A large gathering of Sri Lankans and British well wishers attended the annual Vesak celebrations at the Sri Lanka High Commission in London on 17 May 2008 . The High Commission premises were illuminated and the traditional Vesak lanterns adorned the entrance to the chancery.

High Commissioner Kshenuka Senewiratne in her welcome address stated that in contemporary western secular culture, Buddhism had a greater appeal and relevance and stated that it was important for us to make Lord Buddha’s message known to the wider British community. She welcomed the Guest of Honour the Rt Hon Lord Avebury and Lady Avebury whom she described as the only member of the British parliament known to be a practitioner of Theravada Buddhism. Lord Avebury in his speech described how he was introduced to Buddhism in 1971 by the then MP for Habaraduwa, Mr Prins Gunasekera who had introduced him to scholar monks. Lord Avebury described his journey into becoming a practising Buddhist and his understanding of the five precepts and the noble eight-fold path.

The Vesak commemorative sermon was delivered by Ven Ajahn Vajiro Thero, Chief Incumbent of the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, Hemel Hempstead , who spoke on the significance of Vesak and the universality of Lord Buddha’s teachings. The Ven Ajahn Vajiro recalled his own introduction to Buddhism over 40 yrs ago and encouraged his audience to reflect more deeply on the Buddhist way of life. After the sermon the Ven Vajiro Thero responded to questions from the audience.

The religious ceremony was followed by dana and fellowship.