'India Taking New Initiatives Based on Buddha's Teachings': PM Modi at Global Buddhist Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attended the inaugural session of the Global Buddhist Summit in Delhi.

During the event, PM Modi said that the noble teachings of Gautama Buddha have impacted countless people over centuries. “Inspired by the teachings of Lord Buddha, India is taking new initiatives for global welfare,” added the PM at Global Buddhist Summit, Delhi.

According to a report by newsagency ANI, the PM added: “Buddha is an understanding beyond the person, Buddha is a thought beyond the form, Buddha is a consciousness beyond the image, and this consciousness of the Buddha is eternal and constant…”

“This thought is eternal, this understanding is unforgettable,” said PM Modi, reported ANI. PM Modi further said that India is moving ahead in ‘Amrit Kaal’ towards becoming a developed country, and the biggest inspiration behind the same is Lord Buddha.

The event will began at 10 am. The two-day Summit is being hosted by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with International Buddhist Confederation (IBC).

The keynote speakers at the event were Professor Robert Thurman, a leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism, and His Holiness Thich Tri Quang, the Deputy Patriarch of, Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

Professor Thurman was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri Award in 2020 for his work on recovering India’s ancient Buddhist heritage.

The theme of the Global Buddhist Summit is ‘Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis.’

“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,” the PMO stated in a release.

The Summit will witness the participation of eminent scholars, Sangha leaders and Dharma practitioners from all over the world, who will discuss pressing global issues and look for answers in the Buddha Dhamma that are based on universal values, the release said.

(With inputs from ANI)

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