IBC Newsletter Samyak Sambodh VOLUME I ISSUE 1 JUNE 2016 COUNCIL OF PatrONS CELEBRATING BUDDHA POORNIMA DIWAS His Holiness Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara Sangharaja Supreme Patriarch, Thailand Buddha messages can end His Holiness Phra Achan Maha Phong Sangharaja Acting President Lao Buddhist Fellowship Organisation, Laos terrorism, safeguard environment His Holiness Thich Pho Tue Supreme Patriarch, National Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Vietnam His Holiness Samdech Preah Agga Maha Sangharajadhikari Te Vong The Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia His Holiness Dr Bhaddanta Kumarabhivamsa Sangharaja Chairman, State Sangha Mahanayak Committee, Myanmar His Holiness Aggamaha Pandita Davuldena Gnanissara Mahanayaka Thero Supreme Prelate, Amarapura Mahanikaya, Sri Lanka His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzing Gyatso His Holiness Jinje-Beopwon 13th Supreme Patriarch, Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, South Korea His Eminence Khamba Lama Damba Ayushev Supreme Head of Russian Buddhists, Buryat Republic, Russian Federation His Holiness Sanghanayaka Sudhananda Mahathero President, Bangladesh Bouddha Kristi Prachar Sangha and Lord Abbot, Dharmarajika Buddhist Monastery, Bangladesh His Eminence Rev. Khamba Lama Gabju Choijamts Demberel Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Supreme Head of Mongolian Buddhists, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Mongolia o mark the most auspicious occasion Addressing the occasion, Home ANNOUNCEMENT Tof Buddha Poornima Diwas, various Minister Rajnath Singh said Lord Buddha Buddhist bodies and organisations of was a very large hearted person and Meeting of the General India came together on May 21 under solutions to several problems of mankind Assembly of IBC, Bodh the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, are contained in his teachings. His message Gaya (8-10 October 2016) Government of India, in collaboration with of compassion, kindness and mindfulness the International Buddhist Confederation was, in fact, reflected in the Indian Ven. Lama Lobzang informed the (IBC) and active leadership of Dr. Mahesh Constitution, he said. members that in accordance with the Sharma, Union Minister of State for He pointed out that Dr. Ambedkar, Constitution, the General Assembly Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, to a prominent author of the Indian of IBC must meet once in 3 years. commemorate and celebrate the day Constitution, had been greatly influenced Therefore a meeting of the General in a grand manner in New Delhi. The by Buddhism. In writing the Constitution, Assembly has been planned for 08 to celebrations were held in the august it is evident that the influence of the 10 October 2016 in Bodh Gaya. presence of the Union Home Minister message and teaching of the Buddha Rajnath Singh, who was the Chief Guest. found expression in the spirit of the Indian Samyak Sambodh Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Constitution. Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and Chairperson of the Organizing Committee, Dr Mahesh Sharma, in his address, said that out of Eight Sacred places of Buddhism, seven places are situated in India. The Ministry Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx of Tourism has launched a programme xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx namely “Swadesh Darshan” which has a special component of “Buddhist Circuit” that connects all religious places of Buddhism in a most accessibly manner. He assured the people that all his three ministries–culture, tourism and civil aviation–will wholeheartedly try their best to make this a big success. Mr. Kiran Rijuju, Minister of State for Home Affairs, said that there is no match to our spiritual powers. The Government of India attaches great importance to Buddh Poornima and from now onwards, it will be celebrated every year in this grand manner as directed by the Prime Minister. It was announced last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Guest at Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx the Buddha Poornima celebrations, that the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx day will be commemorated and celebrated 2 | IBC Newsletter as an annual event by the nation. Tibetan. The Ladakhi Children’s Choir Shri Upendra Kushwaha, Minister of from Mahabodhi School, Chandigarh sang State for Human Resources Development, a group song. said that the messages of Bhagwan Buddha After the inauguration, hundreds of are purely scientific and these contain the Buddhists (school children and families solutions of all problems of mankind. “We included) converged at