As President Chandrika Kumaratunga who was scheduled to present the act of appointment to the Gnanissara Mahanayaka Thera, could not arrive in time Ven. Kotugoda Dhammawasa Anunayaka Thera invited Gnanissara Thera to address the people gathered even before the act of appointment was presented. The Thera apologised for the delay in the arrival of the President.
Most Ven. Gnanissara Mahanayaka Thera in his anusasana stated that he believed that it was important to change one's self before attempted to work for the nation.
"I follow the principles of the late Most Ven. Madihe Pannaseeha Thera who saw that the importance of the development of one's self before developing the nation," the Mahanayaka thera said. The Mahanayaka Thera urged the Ministries concerned to work collectively to prevent the defamation of Buddha's image.
"I believe that Buddha Sasana Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and other line Ministries should act collectively curbing the defamation of the Buddha's image that was been carried out in a massive scale. Those people destroy the image of their own religion by resorting to these types of practices," the Thera added.
President Kumaratunga who arrived during Mahanayaka Thera's speech spoke after presenting the act of appointment to the Thera.
Congratulating the Mahanayaka Thera on his appointment the President said that such prelates were the need of the hour. "I admire the activities carried out by the Mahanayaka Thera to propagate Theravada Dhamma through out the world. Most Ven. Davuldena Gnanissara Thera is one of whom we can be proud, as a nation," the President said.
President Kumaratunga said by implementing the recommendations of the Buddha Sasana Commission Report most of the problems faced by Buddhism could be resolved.
"I believe that by implementing the recommendations of the Buddha Sasana Commission Report most of the problems that are faced by Buddhism at present can be resolved. Through the Buddha Sasana Ministry my government has already taken steps towards implementing the recommendations of the Commission report," she pointed out.
