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Vietnam spotlights Buddhist philosophy on Int’l Day of Vesak

Vietnam spotlights Buddhist philosophy on Int’l Day of Vesak

 

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, highlighted Lord Buddha’s message on peace, compassion and harmony at a celebration held virtually on May 13 to observe the International Day of Vesak, which was dedicated to the Lord Buddha.

The Vietnamese diplomat stressed that in the context that the world is facing unprecedented challenges and crises like today, the Lord Buddha's philosophy is more meaningful than ever and has become a "guideline" to help people end suffering and bring peace to humanity.

He said that it is necessary to strengthen policy and action cooperation and coordination,  promote the values of peace, inclusiveness, compassion and equanimity, contributing to making the nirvana a reality, thus creating a favourable environment for peace and development.

Representatives of countries and the UN all agreed that the Lord Buddha’s noble teachings and the Buddhist philosophy on love, harmony, empathy, sharing, tolerance, respect and mutual understanding are the fulcrum and source of spiritual strength for the international community to overcome challenges of hatred, war, conflict, pandemic, and climate change.

They underlined the need for countries to honour and popularise these overarching values, thus promoting their commitments and efforts to realise goals and principles of the UN Charter, towards building a better world for the mankind.

The event is held annually at the UN since 1999 when the General Assembly approved Resolution 54/115 on the celebration of the International Day of Vesak in recognition of the contributions of Buddhism - one of the oldest religions in the world - to humankind’s spiritual life, as well as to the efforts of the international community for peace, cooperation, harmony and development./.

 

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