Buddhists gather at Bai Dinh Temple to celebrate UN Vesak Day

The opening ceremony saw the attendance of thousands of Buddhist leaders and followers from throughout the world, as well as senior Vietnamese leaders.

In his welcome speech, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, vice president of the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha (VBS), said the event was an opportunity for Vietnam to communicate the Buddha's messages of compassion, peace and non-violence to the world.

He said the 2014 UN Vesak Day would focus on Buddhist response and solutions to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals, which make the celebrations more compatible with worldly life.

In his follow-up speech, Most Venerable Brahmapundit from Thailand, expressed his delight with the VBS's thorough preparations for the event and thanked the Vietnamese Government for its tremendous support.

On behalf of Vietnamese leaders, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung welcomed Buddhist delegations from around the world to Vietnam and expressed hope that the Vesak celebrations will unite everyone to build a better life and create nirvana in the current world.

During the Vesak celebrations from May 8-11, there will be workshops on Buddhism's contributions to sustainable development and social change, global warming and environmental protection, as well as healthy living and post-conflict recovery.

The Day of Vesak, which marks the Buddha's birthday, enlightenment and passing, was recognised by the United Nations in 1999 as a religious cultural festival.

This is the second time that Vietnam has hosted the UN Day of Vesak celebrations - the first was in 2007.

(Source: Nhandan Online)