Today (May 2), the Buddha's relics boarded a special flight organized by the Indian Government to Ho Chi Minh City to accompany a delegation of Indian officials and delegates to attend the 2025 United Nations Vesak Day.
The plane departed from Hindon Air Force Base, on the outskirts of New Delhi, early this morning. It is expected to land at Tan Son Nhat Airport, Ho Chi Minh City, at around 8am this morning.
During its 20-day stay in Vietnam (from May 2-21), the Buddha's relics will be brought to four cities and provinces including Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh, Hanoi and Ha Nam so that Vietnamese people and delegates attending the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025 can worship them.
Most Venerable Thich Hue Thong - Vice President of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Vice President of the Organizing Committee of the 2025 Vesak Festival spoke at the Invitation Ceremony.
Earlier, on the afternoon of May 1, a solemn ceremony was held by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha at the National Museum of India to invite the Buddha's relics. This event is the opening event for a series of international activities within the framework of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025 held in Vietnam.
According to the representative of the International Buddhist Federation, the Buddha's relics are considered to be his incarnation whenever they are invited to a Buddhist country.
Therefore, bringing the Buddha's relics to Vietnam is as sacred as the Buddha himself visiting Vietnam.
In an interview with VTV, Dr. Abhijit Halder, General Director of the International Buddhist Federation, said: "The Buddha's relics have a symbolic meaning, considered as the embodiment of the Buddha. The Indian government has paid a lot of attention, taken many measures to preserve them, and made many detailed plans before bringing the relics abroad for display.
Vietnamese Ambassador to India Nguyen Thanh Hai expressed his gratitude to the Indian Government and the International Buddhist Federation (IBF) for allowing and facilitating the bringing of Buddha's relics - India's national treasure - to Vietnam on the occasion of Vesak 2025.
In my opinion, this is a very special occasion for the Vietnamese people to be able to pay homage to the Buddha's relics, as if he were alive and visiting Vietnam on the occasion of the United Nations Day of Vesak. We know that there will be delegates from more than 100 countries attending this festival. Imagine, the Buddha's incarnation will be there and bless everyone. I think that, at a time when humanity is facing many crises, from politics, security to climate change, there is nothing better than receiving the Buddha's blessing to help humanity overcome this difficulty."
The relics invited to Vietnam this time were found by British archaeologists at Nagarjuna Konda, an island in the state of Andhra Pradesh, Southeast India, which is considered one of the famous Buddhist sites.
During the excavation process here, this relic was found in a specially sealed coffin along with scriptures recording its origin. This excavation and research took place between 1927 and 1931, a period when India had not yet gained independence.
In 1932, a representative of the British Government presented the relics to the Maha Bodhi Society of India - founded in May 1891 with the mission of restoring and preserving Buddhist relics. The Society then enshrined the relics in the city of Sarnath (Deer Park), Uttar Pradesh state. Sarnath is also where the Buddha preached his first sermon - the Dharmacakravartin Sutta to his five disciples, marking the birth of the early Buddhist Sangha.
The ceremony to invite Buddha's relics was held by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha at the National Museum of India on the afternoon of May 1.
According to the schedule this time, after leaving Sarnath, the Buddha's relics were brought to the capital New Delhi on the afternoon of April 30 and were kept and displayed at the National Museum of India for a day and a night. Then, on the morning of May 2, the relics were loaded onto the Indian Government's special plane to begin their journey to Vietnam.
According to the representative of the International Buddhist Federation, more than three million people are expected to visit the relics during the 20 days of exhibition in Vietnam. This sends a strong message of peace and compassion to the world, true to the purpose and motto: "Buddhism brings peace, not only to the mind, but also to politics and society in general".
According to VOV
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/xa-loi-duc-phat-hom-nay-toi-viet-nam-247439.htm
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