| Lord Buddha’s teachings
were able to attract people from the very beginning because they were
based not on any rigid form of compliance but rather on practical
approaches in which His doctrines and principles could be analyzed
and investigated by the disciples themselves.
Kathmandu - The Second World
Buddhist Summit held in Lumbini from November 30th to December 2nd
ended up with the Lumbini Declaration.
The main objectives of the summit
were to develop the birthplace of Lord Buddha, Lumbini, into an
attractive World peace city and promoting the area as an international
center for Buddhist studies with the construction of an international
airport near Lumbini.
The conference also stressed the need
to encourage mutual and peaceful co-existence among the nations
of the World and to work for peace, harmony and tolerance along
the doctrine of non-violence propounded by Lord Buddha some 2600
years ago.
Important
Two important developments occurred
before the Lumbini Declaration was made. The first was the initiation
of the process for the establishment of the International Buddhist
University for scholars who could come and study Buddha’s teachings.
Secondly, the Lumbini Museum was to be brought into operation. This
museum, which has become a reality, will be helpful in understanding
art and architecture of Buddhist countries.
During the visit to Lumbini in 1967,
U Thant, the then UN Secretary General made the development of the
sacred place, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, an international concern.
He was the person who for the first time proposed the Lumbini Master
Plan as designed by Japanese archaeologist Kenyo Tange. Thus, the
credit should go to both the former Secretary General of the UN
U Thant and to the United Nations that is continuing to lend its
support to develop Lumbini grove as the fountain of peace for all
peace-loving peoples of the World.
In 1985, the Lumbini Trust was formed
in which thirteen nations had participated. The idea was to restore
Lumbini as a pilgrimage, a tourist site and a source of inspiration
in Buddha’s teachings.
The UNESCO, the permanent agency of
the UN, has played a crucial role to include Lumbini in the World
Heritage List ensuring necessary assistance in terms of men, money
and materials to retain and reconstruct the sacred area of the earth
and to carry the message of Buddha to the entire World.
There is no doubt that it is a matter
of great pride to Nepalese that the Second World Buddhist Summit
was concluded in the holy birthplace of Lord Buddha at Lumbini.
The first World Buddhist Summit was also held at the very place
in November 1998.
However, holding summits periodically
and repeating idealistic rhetoric alone will not help and ensure
that Lumbini would gradually turn into a center of peace. The fact
is that though a lot of assistance is being poured from the UNO
including cooperation from all over the World, the development works
carried out for converting Lumbini area into a peace center are
not of satisfactory nature. The support coming from each and every
nook and corner of the World must be utilised sincerely.
As Lord Buddha is the world’s pioneer
and renowned apostle of peace, the main principle of his teachings
is that all human beings are equal and have potential to become
Buddha. That is why Buddhism is closely related with humanism.
Buddha believed that the edifice of
peace could be erected only on the foundation of love, compassion,
tolerance, co-existence and non-violence, which are the keys to
happiness and which unfortunately, seem to be lacking among the
peoples, communities, societies and nations of the world at present.
Buddhism unfolds before us the real
path and ways to survive in this world with peace and serenity.
“Live and let live” is the main motto
of Buddhism. Lord Buddha’s teachings were able to attract people
from the very beginning because they were based not on any rigid
form of compliance but rather on practical approaches in which His
doctrines and principles could be analyzed and investigated by the
disciples themselves.
Buddha said that violence can never
be stopped by violence. Only non-violence can put an end to it.
This is now the universal law.
The Buddhist scholars and the spiritual
leaders including diplomats, who had participated in the summit,
have made suggestions unanimously to resolve the existing conflict
and crisis in Nepal by following the teachings of Lord Buddha.
They also urged the parties involved
in the current conflict to seek tolerance and compassion in overcoming
differences peacefully and to restore everlasting peace in the country.
They gave advice to adhere to the golden middle path preached by
Lord Buddha for the resolution of the existing problem.
All sufferings are the consequence
of ignorance. To resolve the current conflict and violence peacefully
one must pay due attention to the Four Noble Truths propounded by
Lord Buddha.
His teachings can be mentioned in
the following ways in their gist. There is suffering. There is a
cause for every suffering. There is a state of freedom from sufferings.
And there is a path that leads to emancipation from suffering known
as the Noble Eightfold path.
It is heartening to know that Buddhism,
the World religion has over 400 million adherents around the World.
Nepal has a glory to be a messenger of World peace. All should take
the message from Lumbini to heart and work for peace at home and
all over the World.
The world has made wonderful achievements
in science and technology which has made us to think that material
and physical happiness is everything. Happiness is not merely an
external thing. Happiness must comprise internal as well as external
development.
Materialistic progress alone may be
considered as one sided and imperfect for the overall development.
The foundation of world-peace cannot be concrete, strong and durable
merely on the basis of materialism.
Means
To have peace, prosperity and stability
in the world extreme type of ideology and life style must be abandoned
by all and they should adopt the medium golden path as propounded
by Lord Buddha. This is only the means to relieve the world from
conflict, violence and terrorism. [THE RISING NEPAL]
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