27 May 2015
The Religious Affairs Department is scheduled to hold a Buddhism week from
29 May to 9 June 2015 nationwide to mark the Visakha Puja Festival, or the
"World Day of Vesak.”
On this occasion, Thailand is hosting the 12th United Nations Day of Vesak
Celebration 2015 between 28 and 30 May. More than 5,000 Buddhists and Buddhist
monks from 90 countries are expected to attend this event.
Visakha Puja, or the Day of Vesak, 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. In 2015, this significant day coincides with 1 June. Visakha
Puja is recognized as an international event by the United Nations
In Bangkok, events for the Buddhism week will be held at the Sanam Luang
ceremonial site. Among various activities are exhibitions, Dhamma lectures,
sermons, prayers, alms-offering, and a candle-lit procession. The Religious
Affairs Department is also joining hands with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority
in organizing religious tours of nine temples for interested people. The Bangkok
National Museum will allow people to pay homage to significant Buddha images
inside the museum during the period. In the provinces, the provincial culture
offices and local temples will jointly hold religious activities to celebrate
this festival.
Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat said that copies of pamphlets in Thai,
English, and Chinese have been distributed for both Thais and international
tourists, to help them know more about the Visakha Puja Festival. A campaign has
also been launched to encourage the people to display the Thai national flag,
together with the Dhamma Wheel flag, in front of their households, and to make
merit, as well as refraining from all vices, as a tribute to the Buddha.
As for the 12th United Nations Day of Vesak Celebration 2015, it will take
place at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, a public Buddhist university
in Wang Noi district of Ayutthaya province, and at the United Nations Conference
Center in Bangkok. The participating Buddhist leaders and monks will also join a
candle-lit procession at Buddhamonthon, a Buddhist religious center in Nakhon
Pathom province.
The 12th United Nations Day of Vesak Celebration features an international
conference on the theme "Buddhism and World Crisis.” The conference comprises
discussions on four major topics: Buddhist Response to Social Conflict, Buddhist
Response to Environmental Degradation, Buddhism and ASEAN Community, and
Buddhist Response to Educational Crisis. There will be a keynote address on
Buddhism and World Crisis by Dr. Damien Keown, Emeritus Professor of Buddhist
Ethics at Goldsmiths College, University of London.
Dr. Keown stated that, while the world had faced many crises in the past,
the threat seems greater today because of modern developments, such as
globalization, advanced technology, mass migration, and the accelerated speed of
transport and communications. There is a greater need than ever for Buddhist
teachings to be heard, and not just heard but implemented with commitment and
decisiveness.
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