the Asoka Mission have to spread his messages worldwide.” for a feast and a cultural programme. Later, The Vesak Samman Prashasti Patra in the evening they were addressed by the 2016 awards were presented to Mr community leaders and Mr Kushwaha. Ramesh Chandra Tiwari, Professor Geshe More than a hundred Tibetans residing Ngawang Samten, Dharmachari Lokamitra in Delhi also attended the celebration. and Bhadanta Galgedar Prajnanada On Buddha Poornima Day, Tibetans in Mahasthavir in recognition of outstanding Samyeling Tibetan Settlement, Ladakh contribution to the preservation, Buddh Vihar and South Delhi have development and promotion of Indian been actively engaged in arranging and arts and culture, and promotion and distributing free food and cold drinks dissemination of Buddhist studies. service to the general Indian public. Mr. Tempa Tsering, Representative of Buddha Poornima or Vesak is regarded His Holiness the Dalai Lama and a member as the thrice-sacred day that celebrates of the Organizing Committee shared the The programme started with a group three momentous events in the history of dais with Home Minister Rajnath Singh, song by the Chakma Buddhist Society. Prof. human kind, regardless of the country or Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Geshe Ngawang Samten, Vice Chancellor Buddhist tradition to which we belong, Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma, Minister of Central University for Tibet Studies, namely Buddha’s birth, sambodhiprapti of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Sarnath gave an introductory Dharma talk, and mahaparinirvana. State for Human Resource Development which was followed by Buddhist Monks of This thrice blessed day is one of the Upendra Kushwaha, and IBC Secretary different traditions recited Mangalacharan- most significant factors in the development General Ven. Lama Lobzang. chanting of Sutras in Pali, Sanskrit and of human thought and civilisation. In IBC Newsletter | 3 Samyak Sambodh Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 1999, the United Nations also resolved and follow the dharma path he showed. the influence of Buddhism. to internationally observe the UN Day of Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha Although Buddha was a prince and Vesak at its headquarters and offices. in Lumbini in present day Nepal. He warrior by birth, humanity remembers India is the land where Buddha walked, attained sambodhiprapti in Bodhgaya in him as neither. Instead, he is remembered preached and attained Mahaparinirvana Bihar, and mahaparinirvana in Kushinagar for his eternal teachings of ahimsa or non- and from where the light of Buddha Dharma in Uttar Pradesh. violence and karuna or compassion. radiated throughout the world. India is Buddha’s teachings are India’s greatest The modern world has seen great also home to sacred Holy Relics and the gift to the world. Beginning with Sri Lanka, material development, along with the rise holiest of holy sites of Bodhgaya, Sarnath Emperor Ashoka sent his ambassadors to of unprecedented violence and destruction, and Kushinagar, visited and revered by Myanmar and Thailand, and across the environmental degradation, fight for millions of pilgrims and tourists from all Hellenistic empire, through Afghanistan, control of natural resources, and conflict over the world. Buddha and his teachings the Middle East and Northeast Africa, over doctrines, philosophies, ideologies of compassion and non-violence remain possibly up to Greece itself. Later, over the and religions. All this makes Buddha’s one of the greatest gifts to humankind from centuries, China, Korea, Japan, Tibet and teachings all the more relevant. this land and billions of people worship countries in Southeast Asia too came under In India, it is well known that Buddhism thrives in the Indian Himalayas, from Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Ladakh in the west. Also, there are communities in India that trace their origin to the Shakya clan of Buddha and the Maurya clan of Samrat Ashok. In fact followers of Buddha dharma and Buddhist heritage sites can be found in most states and union territories. India is home to sacred Buddha Relics currently housed in museums. These relics are objects of veneration, and need to be consecrated in a sanctified manner. One such initiative is the proposed construction of a Grand Relic Vihara for the Buddha Relic found at Devni Mori in Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited Nepal, Sri Lanka (including Anuradhapura, etc.), Japan, China, Mongolia and South Korea. The common thread running through these countries and most others in Asia, and connecting Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx them