The Thai government and the Sangha Supreme Council are joining hands in organizing the 19th United Nations Day of Vesak Celebration 2024 on 19-20 May, under the theme “The Buddhist Way of Building Trust and Solidarity.”
The event is also part of Thailand’s activities in honor of His Majesty the King on the auspicious occasion of His Majesty’s sixth cycle (72nd) birthday anniversary this year. His Majesty the King is a devout Buddhist and firmly upholds Buddhist principles.
Thailand have invited Buddhist leaders, scholars, and monks from 73 countries to participate in the United Nations Day of Vesak Celebration 2024 and attend a ceremony to offer their best wishes to His Majesty on this special occasion.
The program on 19 May takes place at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, a public Buddhist university, in Wang Noi district of Ayutthaya province. It includes goodwill messages from Sangharajas, Mahanayakas, and Buddhist leaders from different countries, and three panel discussions on the subjects “Application of Buddhist Mindfulness for Health and Wellbeing,” “Buddhist Path to Trust and Global Partnership,” and “Relevance of Buddhist Education for Harmonious Society.”
The event on 20 May takes place at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok, with messages from the United Nations Secretary General and others. On this occasion, the 2024 Bangkok Declaration will be announced, and then participants will leave for Buddhamonthon in Nakhon Pathom to invoke blessings for His Majesty the King of Thailand and join other activities.
Falling on the full moon day of the sixth lunar month, “Vesak,” commonly referred to among Thais as “Visakha Puja,” is the holiest day of the year for Buddhists all over the world. It commemorates the birth of the Buddha, his attainment of enlightenment, and his passing away. An extraordinary aspect of the occasion is that the three incidents took place on the same day but different years.
This year, the Day of Vesak is observed on 22 May. (PRD)
