New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday the world is passing through challenges such as war, economic instability, terrorism, religious extremism, and climate change and asserted that Lord Buddha’s ideas offer a solution to these problems. Addressing the inaugural session of the Global Buddhist Summit here, he said it is the need of the hour that people and nations prioritize global interests along with their interests.
The world will have to think about the poor and countries lacking resources, he said. Modi asserted that India has been following the path shown by the Buddha and cited the country extending help to others, including Turkiye after it was hit by an earthquake, to say that it has treated every human being’s pain as its own.
The prime minister noted that his government has constantly endeavored to propagate the Buddha’s ideas and highlight the deep links Buddhism has with his birthplace in Gujarat and his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi.
The noble teachings of Gautama Buddha have impacted countless people over 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 “Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis”.
The keynote speakers at the event will be Professor Robert Thurman, a leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism, and His Holiness Thich Tri Quang, the Deputy Patriarch of, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. Professor Thurman was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri Award in 2020 for his work on recovering India`s ancient Buddhist heritage.
The theme of the Global Buddhist Summit is `Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis.`”The Summit is an effort towards engaging the global Buddhist Dhamma leadership and scholars on matters of Buddhist and universal concerns, and to come up with policy inputs to address them collectively.
The discussion in the Summit will explore how the Buddha Dhamma`s fundamental values can provide inspiration and guidance in contemporary settings,” the PMO stated in a release.
The Summit will witness the participation of eminent scholars, Sangha leaders, and Dharma practitioners from all over the world, who will discuss pressing global issues and look for answers in the Buddha Dhamma based on universal values, the release said.
“The discussions will be held under four themes: Buddha Dhamma and Peace; Buddha Dhamma: Environmental Crisis, Health, and Sustainability; Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition; Buddha Dhamma Pilgrimage, Living Heritage and Buddha Relics: a resilient foundation to India`s Centuries-old cultural links to countries in South, South-East and East Asia,” it added.
(With PTI Inputs)