Ministry of Internal Affairs attends the 2nd International Buddhist Forum in the Russian Federation

On August 13, 2024, the opening ceremony of the 2nd International Buddhist Forum, themed "Traditional Buddhism and Contemporary Challenges," took place in Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Republic of Buryatia in the Russian Federation.

The forum was attended by representatives from 15 countries: Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Bhutan, Vietnam, India, Cambodia, China, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, and representatives from various regions of the Russian Federation.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang speaks at the forum. Photo: Ministry of Home Affairs

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang; Director of the Institute of Religious Studies under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences Chu Van Tuan; and Counselor-Minister of the Vietnamese Embassy in the Russian Federation Le Quang Anh.

The 2nd International Buddhist Forum focused on comprehensive discussions about the development of Buddhism, its culture, philosophy, and practice, aiming to promote scientific, educational , and cultural cooperation among Buddhist organizations in different countries.

The forum was organized by the Russian Traditional Buddhist Church, the Government of the Republic of Buryatia, the Foundation for the Promotion of Buddhist Education and Research, with the support of the Roscongress Foundation, and was held in Buryatia from August 12-14, 2024.

In his message to the forum participants, Russian President V. Putin praised the contributions of Buddhist organizations in maintaining peace, harmony, and mutual understanding in society, as well as in developing interreligious and inter-national dialogue.

The Russian President expressed confidence that this forum would be organized in a creative and constructive manner, contributing to strengthening international humanitarian cooperation and implementing joint projects.

In his welcoming remarks to the forum participants, the head of the Republic of Buryatia, Alexei Tsydenov, affirmed that the integration and values ​​of Buddhism are becoming increasingly important in the world today. Buryatia is a region where people can have in-depth discussions on Buddhist issues.

Speaking at the plenary session, Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang stated that Buddhism was introduced to Vietnam more than 2,000 years ago, becoming one of the largest religions in Vietnam. During its introduction and development, Buddhism has become a religion of peace, harmonizing with the traditional beliefs of the Vietnamese people. Vietnamese Buddhism has always been an engaged religion, closely linking spirituality and life, accompanying the nation and making many contributions to the building and development of the country.

Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang emphasized that in the field of spiritual culture, Buddhism has made great contributions to the Vietnamese national culture. Some philosophical systems of Buddhism have been popularized into symbols and standards that are very close and familiar to the Vietnamese people.

Therefore, Buddhism quickly entered social life, was embraced by the people, and gradually contributed to consolidating, maintaining, and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of Vietnam.

In addition, Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang also stated that Buddhism serves as a bridge to preserve many traditional cultural values ​​of the Vietnamese nation. Through Buddhist activities, the traditional cultural values ​​of the nation have been promoted in contemporary Vietnamese society.

Immediately following the opening session, delegates attended a scientific conference on the topic of "The Phenomenon of Pandido Khambo Lama Dashi Dorzhi Itigelov." Nearly 100 years ago, in 1927, this eminent meditation master entered a state of "incorruptible body." His remains to this day still bear the signs of being alive, and this remains without a scientific explanation.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang poses for a commemorative photo with the Vietnamese delegation. Photo: Ministry of Home Affairs.

Associate Professor Dr. Chu Van Tuan – Director of the Institute of Religious Studies – presented a paper at the conference and stated that the issue of the incorruptible bodies of monks after their death is a matter worth researching because it is very difficult to explain from a conventional scientific perspective. Many believe that only monks who have attained enlightenment can achieve complete bodily relics.

Associate Professor Dr. Chu Van Tuan focused his presentation on the cases of three Vietnamese monks whose bodies remained incorruptible: Vu Khac Minh and Vu Khac Truong, monks who lived in the 17th century, and Thich Minh Duc, a monk who lived in the 20th century, both of whom attained enlightenment and whose bodies remain intact to this day.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang held a working meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Buryatia, Russian Federation.

On the afternoon of August 14, 2024, in Ulan-Ude, Buryatia Republic, Russian Federation, Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang led the Vietnamese delegation in a meeting and working session with the Prime Minister of Buryatia, Alexey Tsydenov, on the occasion of attending the 2nd International Buddhist Forum.

During the meeting, Mr. Alexey Tsydenov, Chief Minister of the Republic of Buryatia, informed the Vietnamese side about the results of the 2nd International Buddhist Forum and the strengths of the Republic of Buryatia in terms of economy, culture, and tourism.

View of the working session. Photo: VOV

In terms of tourism, the Republic of Buryatia boasts Lake Baikal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is the deepest and largest natural freshwater lake in the world…

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang congratulated Mr. Alexey Tsydenov and his side for successfully organizing the 2nd International Buddhist Forum in Ulan-Ude city, achieving the goals set by the Forum according to the theme "Traditional Buddhism and challenges of the times".

Like the Russian Federation, Vietnam is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country with 14 million Buddhist followers and over 50,000 temples and places of worship. Buddhism has been present in Vietnam for over 2,000 years and has always accompanied the country's development. Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang respectfully invited the Buriatian delegation to attend the United Nations Vesak Day celebration, which Vietnam will host in 2025.

Both sides expressed pleasure at the special relationship between Vietnam and the Russian Federation, and showed interest in joint training of human resources between the two countries in the fields of mineral extraction, agriculture, and science and technology. Both sides agreed that countries with Buddhist traditions account for half of the world's population and more than half of the global economy. The Asia-Pacific countries are constantly developing in all aspects, and cooperation between Buryatia and these countries will bring new development opportunities to the republic.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/bo-noi-vu-tham-du-dien-dan-phat-giao-quoc-te-lan-thu-2-tai-lien-bang-nga-339300.html