“India taking new initiatives based on Buddha’s teachings”: PM Modi at Global Buddhist Summit

At the Global Buddhist Summit, which began on Thursday in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized Gautama Buddha’s noble teachings.

“The noble teachings of Gautama Buddha have impacted countless people over centuries. Inspired by the teachings of Lord Buddha, India is taking new initiatives for global welfare,” said PM Modi. He said, “Buddha is an understanding beyond the person, Buddha is a thought beyond the form, Buddha is a consciousness beyond the image, and this consciousness of the Buddha is eternal and constant…”
PM Modi also stated that India is progressing in ‘Amrit Kaal’ towards becoming a developed country, with Lord Buddha serving as the primary inspiration.

“In this Amrit Kaal, India has taken new initiatives on many subjects and our biggest inspiration for this is Lord Buddha. India is moving ahead in the ‘Amrit Kaal’ towards becoming a developed country. India has resolved for the welfare of not only India but also for the whole wide world,” Modi said.

The two-day Global Buddhist Summit is taking place at a time when India is celebrating 75 years of independence and the ‘Amrit Mahotsav’. PM Modi stated that India has consistently spread Lord Buddha’s values.

“The path of Buddha is Pariyakti, Patipatti, and Pativedha. Means Theory, Practice, and Realization. In the last 9 years, India has progressed rapidly on all these three points,” he said.

The Prime Minister went on to say that “the future will indeed be magnificent” when many people come together with a vision for a better future.

“India has had its firsts in so many fields, and it has derived great inspiration for the same from Lord Buddha. That’s why today people from different countries, and different geographical-cultural environments are present here together,” Modi said while adding that this is the extension of Lord Buddha which unites the entire humanity in one thread.

PM Modi emphasized the importance of Buddha’s path, saying that it is the path of the future, the path of sustainability. He also stated that India has given the world ‘Buddha’ rather than war.

“For the war and unrest that the world is experiencing today, Lord Buddha provided a solution centuries ago.” The journey of Buddha is the journey of problem-solving. “Every human being’s sorrow is India’s sorrow,” Prime Minister Modi said.

Modi stated that the world can only embrace happiness if “we renounce realizations of Victory, Defeat, Fights, and Wars.”

“Lord Buddha has taught the path to overcome these. Enmity can not vanish with enmity but with Love. Actual happiness lies in peace, in living together with peace. If we want to make the world happy, then this Buddha mantra of inclusiveness is the only way by leaving the self, the world, the narrow thinking,” PM Modi said.

Referring to the earthquake in Turkey, PM Modi said, “Be it peace missions in different countries of the world or a calamity like an earthquake in Turkey… India stands with humanity in times of every crisis, with ‘Mum Bhav’, by putting its full potential.”

He also explained how India was instrumental in improving the Buddha Circuit.

“We improved the Buddha Circuit in India and Nepal. Be it Kushinagar International Airport or Lumbini, where India International Centre for Buddhist Culture is being established; India is working holistically in this direction,” said PM Modi.