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.
Contents
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 (deceased), and Ven. Thich Tam-Chau.
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, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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 Theravāda and Mahāyāna".