Monks from 30 nations to attend Buddhist summit: govt

Reddy said the summit’s theme would be a “Buddhist response to the most pressing challenges in the world today”, and it will highlight the cultural and diplomatic significance. “As the birthplace of Buddhism, it is our responsibility to invite them,” he said.

Asked whether monks from China and Tibet will attend, IBC director-general Abhijit Halder said although invites had gone out to Buddhist institutions in China and Tibet, no replies had been received. Asked whether the absence of Chinese monks and scholars would be felt during the discussions, Reddy said, “Openly, we can’t speak on these issues.”

He said the summit is being organised for the first time and delegates from 30 countries, including Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the US, Laos and Brazil, will participate.

On the Dalai Lama’s attendance, Halder said no confirmation had been received due to his “health” but did not rule out the presence of the spiritual leader, either in person or virtually.

When asked, the minister said, “There is still hope.”

Last week, a video of the Dalai Lama’s interaction with a child had sparked a controversy, with many finding his remark asking the child to suck his tongue inappropriate. His office subsequently issued a statement saying that the spiritual leader apologised to the child and his family, and that he often “teases” people in an “innocent” way.

According to a statement from the Culture Ministry, the summit would include prominent Buddhism followers from across the world. The keynote speakers would be Prof Robert Thurman, an American Buddhist scholar who was awarded the Padma Shri in 2020, and Thich Tri Quang, the deputy patriarch of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.