President Luong Cuong attends the opening ceremony of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025

The President affirmed that the Vesak Festival is a major international religious event of great significance to Buddhists and people sympathetic to Buddhism around the world.

On the morning of May 6, the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025 solemnly opened at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Ho Chi Minh City with the theme "Solidarity and Tolerance for Human Dignity: Buddhist Wisdom for World Peace and Sustainable Development". This is the fourth time Vietnam has had the honor of hosting the United Nations Day of Vesak.

President Luong Cuong attended and delivered a speech.

President Luong Cuong and Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, attended the opening ceremony of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025.

Also attending were former President Truong Tan Sang; Politburo members: Party Central Committee Secretary, Head of the Central Propaganda and Education Commission Nguyen Trong Nghia, Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Nen; Party Central Committee member, Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh; Party Central Committee members, leaders of central and Ho Chi Minh City departments, ministries and branches.

Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha; Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Chairman of the National Committee for Organizing the 2025 United Nations Vesak Celebration; and other dignitaries of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha attended the opening ceremony.

International guests attending the opening ceremony included Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka; Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun; President of the United Nations International Council for Vesak (ICDV) Venerable Brahmapundit; Ambassadors and Chargé d'Affaires from several countries and more than 2,700 delegates, including about 1,250 international delegates from 85 countries and territories.

President Luong Cuong and delegates attend the opening ceremony of the 20th United Nations Day of Vesak - Vesak 2025.

Along with many activities, during this year's Vesak festival, delegates, compatriots, monks, nuns, and Buddhists were invited to pay homage to the Buddha Sakyamuni's relics, the national treasure of India and the sacred treasure of humanity. The Buddha's relics are the crystallization of the spirit of compassion, wisdom, and courage, the embodiment of the vow of selflessness and altruism. At the same time, monks, nuns, and Buddhists also had the opportunity to receive and pay homage to the Immortal Heart of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc, a symbol of the noble sacrifice for the happiness of the nation and the longevity of Buddhism.

Join hands, overcome differences, build a world of solidarity

After the opening art program and the Three Jewels ceremony, the delegates attending the Great Ceremony listened to the 2025 United Nations Vesak Message of the Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, in which he called on every Buddhist to always diligently practice, embody the Samadhi of Compassion, spread love to all living beings, light up the world with the light of compassion and wisdom, and at the same time wished that all Buddhists around the world unite, be in harmony and actively work with humanity to create a truly peaceful and happy world.

The opening speech of the Vice Supreme Patriarch - President of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, President of the National Organizing Committee of the 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak, Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, stated that the theme of this year's Vesak is "Solidarity and Tolerance for Human Dignity: Buddhist Wisdom for World Peace and Sustainable Development" which is a more urgent message than ever, carrying a humane, profound and contemporary meaning that the Buddhist community wants to send to the whole world.

In a world of uncertainty, where people are constantly facing unprecedented challenges, we need to arouse the spirit of solidarity and tolerance, taking people as the center of all actions. The Buddha taught that "All sentient beings have Buddha nature" and that is an affirmation of the equal value and dignity of all human beings, regardless of skin color, religion, nationality or social status. Along with that, promoting solidarity and cooperation efforts for global harmony is the way for the Buddhist community and religions to join hands, overcome differences, and build a world of great unity, where love, understanding, and sharing become the common language of humanity.

Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Deputy Supreme Patriarch of the Council of Patriarchs, President of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Chairman of the National Organizing Committee for the 2025 United Nations Vesak Celebration, delivered a welcome speech.

Venerable Thich Thien Nhon emphasized that Vietnam is a country with a long-standing Buddhist tradition and is closely associated with the process of building and developing the country. Vietnam is honored to organize the 2025 Vesak Festival in an atmosphere where the whole country is jubilantly celebrating the historic victory of the Spring of 1975 that unified the country. During that historical journey, Vietnamese Buddhism is proud to have contributed to the heroic victory of the nation, contributing to the formation of Vietnamese bravery and intelligence. The heroic historical journey of the past 50 years clearly shows us that the path of development that the Vietnamese people are taking is the path of solidarity, tolerance and a society where everyone can live in peace, happiness and tranquility.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the President of the International Council for the Day of Vesak (ICDV), Venerable Brahmapundit, said that since the UN General Assembly recognized the Day of Vesak in 1999, this sacred day has united the global Buddhist community in peace and reflection. This year's theme, "Solidarity and Tolerance for Human Dignity: Buddhist Insights for World Peace and Sustainable Development," calls on all to meet global challenges with compassion, mindfulness and common resolve.

