Magnificence, Magnanimity and Morality in action: The maiden Global Buddhist Summit in New Delhi

Buddhism and India have shared a long-standing relationship since its very beginning starting 5th century BCE. With a long and complex history in India, the religion has had a significant impact on Indian culture and society.

By Dr Maheep Buddhism and India have shared a long-standing relationship since its very beginning starting 5th century BCE. With a long and complex history in India, religion has had a significant impact on Indian culture and society.

During the early years of Buddhism, it was mainly practised in India, and many of the religion's key teachings were developed and refined in this region. Many Indian rulers, such as Ashoka, were proponents of Buddhism and helped to spread the religion throughout the country. Buddhist temples and monasteries were established throughout India, and religion played an important role in shaping Indian art, literature, and philosophy.

Today, Buddhism continues to be an important part of India's cultural heritage, and many Buddhist pilgrimage sites are located throughout the country. Over the centuries, Buddhism spread across Asia and beyond, but it has remained an important part of India's cultural heritage.

In an attempt to reconnect with the cultural aspects and better integrate Buddhist ideas, the maiden Global Buddhist Summit will be held on April 20-21 in New Delhi in a collaborative setup between the Ministry of Culture and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC). As part of the commemorations under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the maiden edition of the International Global Buddhist Summit is being organised in India with prominent Buddhist monks from different countries taking part in the summit.

In fact, multiple roundtable conferences are being organised to discuss how best society can deal with contemporary challenges, with the help of Buddhist philosophy and thought. In better ideating how contemporary challenges can be dealt with Buddhism, the summit shall serve as a medium to enhance the cultural and diplomatic relationships with other countries as well with 171 delegates from 30 countries participating in the same.

Most discussions aim to understand today's pressing global issues and find answers in the Buddha Dhamma based on universal values. A major reason for the same is that Buddhism as a culture and religious system has been firmly rooted in the ideas of peace and non-violence.

Its teachings emphasize the importance of compassion, kindness, and respect for all living beings. In today's era of war and conflict, Buddhism's message of peace and non-violence is more relevant than ever. Religion offers a unique perspective on dealing with violence and conflict, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and understanding rather than aggression and force.

The principles of Buddhism also denote that violence and suffering inflicted on others ultimately come back to harm the oppressor as well. Buddhism encourages society to take a broader view of their actions and to consider the impact their actions might have on others, rather than just focusing on one's own desires and interests.

Therefore, the four carefully curated themes for the summit are 'Buddha Dhamma and Peace', 'Environmental Crisis, Health and Sustainability', 'Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition and Pilgrimage', and 'Living Heritage and Buddha Relics: a resilient foundation to India's centuries-old cultural links to countries in South, Southeast and East Asia'. Through these, the vision of the summit is to better understand the teachings of the Shakyamuni Buddha that have been continuously enriched over the centuries with the practice of Buddha Dhamma.

This summit comes close on the heels of a recently-held successful international meet of experts from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) nations, aimed at re-establishing transcultural links, seeking out commonalities, between Buddhist art of Central Asia, art styles, archaeological sites and antiquity in various museums' collections of the SCO countries as well. This summit is a similar effort towards engaging the global Buddhist dhamma leadership and scholars on matters of Buddhist and universal concerns, and coming up with policy inputs to address them collectively.

With the powerful message of hope in the face of conflict that Buddhism philosophy propounds advertently and inadvertently, its teachings have constantly focused on the importance of compassion and forgiveness, even in the face of the greatest adversity. By embracing these values, Buddhism advocates for a break in the cycle of violence resulting in a more peaceful and just world. It is expected that the deliberations at the summit will successfully explore how the Buddha Dhamma's fundamental values can provide the necessary inspiration and guidance to individuals, leaders and society in general in today's day and age to grapple with technological advancements, consumerism and the constant aggrandisement that societies and nations continue to profess and practice.

The maiden edition of the Global Buddhist Summit that is held in New Delhi marks a significant moment in the history of Buddhism, highlighting its relevance and potential in contemporary times. With its focus on the philosophy of compassion, sympathy and mutual understanding. The summit offers a unique perspective on how to deal with the pressing global challenges we face today. Through its carefully curated themes and roundtable conferences, the summit aims to create a platform for Buddhist leaders, Monks, and interfaith dialogue scholars to engage in meaningful discourse and explore ways to address common concerns.

The summit also serves as a medium to enhance cultural and diplomatic relationships with several countries, promoting peaceful coexistence and global peace, serenity and harmony. With its message of hope and the importance of magnificence, magnanimity and morality, Buddhism offers a golden path towards a more peaceful and just world.

The Global Buddhist Summit provides an opportunity to learn from this ancient philosophy and apply it in our lives and society, ensuring a more sustainable future for all of us. The author of this opinion piece is Dr Maheep, an expert on India's Foreign affairs. He is the Principal Investigator of a National Project on India's Soft Power Diplomacy. (ANI)

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