2023

The West End Buddhist Centre of the Halton Peel Buddhist Cultural Society

DHAMMA SCHOOL AT THE WEST END

ITS VISION AND MISSION

Our vision is firmly rooted in the family paradigm and human values

We believe, “The family that practises Buddhism (Dhamma) together stays together!”

Children being the most precious of our community’s treasures under the care and protection of their parents temporarily, their wholesome upbringing is a sacred responsibility that falls on both the parents and their Buddhist Temples

The Dhamma Teaching Program is the surrogate parent for our community’s children that inculcates through an intensive and tested curriculum, family values, religious values and social values promoting the development of life skills and excellence in order to build a citizenry worthy of Lord Buddha’s liberating Teaching of Enlightenment and a new generation of proud and loyal sons and daughters of Canada

Our Mission

To provide a physical and spiritual environment for the children of our Buddhist Faith Tradition in Canada from toddlers to kindergarten to grade school, high School and university levels to pursue a structured and comprehensive Buddhist Religious Education, imparted by a qualified and approved teaching staff in the context of Canada’s multicultural and multi-religious society with due respect to principal Canadian values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence which the Canadian Society shares in abundance with Buddhism!

EMBLEM OF THE DHAMMA PROGRAM

Maple leaf symbolizes Canada. The maple leaf is placed on a Ola leaf book known as ‘Puskola potha’ in sinhala. Ola leaf book symbolizes Buddha Dhamma or Buddhist Doctrine. Ola leaf book is held by a swan and the swan symbolizes the student who learns the Dhamma. Swan is also a reflection of purity. It is capable of separating the ‘good’ from the ‘bad’, a quality that a good citizen should develop. The emblem promotes the idea that the person who learns Buddhism will eventually become a good citizen in Canada and will lead a fruitful life

MOTTO: The Motto of Sunday Dhamma Teaching Program is "Sacitta pariyodapanam" (for the purification of ones own mind).

DHAMMA TEACHING PROGRAM FLAG

Yellow: symbolizes the Sasana order of Buddhism and the compassion of our Lord Buddha. It is a large strip denoting that  compassion spreads all over the world. Buddha's kindness has no limits.

Green: Symbolozes "Bodhi" which is Dhamma and wisdom. Light green colour indicates the tenderness of Bo tree- leaves and students who are learning Dhamma.

Blue: Symbolizes "Vimukthi." Freedom and Nirvana.

White Background: symbolizes purity.

WEST END BUDDHIST CENTRE

DHAMMA SCHOOL ANTHEM (ENGLISH)

CHORUS:

O DHAMMA SCHOOL, WEST END’S BRIGHTEST LIGHT

TO YOU WE ARE BEHOLDEN!

GARDEN OF DELIGHT, SWEET FRAGRANCE REPLETE,

TODAY’S TENDER BUDS AWAITING,

FOR TOMORROW’S FLOWERS TO BLOOM //

VERSE 1:

REVERED SANGHA, TEACHERS N’PARENTS BONDING,

CARING LOVING, GOODNESS INSPRING

IN YOUNG HEARTS DHAMMA’S RADIANCE GLOWING

O BEACON OF LIGHT, OUR PATH ILLUMINATING

WITH LOVE, WE STAND FOR GLORY NEVER ENDING

VERSE 2:

UNDER YOUR WINGS IN WISDOM TO GLOW

IN YOUR EMBRACE, IN GOODNESS TO GROW

BUDDHIST CHILDREN WE, WITH A WORLD THERE TO WIN

EVER LOYAL, IN YOUR NAME WITH OUT HEARTS YEARNING

WE PLEDGE IN YOUR NAME, FOREVER IN THE WORLD SHINING!

LYRICS: ALOY PERERA

MELODY & MUSIC: SARATH KUMARASINGHE