World Buddhist Sangha Council

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The World Buddhist Sangha Council (WBSC) is an international non-government organisation (NGO) whose objectives are to develop the exchanges of the Buddhist religious and monastic communities of the different traditions worldwide, and help to carry out activities for the transmission of Buddhism. It was founded in Colombo, Sri Lanka in May 1966.

WBSC's current Honorary President is Ven. Wu Ming of Taiwan; its Honorary Vice-President is Sik Kok Kwong of Hong Kong. Among the members of its Board of Elders are Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda (deceased), Ven. Somdej Phra Buddhacarya, and Ven. Thich Tam-Chau.

1 Countries Represented
2 Meetings in History
3 Basic Points Unifying the Theravada and Mahayana
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Countries Represented

The World Buddhist Sangha Council has representatives from Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism and from the following regions: Australia, Bangladesh, Canada,Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and the USA.

[edit] Meetings in History

In total, Eight General Conferences have been held by The World Buddhist Sangha Council until 2006. During these, a new Executive Committee is usually formed which meets several times afterwards. The last General Conference took place from 6-10th December 2005 at the Palace of the Golden Horses Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 390 Delegates from 22 countries attended and the Malaysia Buddhist Association hosted the Conference.

The First International Congress of the World Buddhist Sangha Council was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in January 1967, convened by Theravadins. In it, leading monks from many countries and sects from both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions met with the goal of bridging the differences between the two groups and identifying the essential points of agreement.

[edit] Basic Points Unifying the Theravada and Mahayana

Main article: Basic Points Unifying the Theravada and Mahayana

During the First Congress, the founder Secretary-General, the late Venerable Pandita Pimbure Sorata Thera requested the Ven. Walpola Rahula to present a concise formula for the unification of the different traditions, which was then unanimously approved by the Council. These are the nine "Basic Points Unifying the Theravada and Mahayana".

[edit] References

Walpola Rahula; The Heritage of the Bhikkhu; (New York, Grove Press, 1974); pp. 100, 1137-138
The Young Buddhist, Singapore : Buddha Yana Organization, 1982, p.161 -163