KUALA LUMPUR : Fr Valentine Dompok OFM Cap and the PMEIA team of the Church of St Francis of Assisi (SFA) were invited by Mr Vijaya Samarawickrama to visit the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple on Sept 26.

As we entered the Sanchi Main gate to the Buddhist Maha Vihara, we were greeted by an impressive lotus flower water fountain. There is also a vast area inside the Temple where two Bodhi trees are planted. These trees are saplings of the original 2,000-year-old Bodhi tree from Sri Lanka.

Mr Vijaya gave a very interesting tour of the Temple. He explained the history of how the Temple was constructed and also how the Temple has blossomed in the last 50 years under the leadership of Venerable Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda.

The team was shown the Main Shrine Hall, where there are three huge Buddha statues. We were also taken to the Dewan Asokan Multi-purpose Hall, where the birth and life of the Buddha are depicted in pictures on the wall. The team was later invited to a simple but delicious lunch, and Fr Valentine was given the honour of blessing the food. An interesting Q & A session followed.

Mr Vijaya expressed appreciation for the initiative made by the Church in organizing a series of talks on world religions which has been held in various parishes in Kuala Lumpur.