Vietnamese Buddhism always upholds the spirit of "protecting the country and bringing peace to the people".

In the solemn atmosphere of the Vesak 2025, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, President Luong Cuong warmly welcomed the presence of heads of state, leaders of governments, international organizations and numerous dignitaries representing Buddhism around the world, along with delegates, compatriots, monks, nuns and Buddhists of Vietnam at home and abroad; affirming that this is a vivid manifestation of the spirit of solidarity, compassion and harmony.

The President affirmed that the Vesak Festival is a major international religious event of great significance to Buddhists and people sympathetic to Buddhism around the world, including the Buddhist Sangha, the country and people of Vietnam.

President Luong Cuong speaks at the opening ceremony of the 20th United Nations Day of Vesak - Vesak 2025.

The President highly appreciated the theme of the 2025 Vesak Celebration "Solidarity and Tolerance for Human Dignity: Buddhist Wisdom for World Peace and Sustainable Development"; emphasizing that this is a message of profound significance in the context of the world facing many challenges such as conflicts, inequality, climate change and social and ethical crises.

Stating that Vietnam is a country with a long-standing Buddhist tradition, deeply attached to the history of building and defending the country, the President said that over the past 2,000 years, Buddhism has become an inseparable part of the cultural and spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. Through many ups and downs of history, Vietnamese Buddhism has always upheld the spirit of "protecting the country and bringing peace to the people", and the Dharma has always accompanied the nation. Values ​​such as patriotism, tolerance, and a sense of goodwill of Buddhism have permeated the Vietnamese people's souls and contributed to fostering the cultural identity of the Vietnamese nation.

The President pointed out that today, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha is continuing its tradition and actively participating in the work of building and defending the Fatherland. Tens of thousands of monks, nuns, and Buddhists across the country not only diligently study and practice, propagate the Dharma, but also take the lead in many activities that benefit the country and the people, such as through charity work, social security, hunger eradication and poverty reduction, disaster relief, environmental protection, community health care, etc., making an important contribution to the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and sustainable development in Vietnam, helping to blend religion and life towards common happiness.

The President affirmed that the Party and State of Vietnam always appreciate and create favorable conditions for religions, including Buddhism, to operate within the legal framework, consistently implementing the policy of respecting and protecting the freedom of belief and religion of all people, and considering it an important foundation for building great national unity.

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha hosting the United Nations Day of Vesak in 2025 shows that Vietnamese Buddhism is not only closely connected with the nation, but is also actively contributing to international Buddhist activities. The monks, nuns, and Buddhists of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha have been, are, and will continue to join hands with monks, nuns, and Buddhists around the world to serve the Dharma and humanity, for the common goal of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.

In the context of the world still facing many difficulties and challenges, the President assessed that the theme of this year's Vesak Celebration has demonstrated the United Nations' strong determination for broad social activities, for a world of peace, friendship, cooperation and development; promoting the spirit of tolerance, harmony, humanity and compassion that the Buddha imparted, to together build a world of "peace and happiness".

As the host country, the President believes that the 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak will be a great success; delegates will share many useful experiences, actively contribute to the thematic content of the event; at the same time, have practical experiences to better understand the country and people of Vietnam; as well as through Buddhist wisdom to build a more peaceful, humane and sustainably developed world in the future.

The President also suggested that it is necessary to put compassion into policy, bring wisdom into development orientation, and promote the spirit of Selflessness - Altruism, which means doing everything not for oneself but always thinking of the interests of the masses.

In that spirit, on behalf of the host country of the 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak, the President sent his best wishes to everyone for a peaceful Vesak season in the light of the Buddha and in faith in a bright future of peace and happiness for all humanity.

According to VTV

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/chu-tich-nuoc-luong-cuong-du-khai-mac-dai-le-phat-dan-lien-hop-quoc-vesak-2025-post401364.html