All must unite to heal and rebuild the country: President

Colombo, May 23 (Daily Mirror)- Regardless of race, religion, caste or political affiliations, all Sri Lankans must unite to heal and rebuild the country, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

In his Vesak message, the President said, "We must remember the advice of Lord Buddha, 'Sabbattha Sammanaso' to treat everyone equally and ensure we put it into practice as a country. This is the greatest offering we can present to the Buddha on this Vesak day. 

"The Vesak festival is a profoundly sacred day for Buddhists worldwide, commemorating the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and passing away. 

Buddhists in Sri Lanka, along with their brethren around the globe, celebrate Vesak with deep devotion. They spend this period engaging in religious observances and venerating the Buddha with fervent devotion.

"At this challenging moment, we as a nation should cultivate the same great zeal for enlightenment that Buddha exemplified, inspired by his sermon, 'Maththasukha parichchaga- passé che vipulan sukhan' – to sacrifice today for a better tomorrow.

"The principles of Lichchavi Raja Dharmaya will guide us in this endeavour.

"Let us keep in mind that the primary aim of the Vesak festival is to foster spiritual growth and character development in a world rapidly advancing physically. I wish everyone a blessed Vesak festival," he said.