2 Nov 2018, Kathmandu
The 2018 South China Sea Buddhism Shenzhen Roundtable was started in Chinese city of Shenzhen on Thursday.
Organized around the theme of ‘Welcome the Contributions of all Parties and Build a Common Future’, the Roundtable witnessed participation of eminent monks, government officials and members of friendship associations from 12 countries and regions including Nepal and others. According to the organizer, the speakers delivered their speeches on promotion of regional Buddhist cultural exchanges and the safeguarding of peace.
In his message to the conference, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that Buddhism has long helped build a bridge of communication between Nepal and China since ancient times. Given the long-lasting and ongoing friendship between the two nations, the relations will grow in significance in future years.
Likewise, Vice Chairman of Lumbini Development Trust Metteyya Sakyaputta said that the sole purpose of the noble teachings of the Buddha is to alleviate the suffering of all sentient beings and create a better world for both mankind and nature. The teachings of the Buddha are particularly salient today as the world is faced with unprecedented challenges, he said. The gathering of leaders of Buddhist communities in the South China Sea region at the Roundtable will help to promote regional peace and stability under this opportunity, Vice Chairman Sakyaputta opined.
Similarly, Vice Chairman of the Buddhist Association of China, abbot of Shenzhen Hongfa Temple and convener of the Roundtable Yin Shun delivered a keynote speech proposing a number of initiatives aimed at promoting Buddhist exchanges in the South China Sea.
After deliberations during the Roundtable and on the basis of past consensus, eminent monks from ten countries jointly signed the Memorandum of Understanding of the 2018 South China Sea Buddhism Shenzhen Roundtable in six areas of consensus, including the joint writing of meditation manuals, the conduct of seminars on temple management and the establishment of a mechanism concerning the rotation of the host state for the Roundtable beginning from 2019.
