Buddhism Can Help Nations Tackle Pressing Challenges: UN Chief

UNITED NATIONS:In current times of hateful rhetoric aimed at dividing communities and violent conflicts, the Buddhist teachings of compassion and non-violence can help the international community tackle pressing challenges, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in his message on the Day of Vesak.

\r\nHe said Buddhism teaches the world the law of\r\nlove and compassion for all living beings and the challenge is to apply\r\nBuddha's wisdom to the "real problems in our world today."
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Mr Ban underscored that the International Day\r\nof Vesak is a reminder to practice compassion for all people, including\r\nreaching out across religious divides, rejecting bigotry and embracing all people\r\nequally.
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\r\nIndia, along with 13 other nations, commemorated\r\nVesak at a special event on Friday in the UN General Assembly hall attended by\r\nmonks and diplomats.
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\r\n"Buddhism teaches that all people are\r\ninterconnected. We must face global problems together. Poverty, displacement,\r\ndisasters, diseases, conflict and climate change all transcend national\r\nborders," Mr Ban said.
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\r\nHe called on the international community to use\r\nthe occasion of Vesak to reach out to bridge differences, foster a sense of\r\nbelonging and show compassion on a global scale for the sake of the common\r\nfuture.
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\r\nIndia's Permanent Representative to the UN Syed\r\nAkbaruddin said Buddha's key messages of truth, non-violence and peace continue\r\nto be relevant and resonate across distant lands even today.
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\r\n"Modern world continues to be beset with\r\ngreat human suffering, deepening inequalities, violent conflicts and\r\nenvironmental degradation. The teachings of Buddha about harmony with inner\r\nself and with nature of which we all are part of, hold great promise to\r\nenlighten people and alleviate the suffering in societies," Mr Akbaruddin\r\nsaid.
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\r\nHe stressed that the landmark recognition of the\r\nneed to pursue a collective global sustainable development agenda in the form\r\nof SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and a similar spirit of understanding\r\nand cooperation for common good, shown in the conclusion of the Paris Agreement\r\non Climate Change also has "strands of ancient wisdom of our traditions\r\nincluding that embodied in Buddhism."
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\r\nVesak, the day of the Full Moon in the month of\r\nMay, is the most sacred day to millions of Buddhists around the world.
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\r\nIt was on the Day of Vesak two and a half\r\nmillennia ago that the Buddha was born, when he attained enlightenment and when\r\nhe passed away in his 80th year.
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\r\nThe General Assembly had passed a resolution in\r\n1999 to commemorate the Day of Vesak to acknowledge the contribution that\r\nBuddhism has made for over two and a half millennia and continues to make to\r\nthe spirituality of humanity.

Source from: http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/buddhism-can-help-nations-tackle-pressing-challenges-un-chief-1408487

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