Statement by Ambassador Asoke Kumar Mukerji, Permanent Representative of India, at the United Nations Annual Commemoration of Vesak, 5 June 2015

Venerable Monks,

Distinguished Colleagues,

Friends,
 

Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, Bihar

 

It is indeed a great honour for me to speak on this auspicious occasion. The name of Lord Buddha is revered in India, and we are proud that the Buddha chose to live and preach his teachings in India. The place where he attained Enlightenment, Bodh Gaya in the state of Bihar, is today well known for the Mahabodhi Temple, visited annually by millions of Buddhists from India and across the world.
 

Emperor Ashoka's Stupa at Sanchi, India

 

Lord Buddha's teachings were adopted by the Emperor Ashoka, who devoted his energy to propagating them. The Edicts of Ashoka can be found across the length and breadth of South Asia. After many centuries, rock carvings of Lord Buddha have been found in the Tamgaly Tas region of Kazakhstan in Central Asia, which was on the ancient Silk Road connecting South Asia to the north and east of our continent.

Buddhist Rock Carvings, Kazakhstan

 

The core of the teachings of Lord Buddha, especially ahimsa or non-violence, have become an integral part of India's political philosophy. Buddhist knowledge was actively propagated in India at the ancient Buddhist university of Nalanda. It is a matter of special pride for us that this ancient university, which fell into ruin centuries ago, is today being revived with the active participation of our government and people, as well as our partners from many countries of East Asia, including members of ASEAN, Australia, the People's Republic of China, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea.

Ruins of Nalanda University, India

Apart from participating actively in the revival of Nalanda, India has also sought to use the ancient links forged by our common Buddhist heritage between different countries in Asia as part of our foreign policy outreach, seeing the world as one family, or Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. I am happy today to share with all of you here in the United Nations some glimpses of this interaction during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visits to Japan, Sri Lanka, the People's Republic of China, and Mongolia during the past year.

 

Prime Minister Modi at Kinkaku-ji Temple, Japan

PM Narendra Modi at Mahabodhi Society, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Prime Minister Modi with President Xi Jinping at Wild Goose Pagoda, China

Prime Minister Modi at Buddhist Monastery, Ulan Baatar, Mongolia

As you can see, we are indeed actively linked by our common Buddhist heritage.

This year, as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, it is our belief that a greater consciousness of such a heritage will greatly assist all of us in recreating a more holistic and non-violent world in which human beings live in harmony with each other, and with Nature.