A two-day International Buddhist Conference was kicked off in Kathmandu on Thursday in Nepal. Representatives of government offices, religious leaders, monks and Buddhist scholars from 28 countries are taking part in the conference.
29 April 2016, 15:29 GMT
"The contribution of Lord Buddha and Buddhism to the development of our civilization must be assessed. We have not been able to glorify our rich civilizations, our oriental values and philosophies on a global scale while our ancestors were the pioneers in leading human civilizations," Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli said at the conference inauguration.
"For us, he is not just the light of Asia. He is the light of the whole world. His teachings provide, in the form of Buddhism, a strong foundation on which our historical and cultural identities have been shaped. And, we are proud to share this glorious tradition," he said.
He expressed gratitude to India, China, and UNESCO for their continued support in the development of Lumbini, which is considered "the birthplace of Lord Buddha and Fountain of Buddhism and World Peace."
A separate celebration is planned in Lumbini by Nepal's government on May 21 to commemorate the 2,560th anniversary of the birth of Buddha.
