At the event, Buddhist monks and nuns and followers praised the great sacrifice and patriotism of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc, as well as prayed for peace for people in Vietnam and around the world.
Representatives from the Buddhist Sangha Executive Board urged Vietnamese Buddhists to exert themselves to further develop the VBS, and promote the patriotic tradition and the links between Buddhism and the nation.
Most Venerable Thich Quang Duc was born as Lam Van Tuat in Van Ninh district, the central province of Khanh Hoa, in 1897.
He actively joined Buddhist movements for religious freedom and equality in the southern region. On June 11, 1963, when a procession of over 800 Buddhist monks, nuns and followers arrived at the intersection of Phan Dinh Phung boulevard (now Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street) and Le Van Duyet Street (now Cach Mang Thang Tam Street) in Sai Gon (now Ho Chi Minh City), Thich Quang Duc soaked himself in petrol, struck a match and set himself on fire.
He was honoured as a Bodhisattva in 1964 after the unified VBS came into being.
VNA/VNP
