BANGKOK, 1 June 2012 – Over 5,000 Buddhist leaders from 85 countries are gathering to chant the holy Buddhist stanzas and meditate in celebration of the International Vesak Day 2012 and the 2,600th anniversary of the enlightenment of the Lord Buddha, or Buddha Jayanti at the 9th International Buddhist Conference in Ayutthaya province.
Professor Dr. Phra Dharmakosajarn, rector of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (MCU), said that on the second day of the 3-day conference, distinguished members of Buddhist organizations worldwide delivered speeches on the use of Lord Buddha’s teachings in achieving world peace.
He cited an example of a British Buddhist leader recently spearheading a project to introduce Buddhist message of compassion to prison inmates in the UK, as a way to gradually build long-lasting happiness for world communities.
On the final day of the conference tomorrow, all participants will witness the issuance of the Bangkok Declaration 2012 at the United Nations Headquarters in Bangkok. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse are expected to attend the event.
Venerable Phra Dharmakosajarn elaborated that over 1,700 Buddhist monks will also partake in a wien-thien ceremony at the Buddhamonthon park in Nakhon Pathom province. He added that this year’s event is organized in a more spectacular manner as a tribute to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn on the occasion of their 85th, 80th and 60th birthday anniversaries respectively.
This year’s celebrations also include a ceremony to lay a foundation stone for the construction of a Buddhist park as ‘the center of World Buddhism’.
