On April 20, in New Delhi, the first Global Buddhist Summit will open with a speech from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Eminent academics, Sangha leaders, and Dharma practitioners from around the world will participate in the Summit and discuss important global concerns while seeking solutions in the Buddha Dhamma, which is founded on universal principles, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced on Tuesday.
The PMO claims that the purpose of the Summit is to bring together scholars and leaders of the worldwide Buddhist Dhamma to discuss issues of Buddhist and universal concern in order to develop policy recommendations to solve them jointly. The PMO continued, “The Summit will investigate how the essential principles of the Buddha Dhamma may inspire and guide in contemporary situations.
The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) and the Ministry of Culture are working together to host the Summit. There will be four sessions, including one each on the following topics: Buddha Dhamma and Peace, Buddha Dhamma: Environmental Crisis, Health and Sustainability, Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition, and Buddha Dhamma Pilgrimage, Living Heritage, and Buddha Relics.
The two-day World Buddhist Summit will be concentrated on discussions about applying Buddhist philosophy to contemporary difficulties under the title “Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis,” according to a media briefing given earlier by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism G Kishan Reddy.
Nearly 30 nations, including 171 from abroad and 150 from Indian Buddhist organizations, are anticipated to send delegates to the summit.
Reddy emphasized the significance of India to Buddhism in his remarks at the news conference because it is the nation where this religion was first practiced. He added that the summit is a great opportunity to promote diplomatic and cultural ties because it will bring together famous Buddhist monks from many countries.
Renowned scholars, Sangha chiefs, and Dharma practitioners from all around the world will be present at the meeting. About 200 people from the NCR region and more than 30 ambassadors from foreign embassies will also attend the meeting.
His Divineness The keynote addresses for the academic and sangha sessions will be delivered by Prof. Robert Thurman and Thich Tri Quang, the Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha, respectively.
The purpose of the Summit is to examine how the fundamentals of the Buddha Dhamma could provide inspiration and guidance in contemporary settings. Its secondary objectives are to generate a document for future academic research to determine whether it can be applied as a tool for conducting international relations on a global scale and to promote world peace and harmony in accordance with the fundamental Dharma principles.
