Prez calls upon youth to learn from teachings of Buddha to empower themselves

    New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu called upon the youth to learn from the teachings of Lord Buddha to empower themselves and bring a positive impact in society.
     A recorded video message of her was screened during an event held at the National Museum here on Monday to mark "Ashadha Purnima", the second most sacred day for Buddhists.
     By following the three teachings of Lord Buddha -- Sheel, Sadhachar and Pragya -- the younger generation could empower themselves and bring a positive impact in society, President Murmu was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Culture Ministry.
     "On 'Asadha Purnima', we got acquainted with the Dhamma of Lord Buddha which is not only a part of our ancient cultural heritage, but it is also an essential feature of our daily life," she said, adding that to know about Buddha Dhamma "we should learn and understand the first sermon given by Shakyamuni on the sacred land of Sarnath".
     The President called upon the youth to enrich themselves and immensely contribute to building a peaceful society, a nation, and a world.
     The event was organised by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture.
     Murmu recalled that on "Asadha Purnima", Lord Buddha through his first sermon planted the seeds of the middle path of the Dhamma. "It is important that on this auspicious day we absorb the teachings of Lord Buddha into our behaviour and thought," she said.
     Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs, Meenakashi Lekhi, in her address described a lay person's journey to attain the level of Bodhisattva.
     "Though we are all connected in our values, yet we are responsible for our own actions. Right actions can change our destiny," she said.
     She went on to explain that living simply and in sustainable manner, "in our daily life", following the principles of consciousness and with mindfulness in action, speech, conduct and pursuing the right livelihood, "we are already on the right path of Dhamma".
     It was COVID-19 that showed us the worth of our life, a sense of detachment to material and physical existence. In a sense, this was the path to attaining higher levels of consciousness, she added.
     Members of the diplomatic community, dignitaries, patriarchs of Buddhist Sanghas, eminent masters, cholars, monks, and nuns based in New Delhi participated in the event.
     His Holiness the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa, in his Dhamma talk on the Significance of 'Asadha Purnima' said, "We celebrate the first teachings of the Buddha. He taught us the deepest commonsense; suffering is the object that we have to overcome it is important to experience and realise the words of Buddha before we overcome suffering and pursue peace, harmony and compassion."
     In the presence of Lekhi, contract was awarded for the construction of India's Buddhist Centre in the Monastic Zone of Lumbini. The Certificate of the 'Award of Contract' to an Indo-Nepal Joint Venture company was presented by IBC to ACC- Gorakha for the construction of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage (IICBCH) in the Monastic Zone of Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha in Nepal, the statement said.
     It may be recalled, following an agreement between the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) and the IBC, on March 25, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the then Prime Minister of Nepal, Sher Bahadur Deuba performed the 'shilanyas' ceremony and laid the foundation stone of IICBCH at the site on May 16, 2022, it said
     Before the handing over of the contract award, a film on the 'India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage', project in Lumbini was screened.
     It was at Sarnath that Buddha gave his first sermon and set the wheel of dharma in motion. The auspicious day of Ashadha Purnima which falls on the full moon day of the month of Ashadha as per Indian lunar calendar is also known as Esala Poya in Sri Lanka and Asanha Bucha in Thailand.
     The day marks Buddha's first teaching after attaining Enlightenment, to the first five ascetic disciples (pancavargiya) on the full-moon day of Ashadha at 'Deer Park', in the present day Sarnath, near Varanasi, it said.
     The rainy season retreat (Varsha Vassa) for monks and nuns, also starts with this day lasting for three lunar months from July to October, during which they remain in a single place, generally in their temples dedicated to intensive meditation. The day is also observed as Guru Purnima by both Buddhists and Hindus as a day to mark reverence to their gurus, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)