Messages from UK
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From Peter Harvev, UK
Dear organisers
congratulations on your organisation of this prestigious celebration and conference.
I am sure that it will be successful and reflect well on Vietnam and its Buddhist Sangha. Best wishes in the Dharma.
Peter Harvey
Editor of Common Buddhist Text
Author of An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics: Foundations, Values and Issues (Cambridge University Press, 2000).
Co-founcler mid past President of the UK Association for Buddhist Studies Emeritus Professor of Buddhist Studies, University of Sunderland, UK
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From Geoffrey Bamford
These are difficult times. More than ever, we need to clear our minds and open our hearts. So we need to work on ourselves.
Thankfully, we can draw on tradition. Buddhist tradition offers us ways to cultivate calm and insight, so we become friendlier and more compassionate, more joyful and more grounded. Across the world, people can draw from it the strength and creativity to meet challenges and make the most of opportunities. It is a most precious treasure.
We can all explore and work with what the tradition offers. With heartfelt respect, we can in this way do our best to serve all beings. Here is our privilege and our commitment.
The United Nations Day of Vesak offers us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and renew that commitment. Grate-ful to the organisers for this chance to grow in the Dharma, may we all contribute fully to the success of the conference! And may the conference strengthen goodwill across humanity!
Signature
Name and position
Geoffrey Bamford:
Chair of the Society for the Wider Understanding of the Buddhist Tradition (So-Wide)
Co-Founder and Trustee of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies (OCBS)
Co-Founder of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre (OMC)
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From Ven. Dr. Mahinda Deegalle, FHEA, United Kingdom
This is the second time that Vietnam hosts the United Nations Day of Vesak celebration since the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution in 1999. The National Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (NVBS) has taken the leadership in organizing this celebration at Ninh Binh Province. For first time Vietnam sponsored the UN Vesak celebration in 2008 at National Convention Centre, Hanoi. The full moon day of Vesak month is widely remembered and intimately associated with three important critical events in the life of the historical Buddha—his birth, awakening and passing away. In the last year, we have witnessed the report of unusual discovery of the “earliest Buddhist shrine in the world” as a result of an archaeological expedition in Nepal (“Oldest Buddhist Shrine Uncovered in Nepal May Push Back the Buddha’s Birth Date,” National Geographic, 25 November 2013). This new archaeological discovery may shed insights to reassess the recent Western academic debate (Heinz Bechert (ed.), The Dating of the Historical Buddha, Gottingen, 1991) over the determination of the exact time period of the historical Buddha. When the international archaeology team excavated beneath existing brick structures at the Māyā Devi Temple, they unearthed older wooden structures lay below the walls of that later constructed Buddhist shrine. The team of researchers believes the spot of earth of the wooden structure at Lumbini may have been the location where a Sal (shorea robusta) tree under which Queen Mahāmāyā gave birth to Prince Siddhārtha once stood as Buddhist legends record. This archaeological discovery pushes back the accepted chronology of the Buddha once again to the long chronology that was based on the two Sri Lankan Pāli chronicles—Dīpavamsa and Mahāvamsa. This notable discovery prior to this year’s Vesak celebration in Vietnam is important. On this occasion of Vesak celebration, I wish to congratulate The National Vietnam Buddhist Sangha for organizing this grandeur Buddhist festival.
Ven. Dr. Mahinda Deegalle, FHEA
Reader in Religions, Philosophies & Ethics
School of Humanities & Cultural Industries
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From Dhammachari Padmadaka , UK
We are delighted the “The International Council for the Day of Vesak” is being consulted by the UN to represent the collective efforts by Buddhists worldwide that make a positive difference in world.
The Karuna Trust are engaged Western Buddhists and together with our partners we help alleviate the crippling effects of multi-dimensional poverty in India.
We wish the conference every success and for the Buddha Dhamma to thrive.
With Metta,
Dhammachari Padmadaka
CEO Karuna Trust, UK.
Patron
Dame Judi Dench. DBE
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From the Venerable Choje Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche, Abbot of Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery.
I offer my sincere congratulations and support for the 11th Anniversary Celebration and International Buddhist Conference of United Nations Day, Vesak 2014.
It is of utmost importance that all the schools of Buddhism work together to bring happiness to the world. The holy Buddha-Dharma brings peace to the mind, and through this there is great benefit for the world at large. As well as the Three Trainings of Study, Contemplation and Meditation, it is essential that we also work hard to protect the environment and help those who are poor and destitute.
