The theme of the summit is ‘Response to Contemporary Challenges from Philosophy to Praxis’. Dhammapiya, General Secretary of the IBC, stated that many issues in the world can be resolved by following the precepts of the Buddha.
The summit is aimed at exploring answers to multifarious issues faced by humanity globally. Keeping Buddhism as its base, eminent scholars from across the globe would try to find solutions to various problems humans are encountering every day. It also covered subjects such as Buddhism and peace, environmental crisis, health and sustainability, and the preservation of the Nalanda Buddhist tradition, as well as Buddhist pilgrimage, living heritage and Buddha relics.
The federation, which has its headquarters in Delhi, aims to unite the Buddhist community so they can think about the major global issues, discuss and be motivated to work together. According to him, there is a conflict between two extreme viewpoints in the universe, and the Buddha’s middle path and balance hold the key to its resolution, reported NewsonAir.
Abhijeet Haldar, Director General of the International Buddhist Confederation, said that at present the world was facing major challenges like war, violence, natural calamities, and climate change. Only man can solve these man-made problems. In this regard, an effort is being made to find a solution by bringing the best Buddhist thinkers from all over the world on a single platform. Its purpose is to convey the message to the world.
This conference have had 180 participants from 30 countries around the globe. In addition to that, thinkers and Buddhist religious leaders from across the nation have taken part. Participants would also come from as far away as Mexico and Brazil. The seeds of the International Buddhist Confederation were sown in the Autumn of 2010, during Ven. Lama Lobzang’s visit to Sri Lanka. There, some respected Sangha members suggested that India host a large-scale international Buddhist conference.
Moral and cultural degradation, religious conflicts, corruption, a lack of food and water security, unemployment, environmental degradation, poverty, malnutrition, and other serious problems confront societies around the world. Every technological advancement that man has achieved in recent years has had a negative impact on society.
Delegates from Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Russia, among others, have attended the event.
According to the event’s official release: “Discussions were held on four topics: Buddha Dharma and Peace; Buddha Dharma: Environmental Crisis, Health and Sustainability; Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition; Buddha Dharma Pilgrimage, Living Heritage and Buddha Relics: a resilient foundation for India’s centuries-old cultural links to countries in South, South-East and East Asia.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present to address the event’s inaugural session.
Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Supreme Patriarch of Vietnam’s Buddhist Sangha, was among the summit’s main speakers.
