Messages from Singapore
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From Seek Kwang Phing, Singapore
The Buddha had taught generosity, loving-kindness, compassion, and wisdom which include understanding. If citizens of this world, regardless of nationality, race, colour of skin, social status, wealth, and religion were to develop, practice, commit and subscribe to these positive attributes, the world will be a more graceful, peaceful and tolerable place to live in. With this, in turn, allows more fruitful time to seek solutions to global warming, diseases causing poor health, political conflicts, etc. In order to achieve this, as responsible world citizens, Buddhists need to create a much greater awareness of these positive attributes and the Buddha’s Teaching among citizens and various leaders of this world. This will be our greatest contribution. This contribution requires tireless effort and perseverance, and selfless attitude. After all, this is the aim of the Buddha when He agreed to share His Teaching.
UNDV is one platform to disseminate the Teaching and to achieve a more graceful, peaceful and tolerable world. It is a mammoth task to organize this event where Buddhists from around the world can play the task and role in giving advices on international issues. We are delighted that the UNDV has incorporated the theme of United Nations Millennium Development Goals into this year conference. This shows that Buddhism is still relevant to modern life.
On behalf of the Buddhist Communities in Singapore, the Singapore Buddhist Federation would like to congratulate the Most Ven Thich Thanh Nhieu, Chairman, ICDV - UNDV 2014 International Organizing Committee, Standing Vice President of National Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and his team for hosting this event.
May all beings be well and happy.
(Ven) Seek Kwang Phing,
Singapore Buddhist Federation
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From Ven. Dr. P.Gnanarama Thero
Since the declaration of Vesak as a sacred day of the Buddhists by the United Nations General Assembly on December 15, 1999, UN Day of Vesak has been celebrated yearly in Thailand and once in Viet Nam on a grand scale together with scholarly conferences attended by world renown Buddhist scholars. We are pleased to state that at the conferences very important Buddhist concepts found in both Theravada and Mahayana canonical scriptures were discussed by comparing and contrasting those with concepts found in modern disciplines. These attempts have been very successful throughout, and a vast literature on various aspects of Buddhist thought on the respective fields has been produced.
We are very glad to express our congratulations to the National Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha for hosting this auspicious event of celebrating this year’s UN Day of Vesak in an impressive and magnificent way. As a commitment to the proposed theme of the United Nations, the host organisation, National Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has selected globally significant sub-themes covering a wider range of subjects for exposition and discussion at the conference, which is to be attended by a large gathering of scholars from alt over the world. Undoubtedly, this event would be a memorable one in the annals of Buddhist history.
Wishing the celebrations every success,
Ven. Dr. P. Gnanarama Thero
Principal
Buddhist and Pali College of Singapore
