The Day of Vesak, or Visakha Puja, falls on the full moon day of the sixth lunar month, coinciding with May 8 this year. About 2,000 Buddhist leaders from all over the world have joined an International Buddhist Conference on the United Nations Day of Vesak in Thailand, scheduled for May 4-6.

Visakha Puja commemorates the birth of the Buddha, his attainment of enlightenment, and his passing away. An extraordinary aspect of the occasion is that the three incidents took place on the same day but different years. The Buddha attained enlightenment at the age of 35 and passed away at the age of 80. He spent 45 years propagating his principle of freedom from suffering.

The United Nation General Assembly at its 79th plenary meeting in late 1999 adopted the resolution for international recognition of the Day of Vesak. The resolution recognizes that the Day of the Full Moon in the month of May each year is the day most sacred to Buddhists. The international recognition of Visakha Puja also acknowledges the contribution that Buddhism has made for over 2,500 years.

The Buddha taught mutual loving-kindness and forbearance for the sake of peace and happiness in society. Since these principles are shared by the United Nations Charter, the United Nations declared that Visakha Puja was a day of universal significance, and directed that observances be held, as appropriate, at the United Nations Headquarters and other United Nations offices in May each year.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana represented His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn in presiding over the opening ceremony of the International Buddhist Conference on the United Nations Day of Vesak 2009. In her address, she said that the Buddha’s teachings provide all of the virtues necessary for discovering the Dhamma and preaching it throughout the world for the sake of peace, happiness, and welfare of both the individual and the world as a whole. Major topics of discussion at the conference included Buddhist Approach to the Environmental Crisis, Buddhist Approach to the Economic Crisis, and Buddhist Approach to Political Conflict and Peace Development.

Buddhism began to make its way into Thailand during the time of King Asoka the Great of India in the year B.E. (Buddhist Era) 218. After its introduction into Thai society, Buddhism gained wide acceptance because of its emphasis on tolerance and individual initiative, which complemented the Thais’ cherished sense of inner freedom. It has had a profound influence over Thai arts, culture, tradition, and learning. More importantly, it has dominated the character of the vast majority of the Thai people.

At present, Thailand is the location of the headquarters of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, an international Buddhist organization which promotes coordination and cooperation to enhance Buddhism throughout the world. There are currently around 32,700 Buddhist monasteries and more than 350,000 monks across the country.

Source: The Government Public Relations Department