Under the scorching 36°C sun, interspersed with challenging rain showers, the Buddhist devotees inched their way towards the gate of Thanh Tam Pagoda (Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City). Each person had to queue for nearly two hours before the gate, with its cool, air-conditioned breeze, revealed the shimmering stupa containing relics.
For Vietnamese Buddhists who have only "encountered" the Buddha through scriptures and sermons, the opportunity to see the relics of the Buddha in person during the Vesak Buddha's birthday is a special experience.
Welfare for believers
On May 6th, delegates from 85 countries gathered at the Buddhist Academy (Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) to attend the opening ceremony of the United Nations Vesak Celebration 2025. Buddhist flags adorned the streets to welcome the guests.
Within the ceremonial grounds, a giant Buddhist flag, measuring 500 square meters, was hoisted high into the air by hot air balloons, fluttering in the wind.
The giant Buddha flag flies at the 2025 Vesak celebration (Photo: Nam Anh).
Also on May 6th, 62 years ago, the Ngo Dinh Diem regime issued an order banning the display of religious flags just before the Buddha's birthday celebration, igniting a wave of discontent among Buddhists in South Vietnam. A non-violent struggle for freedom and equality for Buddhism ensued, culminating in the self-immolation of Venerable Thich Quang Duc in Saigon on June 11, 1963.
More than half a century later, the country is no longer divided. The relics of the Heart of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc are preserved and venerated. The city where the Bodhisattva once self-immolated is now a place where groups of monks, nuns, and Buddhists from 85 countries gather to attend the United Nations Vesak Celebration. They bring to Vietnam congratulations on the 50th anniversary of national reunification.
"The Party and State of Vietnam consistently implement the policy of respecting and protecting the freedom of belief and religion of all people, considering it an important foundation for building national unity," President Luong Cuong affirmed to delegates attending the opening ceremony of the 2025 Vesak Grand Celebration.
Today, Vietnam not only welcomes Buddhism, but also the diverse development of this religion. The opening ceremony hall became a vibrant space filled with monks from many countries, ethnicities, languages, traditions, and sects.
Along the path leading to the Vesak Grand Ceremony hall, Vietnamese Buddhists respectfully pay homage to foreign monks (Photo: Ngoc Tan).
Another Buddhist treasure that received great reverence was the relic of the Buddha from India. From Tan Son Nhat Airport, the relic was transported to Thanh Tam Pagoda, located next to the grounds where the Vesak Great Ceremony was held.
The relics of the Buddha are enshrined in a high-ceilinged room on the ground floor of Thanh Tam Pagoda. The relics are housed in an exquisitely carved wooden stupa with glass panels on all four sides. White garlands hang from the four corners of the roof. Chrysanthemums and lotus flowers are arranged around it.
"Buddham saranam Gacchami…" The deep, resonant sound of the Pali mantra echoed through the room, accompanied by the spreading incense smoke. The Vietnamese translation of this mantra is: "I take refuge in the Buddha…"
Reverence for the relics caused the people passing through the room to slow their pace. Some bent their backs, their knees buckled, hesitating to kneel in reverence, but unable to do so because of the crowd behind them. Outside the door, many turned towards the relics and knelt in reverence.
After waiting for two hours, the experience of walking around and venerating the relics lasted only about five minutes. "Those were the happiest five minutes," Thuy Dung, a Buddhist woman from District 6 who came to venerate the Buddha's relics, shared with the reporter.
The space for venerating the relics of the Buddha (Photo: Organizing Committee).
The image of millions of people lining up to venerate the relics of the Buddha and the relics of the Heart of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc in a joyful, loving, and orderly manner, as Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh stated, is a clear affirmation of the results in caring for the spiritual lives of the people.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister , the success of the 2025 United Nations Vesak Celebration affirms many humanistic values and great achievements of Vietnam and its people, affirming the Vietnamese nation's tradition of harmony, compassion, goodness, and love of peace, as well as the Party's correct policy of freedom of belief and religion.
A prayer for peace from a country that has experienced war.
The United Nations Vesak Celebration is the largest and most important annual event of the global Buddhist community. Beyond its ceremonial and diplomatic significance, it also serves as a major academic forum for researchers and experts to discuss contemporary trends and the future direction of Buddhism.
This year, the main theme of the Vesak celebration is Unity and Tolerance for Human Dignity. Buddhist wisdom for world peace and sustainable development. The scientific conference held during the Vesak celebration also revolved around this theme. In the nearly 1,000-page compilation of papers, the keyword "peace" was mentioned more than 1,500 times.
Minister Dao Ngoc Dung attends the lantern festival praying for world peace (Photo: Bao Quyen).
Sharing with international friends on the sidelines of the Vesak Grand Celebration, Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religion Dao Ngoc Dung stated that Vietnam is one of the countries that has suffered the most from war. To achieve peace, the country paid a heavy price, with 1.2 million martyrs and 800,000 wounded soldiers. The wounds of war continue to linger into the third generation.
"Therefore, Vietnam, more than anyone else, highly values and cherishes peace and freedom, including religious freedom," Minister Dao Ngoc Dung shared.
The head of the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions affirmed that the 2025 United Nations Vesak Celebration is also an opportunity to showcase a Vietnam that cherishes peace, is friendly and united with international friends, and to reaffirm to the international community Vietnam's policy of respecting and protecting the right to freedom of belief and religion.
On the evening of May 6th, after attending the Vesak opening ceremony, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung and other international Vesak delegates took a walking meditation and lit 35,000 lanterns to pray for world peace. 12,000 people also released lanterns, sincerely praying for world peace, national prosperity, and for humanity to overcome suffering.
"Mindfulness," "commitment," "unity," "healing"... were also key keywords mentioned by scholars at the International Vesak 2025 Conference. In an effort to define the role of the Buddhist community in addressing social issues and global challenges, delegates adopted the Ho Chi Minh City Declaration.
The full text of the Ho Chi Minh City Declaration is 6 pages long with 6 agreed-upon points, including: (1) Unity and tolerance for human dignity; (2) Cultivating inner peace for world peace; (3) Forgiveness, healing through mindfulness and reconciliation; (4) Buddhist compassion in action: Shared responsibility for human development; (5): Mindfulness in education for a compassionate and sustainable future; (6) Promoting solidarity and cooperative efforts for global harmony.
Lantern festival praying for world peace at the Buddhist Academy (Binh Chanh district) (Photo: Bao Quyen).
The Ho Chi Minh City Declaration also acknowledges the strong transformation of Vietnam, particularly witnessing tremendous achievements in all aspects of life, economic, cultural, and social development… with Ho Chi Minh City standing out after 50 years of national reunification. Vietnam's international standing is increasingly enhanced and plays an important role in the region and the world.
"The fourth United Nations Vesak Celebration held in Vietnam has given us a clearer picture of the rich, diverse, and free religious life in Vietnam. We see the strong commitment and practical implementation of the Vietnamese Party and State in respecting and guaranteeing the right to freedom of belief and religion for all citizens," the Ho Chi Minh City Declaration stated.
As a historical landmark, Ho Chi Minh City successfully hosted two major celebrations: the 50th anniversary of national reunification and the 20th United Nations Vesak Day. International guests visiting Ho Chi Minh City on this occasion witnessed a unified, prosperous Vietnam that values freedom and peace.
Dantri.com.vn
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/du-am-vesak-2025-niem-vui-chiem-bai-xa-loi-va-uoc-vong-hoa-binh-20250509153537256.htm
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