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An international celebration
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The Permanent Missions of Sri Lanka and Thailand to the United Nations co-hosted a virtual commemoration on the occasion of the International Day of Vesak on Tuesday.
The Commemoration commenced with the opening remarks by the co-hosts Ambassador Mohan Pieris of Sri Lanka and Ambassador Vitavas Srivihok of Thailand, emphasizing the importance of the day of Vesak for the Buddhists around the world. It was in 1999, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a Resolution moved by Lakshman Kadirgamar the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister which internationally recognized the Day of Vesak at the United Nations
During the high-level segment, the President of the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, Mr Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand; Dinesh Gunawardena, Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka and Mr António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, through their video messages, underscored that as the world faces the lasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is clearer than ever that humility and deep empathy, as conveyed in Buddha’s message, are essential to the wellbeing of our planet, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
Ven Heenbunne Kondanna thero, Chief Incumbent of the Staten Island Buddhist Vihara and Ven Nakagaki, Founder and President of the Heiwa Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of New York, Venerable Ming Yu of the American Buddhist Confederation, Ven Gikwang of the Korean Buddhist Wonkaksa conducted the blessings in the Theravada and Mahayana traditions respectively and invoked blessings.
Ven Phratheppha-charayanamuni (Ven Ajahn Jayasāro) of Thailand and Ven Muruddeniye Dhammarathna Nayaka Thero of the Muthiyangana Rajamaha Viharaya of Sri Lanka conducted sermons, outlining the core messages in Buddhism; the guiding principles to attain a life of contentment. The event also included screening of cultural videos on how Vesak is celebrated in Sri Lanka and in Thailand.
Joining virtually, Permanent Representatives of Bhutan, Japan, Mongolia, Nepal, Singapore, Viet Nam and representatives of Indonesia, Republic of Korea, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Myanmar made statements regarding the celebration of Vesak in their respective countries and the relevance of Buddhism in today’s world.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan missions overseas marked the Vesak celebrations with religious and other events.