About 1,200 international delegates attend the United Nations Vesak Festival 2025

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha hosting the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025 is an opportunity for international friends to visit Ho Chi Minh City. This is an opportunity to introduce the image of the country and people of Vietnam who love peace, friendliness, solidarity and harmony; for international friends to witness a dynamic, creative, prosperous and thriving Ho Chi Minh City after 50 years of national reunification; Vietnam integrating, developing and reaching out to the world in the new era.

Press conference on Vesak 2025.

The ceremony is also an opportunity to affirm to the international community the consistent policy of respecting and ensuring freedom of belief and religion of the Party and State of Vietnam; the reality of religious freedom in Vietnam; and the achievements that the religious community in Vietnam has achieved after 50 years of national reunification.

“Organizing the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025 once again affirms to the international community the role and position of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in the world Buddhist community. The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha is increasingly strong, becoming a beacon in the direction of international activities of world Buddhism, in promoting the value of Buddha's teachings for peace and serving humanity in today's world context,” said Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang.

It is expected that about 2,700 delegates will attend the Grand Ceremony, including about 1,200 delegates from 85 countries and territories, including leaders of several countries, representatives of the United Nations, international organizations; Buddhist Kings, Supreme Patriarchs, Dharma Masters, and Presidents of Buddhist organizations around the world; eminent monks, representatives of major Buddhist traditions in the world, who play an important role in orienting and developing the world Buddhist community; researchers, scholars, professors, and doctors from famous universities and research institutes; Buddhist intellectuals in the world and in the country. In addition, many Vietnamese expatriates in the United States, Canada, Australia, European and Asian countries will attend the Grand Ceremony.

The main theme of the 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak is “Solidarity and Tolerance for Human Dignity: Buddhist Insight for World Peace and Sustainable Development”, according to Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang, the Organizing Committee received 620 papers in English and 330 papers in Vietnamese. The papers focused on the topics of peace, sustainable development and the application of Buddhist teachings in modern society.

In addition to the opening and closing sessions and seminars, the Festival also includes seminars, Buddhist cultural events and the enshrinement of Indian Buddha relics, the heart relics of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc, a world peace prayer ceremony and the planting of 108 Bodhi trees from the Indian Bodhi Tree. Through the program content, scientific seminars in English and Vietnamese, cultural and social activities, international friends will have a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural traditions of Vietnamese Buddhism in more than 2,000 years of accompanying the nation.

The United Nations Day of Vesak 2025 is expected to contribute to promoting tourism development and economic investment in Vietnam and is an opportunity for Vietnam to become a destination for international tourists; considered a very positive activity of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in implementing the people's foreign policy, enhancing understanding, exchange, and close friendly cooperation between the Vietnamese people and all international friends in the world. The Ho Chi Minh City Vesak Declaration will be Vietnam's contribution to the mission of fulfilling the United Nations' millennium goals for peace and sustainable development.

Clarifying the process of welcoming and enshrining the Buddha's relics from India, the heart relics of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc, Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Vice President - General Secretary of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, said that the Government of India has agreed to allow the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to welcome the Buddha's relics - the national treasure of India - to enshrine during the Great Festival. This is a unique feature different from the three previous times Vietnam organized the United Nations Vesak Festival (in 2008, 2014, 2019). Currently, the Indian advance team (including representatives of the Ministry of Culture, archaeologists, and leaders of the National Museum of India) has come to Vietnam to inspect the places where the Buddha's relics are expected to be enshrined.

The Buddha's relics are expected to arrive at Tan Son Nhat airport on May 2 by an Indian military plane, then be brought to Thanh Tam Pagoda (in the area of ​​the Vietnam Buddhist Academy, Le Minh Xuan campus, Binh Chanh, Ho Chi Minh City) for people and Buddhists to worship.

On the afternoon of May 8, the procession of Buddha's relics was held at the Ba Den Mountain National Tourist Area (Tay Ninh) until May 12. On the morning of May 13, the Buddha's relics were transported by special plane to Noi Bai airport for a procession through several streets and placed in the hall of Quan Su Pagoda. People and Buddhists worshiped Buddha's relics in Hanoi from May 14 to May 16. On the morning of May 17, the Buddha's relics were carried to Tam Chuc Pagoda (Ha Nam) - the venue for the 2019 United Nations Day of Vesak.

The heart relic of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc will be brought from the State Bank of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City branch, to be enshrined at Vietnam National Pagoda (District 10, Ho Chi Minh City) for monks, nuns, Buddhists, people and international friends to worship from May 3 to May 10. After that, the heart relic of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc will be enshrined permanently at Da Bao tower, Vietnam National Pagoda.

Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien also said that the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha had many working sessions with the leaders of the Government, the Ministry of Public Security, relevant ministries and branches and Ho Chi Minh City to prepare for the work and plan to ensure security and order for the Great Festival. The event received the attention of the leaders of the Party, the State, central ministries and branches, especially Ho Chi Minh City. While the City is focusing on organizing the event of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, it is still dedicated to helping the Sangha successfully organize the United Nations Vesak Festival.

According to VNA

Source: https://baobacgiang.vn/khoang-1-200-dai-bieu-quoc-te-du-dai-le-vesak-lien-hop-quoc-2025-postid416667.bbg