Vesak is a significant national event in Sri Lanka every year, but this year it has gained added impetus due to two main reasons: Sri Lanka is hosting the United Nations (UN) Day of Vesak celebrations for the first time (previous celebrations were held only in Thailand and Vietnam) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Sri Lanka for the associated events. This is no doubt a great honour for Sri Lanka as all eyes in the Buddhist world and beyond will be on our island.
The UN has been celebrating Vesak officially since 1999. That year, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in which it recognized the International Day to acknowledge the contribution that Buddhism, one of the oldest religions in the world, has made for over two and a half millennia and continues to make to the spirituality of humanity. The credit for gaining greater recognition for Buddhism and Vesak within the UN should go to the late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who spearheaded a campaign for making Vesak a UN holiday. In this endeavour, he received the support of not only Buddhist countries but also other Member States of the UN.
Observing the Day of Vesak, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has called on the global community to draw inspiration from the journey of the Buddha and embrace his message of compassion. Guterres also emphasized that in today's interconnected world, there can be “no peace as long as others are in peril, no security as long as others suffer deprivation [and] no sustainable future until all members of our human family enjoy their human rights. On this Day of Vesak, let us celebrate the wisdom of the Buddha by taking action for others with a strong spirit of solidarity”. Buddhism is indeed an ideal antidote for a world driven apart by violence.
An ardent admirer of Buddhism
Indian PM Narendra Modi is a statesman who understands the power of Buddhism to heal the world’s wounds. An ardent admirer of Buddhism, Modi is well-known for his spiritual knowledge. It is most appropriate that a world leader of his calibre with a deep understanding of Buddhism is in Sri Lanka for the UN Day of Vesak events. Before departing for Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Modi greeted Buddhists around the world on the occasion of Buddha Purnima (as Vesak is known in India) saying that Gautama Buddha inspires us to work towards a “harmonious society”.“Buddha Purnima greetings to everyone. Today we remember the exemplary ideals of Gautama Buddha. His noble thoughts will continue to guide generations,” Modi said in a statement.
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| Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Mahabodhi Temple, in Bodh Gaya on September 05, 2015. |
Prime Minister Modi has described the Buddha as “a great reformer who gave humanity a new world view” and Buddhists all over the world will be eagerly waiting to hear his address to the International Buddhist Conference to be held in Colombo to mark the UN Day of Vesak. In fact, the very theme of the UN Day of Vesak this year reflects Prime Minister Modi’s views on Buddhism: “Buddhist Teachings for Social Justice and Sustainable World Peace”. This will also be the main theme for the conference which will also include an address by President Maithripala Sirisena. Over 400 delegates from 100 countries are attending this very important conference.
| Indian PM Narendra Modi is a statesman who understands the power of Buddhism to heal the world’s wounds. An ardent admirer of Buddhism, Modi is well-known for his spiritual knowledge. It is most appropriate that a world leader of his calibre with a deep understanding of Buddhism is in Sri Lanka for the UN Day of Vesak events. Before departing for Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Modi greeted Buddhists around the world on the occasion of Buddha Purnima (as Vesak is known in India) saying that Gautama Buddha inspires us to work towards a “harmonious society”.“Buddha Purnima greetings to everyone. Today we remember the exemplary ideals of Gautama Buddha. His noble thoughts will continue to guide generations,” Modi said in a statement |
The presence of the Indian Premier for these events is appropriate from another perspective. Although the Buddha was not born in what is now modern India (Lumbini in what is now Nepal was his birthplace), the Buddha lived much of his life (80 years) in India. He travelled the length and breadth of India disseminating the Dhamma and also came to neighbouring Sri Lanka on three occasions. The Buddha’s Enlightenment and Passing Away occurred in India and these sites are venerated by Buddhists from all corners of the world. In fact, a large number of pilgrims from Sri Lanka visit India (and Nepal) every year to venerate the sacred sites where the Buddha once trod.
This is an appropriate moment to recall that one of the first tasks of Prime Minister Modi after his assumption of office was relaxing Indian Visa regulations for Sri Lankans visiting India on pilgrimages, business and leisure. Earlier, pilgrims had to wait for days to get a visa, now it is a matter of getting an e-visa.
Buddhism is India’s greatest gift to Sri Lanka. It was King Asoka, later known as Dharmasoka, who was instrumental in propagating Buddhism in the island more than 2,000 years ago. He sent his son Arahat Mahinda to Sri Lanka with the message of Buddhism, where he met King Devanampiyatissa, who embraced Buddhism. The rest, as they say, is history. The Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura and the Scared Tooth Relic of the Buddha, now enshrined at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, were conveyed to Sri Lanka from India. Buddhism became the very foundation of our history, heritage and culture and it is the main thread that holds our social fabric together.
Buddhist revival in India
While Buddhism thrived and grew in Sri Lanka, only around five million people follow Buddhism in India at present. Hinduism, now the majority religion in India and Buddhism have influenced each other. Modi has spearheaded a Buddhist revival in India, seeking inspiration from two great Indians who were themselves ardent champions of the Buddhist way of life – Hindu philosopher Swami Vivekananda and the author of the Indian Constitution and India’s first Minister of Law and Justice Bhim Rao Ambedkar.
Swami Vivekanada had this to say about the Buddha: “At the time Buddha was born, India was in need of a great spiritual leader, a prophet. Buddha never bowed down to anything, neither Veda, nor caste, nor priest, nor custom. He fearlessly reasoned so far as reason could take him. Such a fearless search for truth and such love for every living thing the world has never seen. Buddha was more brave and sincere than any teacher. Buddha was the first human being to give to this world a complete system of morality. He was good for good's sake, he loved for love's sake. Buddha was the great preacher of equality. Every man and woman has the same right to attain spirituality — that was his teaching I would personally call India Buddhist India as it has imbibed all the values and virtues of the teachings of Buddha by their religious scholars incorporating them in their literature.”
Ambedkar, a Dalit (“Untouchable”) himself, rose against the caste system and saw Buddhism as the only way to create an equitable society. He converted to Buddhism along with 500,000 others in October 1956. The social movement he created led to a deeper understanding of Buddhism among Indians that resonates to this day. His book “The Buddha and his Dhamma” is a seminal work that all Buddhists should read. Last month, on the 126th Birth Anniversary of Ambedkar, Prime Minister Modi visited Deekshabhoomi, the sacred Buddhist monument where Ambedkar converted to Buddhism.
Ambedkar’s call for the inclusion of Buddhist values in everyday life and education will live on through the Nalanda University, which is being revived as a Buddhist centre of learning. India and Sri Lanka, along with other leading Buddhist nations must ensure that the Buddha’s timeless legacy lives on throughout the world. The UN Day of Vesak has laid a firm foundation for this timely endeavour.
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