Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a speech at the opening ceremony of the Global Buddhist Summit on Thursday in Delhi. The national capital’s Hotel Ashok hosted the event which began at around 10 a.m.
The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) and the Ministry of Culture are working together to organise the two-day Summit.
A renowned American authority on Tibetan Buddhism Professor Robert Thurman and His Holiness Thich Tri Quang, the Deputy Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha will deliver the keynote addresses during the event.
Professor Thurman received the prestigious Padma Shri Award earlier in 2020 for his efforts to preserve India’s rich Buddhist history.
Meanwhile, the Global Buddhist Summit’s subject is “Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis.”
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said, “The Summit is an effort towards engaging the global Buddhist Dhamma leadership and scholars on matters of Buddhist and universal concerns, and to come up with policy inputs to address them collectively. The discussion in the Summit will explore how the Buddha Dhamma’s fundamental values can provide inspiration and guidance in contemporary settings.”
Eminent scholars, Sangha leaders and Dharma practitioners from around the world will participate in the Summit and address important global concerns while seeking solutions in the Buddha Dhamma that are founded on universal principles, according to the press release.
“The discussions will be held under four themes: Buddha Dhamma and Peace; Buddha Dhamma: Environmental Crisis, Health and Sustainability; Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition; Buddha Dhamma Pilgrimage, Living Heritage and Buddha Relics: a resilient foundation to India’s centuries-old cultural links to countries in South, South-East and East Asia,” it added.