New DelhiPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the world is passing through challenges like war, economic instability, terrorism, religious extremism and climate change and added that the thoughts of Lord Buddha offer solutions to these problems. Addressing the inaugural session of the Global Buddhist Summit here, he said it was the need of the hour that people and countries give priority to global interests along with their own interests.
He said that the world has to think about the poor and the countries that lack resources. Modi asserted that India was following the path shown by Buddha and acknowledged the pain of every human being as its own, citing the country’s help to others, including Turkey, after it was hit by an earthquake.
The Prime Minister said that his government has made a constant effort to publicize the ideas of the Buddha and highlight Buddhism’s deep links with Varanasi, his birthplace in Gujarat and his Lok Sabha constituency.
The great teachings of Gautama Buddha have influenced countless people over the centuries. https://t.co/M5PuhMbbasNarendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 20, 2023
The summit is being hosted by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation on April 20 and 21. The theme of the two-day summit is “Responding to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy for Practice”.
Keynote speakers for the event will be Professor Robert Thurman, a leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism, and His Holiness Thich Tri Quang, Vice Chancellor of the Vietnam Buddhist Association. Professor Thurman was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2020 for his work to recover India’s ancient Buddhist heritage.
The theme of the Global Buddhist Summit is ‘Responding to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy for Practice’. ”The summit is an effort to engage global Buddhist leadership and scholars on matters of Buddhist and universal concern and to come up with policy inputs. Address them collectively.
The discussions at the summit will explore how the fundamental values of Buddhism can provide inspiration and guidance in contemporary settings, the PMO said in a release.
The summit will see the participation of eminent scholars, Sangha leaders and Dharma practitioners from around the world, who will discuss global issues and find answers in Buddhism based on universal values.
“The discussion will be organized under four themes: Buddha Dhamma and Peace; Buddha Dhamma: Environmental Crisis, Health and Sustainability; Preserving the Nalanda Buddhist Tradition; Buddha Dhamma Pilgrimage, Living Heritage and Buddha Relics: A Resilient Foundation for India’s Centuries – Old cultural links with the countries of South, South-East and East Asia.”
(With PTI inputs)