics of the Arahants, which were kept at the Sanchi Temple for 72 full years, have never arrived together. Within one year, there is only one day that they are invited up from the stupa for everyone to see and pay homage. According to Dr. Supachai Veraphuchong, Secretary-General of the Bodhigaya Vijjalaya 980 Institute on March 11, 2024 at Wat Mahawanaram, Ubon Ratchathani Province, which is the period of inviting the relics of the Lord Buddha and the relics of the Arahants of Phra Sariputta and Phra Moggallana to be temporarily enshrined in Thailand under the 3rd Dhammayatra Project "Dhammayatra of the Relics of the Lord Buddha, the Great River Ganges, Mekong River Basin" from February 22 - March 19, 2024.
The Sanchi Buddhist Monastery will once again be filled with the power of Buddhist faith on November 29th. It will also be a historic moment when Dr. Supachai Verapuchong, Secretary-General of Bodhigaya Vijjalaya 980 Institute, accepted the invitation from Venerable Upatissa Thero to participate in the sacred ceremony at the sacred place because the Sanchi Stupa is a great stupa built by Emperor Ashoka the Great after he converted to Buddhism.
Phra Methee Worayarn, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bodhigaya Vijjalaya 980 Institute, spoke about the importance of Sanchi Buddhist Center, saying that it is the first stupa built in Buddhism or the first in the world, and it is considered a monument of love because King Ashoka the Great, who had faith in the Buddha, even though he had never seen the Buddha’s face, had love and faith in his teachings. He also saw that the propagation of Buddhism to the Indian subcontinent was because of the chief disciples, so he built a stupa for the two chief disciples with love and sent monks to propagate Buddhism in 9 directions, including Suvarnabhumi, and built another 84,000 stupas.
Emperor Ashoka the Great was also a devout Buddhist. He ordained his sons and daughters as monks and nuns to be sent as missionaries to spread the religion in Sri Lanka and attained nirvana there. Sanchi was also the place where he expressed his love for his wife.
The Sanchi Stupa is therefore a monument of the love of Buddhism, which has caused the wheel of Dhamma to move. Bodhigaya Vijjalaya 980 Institute, under the leadership of Dr. Supachai Dhamma General, has pushed the wheel of Dhamma to move in the Dhamma Yatra project 3 times already, starting with the 1st and 2nd Dhamma Yatra Projects “Dhamma Yatra of 5 Lands in the Mekong River Basin”, the 3rd Dhamma Yatra Project “Dhamma Yatra of the Buddha’s Relics, the Great Ganga River, the Mekong River Basin”, and this time is the 4th Dhamma Yatra Project “Mekong River Basin to the Great Ganga River, Declaring the Century of Dhamma in the Land of Buddhahood, the Republic of India”, continuing the Century of Dhamma or Century of Asia approach of the Prime Minister of India, which is in line with the approach of Bodhigaya Vijjalaya 980 Institute, which will be used as the main axis connecting all religions to lead to peace and tranquility.
Written by: Patcha Nilangso
