In a landmark moment for global Buddhism, a historic meeting took place today between the Most Venerable Dr. Pallegama Hemarathana Nayake Thero, the Atamasthanadhipathi of Sri Lanka, and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the world-renowned spiritual leader and symbol of universal compassion.
The meeting marks a watershed moment in the centuries-old relationship between the Indo-Tibetan and Sri Lankan Buddhist traditions. It is the first recorded instance in which the spiritual heads of these two eminent Buddhist lineages have met in such a significant capacity, drawing widespread attention across the global Buddhist community.
The position of Atamasthanadhipathi holds exceptional prestige within the Buddhist world. By ancient royal decree, Sri Lanka recognises three supreme pillars of Buddhist heritage: the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Pada, and the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. As the custodian of the Eight Sacred Places (Atamasthana) in Anuradhapura, the Atamasthanadhipathi holds profound spiritual and legal authority over some of Buddhism’s most revered sites.
The meeting between the guardian of Sri Lanka’s most ancient living heritage and the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people symbolised a powerful convergence of the Pali and Sanskrit Buddhist traditions.
Adding deep emotional significance to the occasion, the Most Venerable Thero presented His Holiness with a sacred sapling of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. For decades, the Dalai Lama has expressed a wish to undertake a pilgrimage to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi—the world’s oldest historically documented living tree, grown from a branch of the original Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained Enlightenment. Although circumstances had previously prevented such a visit, the presentation of the sapling is widely seen as symbolically fulfilling that long-held aspiration.
The sapling is scheduled to be planted tomorrow, January 21, at the Buddhist University within the Gaden Jangtse Monastery complex, during a ceremony to be conducted with full monastic honours. Tens of thousands of Tibetan monks and devotees from across India and overseas are expected to attend the event.
Organisers have described the initiative as an act of “green diplomacy,” viewing it as a reaffirmation of the enduring spiritual and cultural bonds between Sri Lanka and India. The gesture underscores a shared commitment to preserving and strengthening the Dhamma for future generations.
