Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, June 25: Thai Ambassador to India, Chutintorn Gongsakdi, inaugurated the newly build Hospice at Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre (MIMC) Old-aged Home, here on Sunday. Abbot and Spiritual Director, Metta Vihara and Buddha Haus Germany, Nyanabodhi, GOC 14 Corps, Lt Gen S K Upadhyay, president Ladakh Gonpa Association Leh Gelong Shatup Chamba, Leh MLA Nawang Rigzin Jora and guests from different countries jointly inaugurated the extension for MIMC Girls’ Hostel and also laid the foundation stone for the differently-abled people’s Centre..
Giving a brief introduction about the need for a Hospice for old aged people, Founder-President MIMC Bhikkhu Sanghasena informed that the Hospice will have all medical as well as spiritual facilities for aging, old and dying people so as to make them enable to face even death peacefully knowing the very reality of the nature of impermanence. “I am very happy today that we have been able to start a small hospice where elderly sick people will have a very comfortable meditation and medication,” he added.
Ambassador of Thailand to India, Chutintorn Gongsakdi expressed happiness to be present on the auspicious ceremony of the Hospice inauguration at MIMC, which he called as the compassion in action as taught by Guatam Buddha. He said that Thailand is promoting the rights and benefits of elderly person such as monthly allowances for retired citizens and right to health care. Lauding different initiatives of the Government of India towards elderly people and the differently-able persons through programmes like Accessible India Campaigns, the Ambassador opined that society at large has a moral responsibility towards the elders and the differently-abled people.
Besides guests and well-wishers of Mahabodhi, several one-day meal donors were also felicitated on the occasion. Last year, on the occasion of annual MIMC Senior Citizens Day celebration, a special program called the ‘One Day Meal Donation Program’ was launched. This was aimed at Ladakhis to contribute their bit in running the senior citizens Home or the Mahabodhi Old-aged home.
The ‘One day Meal Donation’ includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea for 35 inmates of the Senior Citizens’ Home counting to an amount of Rs 7, 000. People can donate it by choosing a special occasion such as birthdays and anniversaries or any other auspicious day.
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