Buddhists' UN forum promotes exchanges

Representatives of Buddhist communities in China, the United States and Canada met at UN headquarters in New York to discuss efforts to build a community of a shared future for mankind.

The 2019 China-US-Canada Buddhist Forum was held on Saturday, the second gathering after an event in Canada in 2017. During the one-day forum, guest speakers shared views on how to expand the positive impact of the Buddhist communities in the three countries. Lectures and discussions promoted mutual understanding and learning between Buddhism and modern societies.

"The purpose of the United Nations corresponds with the common values and principles of all major world religions," said Venerable Master Yanjue, vice-president of the Buddhist Association of China in Beijing. "Kofi Annan, former UN secretary-general, once said that when the world's major religious and spiritual leaders join hands to call for world peace, it will bring about a vision for peace in the new millennia."

The Buddhist tradition, with a history of over 2,500 years, advocates compassion, equality, tolerance and peace, Yanjue said.

"It has been endeavoring to fundamentally eradicate the prejudice and misunderstanding among people, providing effective and feasible solutions for various civilizations to coexist with and accommodate each other, and dissolve cultural conflicts between them," he said.

The world faces great changes, Yanjue said, adding that peace, development, cooperation and win-win situations are still main themes.

Given the circumstances, "the Buddhist circles of China, the US and Canada join hands to hold this Buddhist forum, conduct friendly exchanges and cooperation, practice their loving kindness and compassionate vows to devotedly maintain world peace, promote exchanges and mutual learning between human civilizations, and enhance the welfare of all beings", he said.

"This is of great significance to furthering religious and cultural exchanges and enhancing understanding, mutual trust and friendship between the people of the three countries as well as promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning between the East and West and establishing a human community of common destiny," he said.

The forum's theme is "Enlightenment in the Human Realm: The Spirit and Practice of Chan Buddhism".

"We aim to explore the promotion and role of Buddhism in the context of a new era," said Venerable Master Mingyu, president of the American Buddhist Confederation. "It is our intention to reveal the contemporary bodhisattva spirit that liberating others and liberating oneself are one in the same."

Mingyu said through practicing the four great bodhisattva vows, "we can love and care for all beings. And we will surely write this chapter on contemporary Buddhism into the cultural histories of the United States, China, and Canada." A bodhisattva is a person on the path toward Buddhahood.

Representatives of the communities also explored the mission and responsibility of Buddhism in the global community of a shared future for mankind, propagated the spirit of enlightenment and freedom of Chinese Chan Buddhism, examined the historical context of Chinese Chan Buddhism, disseminated the experience of the propagation and spread the development of Buddhism.