Buddha's Birthday 2025: Spreading Wisdom, Connecting Humanity

On May 12 (April 15, At Ty year), at the Central Headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (Quan Su Pagoda - Hanoi ), the Council of Patriarchs and the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha solemnly held a Grand Ceremony to celebrate Buddha's birthday, Buddhist calendar 2569 - Gregorian calendar 2025.

Delegates, monks, nuns and Buddhists offered incense to pray for national peace, world peace and happiness for all beings. Photo: Minh Duc/VNA

At the ceremony, Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon - Deputy Supreme Patriarch of the Council of Patriarchs, President of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha read the message of the Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Most Venerable Elder Thich Tri Quang at the opening ceremony of the United Nations Vesak 2025, sent to all Buddhist monks and nuns at home and abroad, on the occasion of Buddha's birthday 2569.

Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang, Vice Chairman of the Executive Council and Head of the Information and Communications Department of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, delivered a speech. Photo: Minh Duc/VNA

The speech of the Vesak Festival, Buddhist calendar 2569 - solar calendar 2025 by Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang, Vice President of the Executive Council, Head of the Central Information and Communications Department of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha affirmed: The United Nations Vesak Festival 2025 is not only an occasion to commemorate three great events in the life of Buddha Shakyamuni: Birth - Enlightenment - Nirvana, but also a day of global cultural and spiritual convergence; where humanity together looks towards the universal values of Buddhist wisdom: compassion, wisdom and peace for today's world. This is the 4th time the United Nations Vesak Festival has been held in Vietnam, taking place at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Ho Chi Minh City from May 6-8, 2025.

Delegates performed the Buddha bathing ceremony, praying for national peace, world peace, and happiness for all beings. Photo: Minh Duc/VNA

The theme of this year's Vesak: "Solidarity and Tolerance for Human Dignity: Buddhist Wisdom for World Peace and Sustainable Development" 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.

According to Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang, as a country with a long-standing Buddhist tradition closely associated with the process of national construction and development, Vietnam is honored to organize the 2025 Vesak Festival in a jubilant atmosphere across the country celebrating the historic victory of the spring of 1975 that unified the country.

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Permanent Vice President of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, reads the message on the occasion of Vesak. Photo: Minh Duc/VNA

Looking back on 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 with the immortal heart of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc and countless generations of monks, nuns and Buddhists who have devoted themselves to the cause of national liberation. The heroic historical journey of the past 50 years shows us clearly 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. That path is bringing the country into a new era, an era of national growth, prosperous development and prosperity.

Scene of the Buddha's Birthday Ceremony, Buddhist calendar 2569 - Gregorian calendar 2025, at the Central Headquarters of the Buddhist Sangha - Quan Su Pagoda, Hanoi. Photo: Minh Duc/VNA

Buddhists perform the traditional Buddha bathing ceremony. Photo: Minh Duc/VNA

On this occasion, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha calls on the Buddhist community worldwide to diligently practice the Dharma, nurture inner peace, spread the energy of compassion and wisdom, and make practical contributions to the peace and happiness of all humanity.

A large number of Buddhists attended the Buddha's Birthday Ceremony on Buddhist calendar 2569 - Gregorian calendar 2025. Photo: Minh Duc/VNA

Next, the religious dignitaries of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha solemnly performed the incense offering ceremony, chanted the Buddha's birthday sutra, and performed the traditional Buddha bathing ceremony.