The event, held at the Quan Su Temple in Hanoi, was scaled down as Vietnam is struggling with a new, more contagious coronavirus outbreak and as such, restrictions have been put in place to prevent the spread of the virus.
At the ceremony, a message from the VBS Supreme Patriarch Thich Pho Tue was read, in which he reiterates that humans need to work together to address current crises, notably the Covid-19 pandemic, which is still a serious affliction upon the world.
In his speech for the Buddha’s birth anniversary, also known as Vesak, the Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang called for all Buddhists to follow the Buddha’s teachings so that humans can live peacefully with each other, as well as with other species and nature.
As part of the ceremony, there was a reading of a message from the President of Vietnamese Fatherland Front Do Van Chien, in which he called on Buddhist monks, nuns and laypeople to join hands with the nation to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic.
In Ho Chi Minh City, a slimmed-down ceremony took place at the Viet Nam Quoc Tu Temple to celebrate the birth of the Buddha. The event was restricted to a small number of people to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang read the message of the Supreme Patriarch Thich Pho Tue while the Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon delivered a speech calling on Buddhists to live with mindfulness, praying for the pandemic to come to an end soon.
In the former imperial city of Hue, a ceremony to celebrate the Buddha’s birth at the Tu Dam Temple was also restricted to fewer than 20 people and was livestreamed so that local Buddhists could attend from their homes.
Due to the impact of Covid-19, activities such as flower floats, processions, art performances, exhibitions and the practice of life release were cancelled to prevent mass gatherings.
