The Buddhist Association of China held a ceremony today (Thursday) to pray for the victims of the Sichuan earthquake.

The Buddhist Association of China held a ceremony Thursday to pray for the victims of the Sichuan earthquake.

More than 200 monks from across the country prayed that those affected by the quake could find comfort. The ceremony was held in Baoguang Temple in Chengdu.

The monks say the massive disaster has brought great losses and suffering. They want to do what they can to alleviate the pain.

Yi Cheng, Director of China Buddhist Association said "This is a calamity for us all. I personally donated 650 thousand yuan. I want to do what I can to help."

Masters from Taiwan and Hong Kong also attended the ceremony.

Ven. Dharma Master Hsin Tao, Ling Jiou Mountain Buddhist Society said "This is an important occasion for us to express our condolences to the dead, as well as to show our care to those who survived but suffered. We want to offer not only money, but also our love and care to help our compatriots to return to their normal life."

After the ceremony, Buddhist societies from across the country donated funds totaling more than 20 million yuan.

This comes on tops of the previous 210 million yuan in cash and materials donated by the Chinese Buddhist societies, including 40 million from Taiwan and 27 million from Hong Kong.

(CCTV May 30, 2008)