Kagyu Samye Ling is the oldest Buddhist monastery in the West, with spiritual and charitable projects worldwide. I am deeply inspired by the wonderful Dharma work of all the Buddhist traditions attending this conference, and I offer my prayers and congratulations.
If we as followers of Buddhism work together to bring peace and harmony to the world, then we are fulfilling the aims of our peerless Guide, The Lord Sakyamuni Buddha. It is in our hands to make the Dharma flourish and to be of benefit to others.
I pray that the discussions on this special day may be filled with the blessings of Lord Buddha’s wisdom and compassion.
Venerable Choje Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery Scotland UK.
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From Rev. Dr Sumana Siri, Italy
Ven.Sirs, Rev.brothers, Rev.sisters, Your Excellencies, sisters & brothers,
Congratulations and Jubilations to the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha for the noble task taken to celebrate this 11th Anniversary and to host the United Nations Day of Vesak 2014 Summit.
Departing from conventional remarks, I’ll draw your attention to the wisdom of the Viet Sangha, after five decades of transformation, for choosing this most timely theme ”... to Achieve the UN MiUennium Development Goals” for this conference,
In an increasingly networked, globalised and complex world, the objectives and strategies of the heart and the mind need to be laid down by Buddhist monks, to cultivate the right mindset and intentions for a realist judgement, “here and now”.Simply because the traditional acceptance of‘Buddhism is a peaceful religion ‘does not hold water any more. As the killings in Sri Lanka’s War, the massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Burma, provocated by “so called1’ monks and the atrocities in South Thailani now and then.
So, the oft-repeated question; Is war or killing justified in Buddhism? Have monks forgotten” the oneness of mankind; the indivisibility of man (same species)”.
“Remember your humanity, forget the rest! ” was the deduction signed by Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell in the joint statement of the League of Nations, after the First World War which saw the beginning of the U.N.O. The great visionaries saw the validity of Applied Buddhism rather than daily chants of” May all beings be well and happy!”
After all, Vesak became a holiday in UNO offices globally, because of a Tamil Christian who recognised the Buddha Word as a vehicle to unify disruptive forces towards a common goal of universal happiness; space for Multi Culturalism, the Right One- Pointedness!
Today, the Viet Nam Sangha have exemplified to struggling Buddhist nations, that “genuine co-existence * is possible !!!
Vietnam got closer to my reasoning due to the compassion of my first Singapore Dhamma Guru, the Most Ven. Narada Maha Thera of Vajirarama, Colombo who was decorated with the “SadHu Maha” title for his services to Saigon, via my home State of Singapore, in the early 60’s.The vivid memory of news in photos and views of pieta never fades even after half a century!
May the Sublime Dhamma be our guide, as long as the sun and moon exist!
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
From Ven. Phra Rajabhavanawimol, Uk
Your Holiness, venerable members of the Sangha, distinquished guests, dear devotees and friends in Dhaimna,
It is pround to say that Buddhism has a unique character which aims to develop love, unity and peaceful living among humanity regardless of races and religions. Impressed with such character, more and more westerners become interested in Buddhism especially Buddhist meditation. Many of them, after having lernt and practised the teaching, experienced the result of practice for themselves, developed stronger faith in the teaching and then work actively to spread the teaching of the Buddha bringing great contributions to all beings.
The celebration of the United Nations Day of Vesak is regarded as an important event for Buddhists of all schools because it remarks the birth, enlightenment and passing away of Lord Buddha. In the United Kingdom, the celebration of Vesak Day can be divided into two, first the religious service is normally held by each monastery, giving the Buddhists an opportunity to perform religious funciton such as, merit-making, listening to the talk, candle-lit procession, chanting and meditation, second the international activities which are usually taken part by Buddhist communities from different traditions with the purpose to memórate the great qualities of the Buddha’s teaching.
On behalf of the Thai Dhammaduta monks and lay devotees in the UK, I would like to express great appreciation and congratulations for the Sangha leaders, academics and all sectors both state and private who have come to celebrate the 11th United Nations Day of Vesak 2014 in Vietnam this year. Í sincerely wish every success for this great and remarkable event and finally may happiness, peace and harmony be upon all beings.
(Most Ven. Phra Rajabhavanawimol)
President of the Council of Thai Buddhist Monks,
UK Abbot of the Buddhapadipa Temple, London
