Global Buddhist Summit: PM Modi To Inaugurate Session On April 20

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to address the inaugural session of the Global Buddhist Summit on Thursday in the national capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a public gathering (Image used for representational purposes only)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday will address the inaugural session of the Global Buddhist Summit in Delhi. Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation will be hosting the two-day summit on April 20-21. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a statement said that the theme of the summit is "Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis." It added that the summit is an effort towards engaging the global "Buddhist Dhamma" leadership along with scholars on the issues of Buddhist and universal concerns.

The summit aims to come up with policy inputs in order to address the concerns collectively and in an efficient manner. The discussion will also explore how the Buddha Dhamma's core values can inspire and guide people in contemporary settings. 

As for the themes on which the two-day event will be held, PMO's statement read, "The discussions will be held under four themes: Buddha Dhamma and Peace; Buddha Dhamma: Environmental Crisis, Health, and Sustainability; Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition; Buddha Dhamma Pilgrimage, Living heritage, and Buddha Relics: a resilient foundation to India’s centuries-old cultural links to countries in South, South-East and East Asia."

The summit will be witnessing the participation of eminent scholars, Sangha leaders, and Dharma practitioners from all over the world who collectively will be talking about global issues and trying to come up with an answer in the Buddha Dhamma which is based on universal values, the statement read.

It added, "The discussions will be held under four themes: Buddha Dhamma and Peace; Buddha Dhamma: Environmental Crisis, Health, and Sustainability; Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition; Buddha Dhamma Pilgrimage, Living Heritage and Buddha Relics: a resilient foundation to India's centuries-old cultural links to countries in South, South-East and East Asia."