18 May 2019, Kathmandu
Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ has said the Buddhist philosophy would have a significant role for making the vision of prosperous Nepal, happy Nepali true through the means peace and good governance.
In his address to a programme orgniased by the local Buddhist organisation named Shree Buddha and Melamchi Ghyang Guthi today on the occasion of the 2563rd Buddha Jayanti at local Boudha Stupa, the home minister said the Buddhist philosophy was born out of the Buddha’s quest to find answers to human misery and a lack of peace.
He described ‘self-centrism’ as the main cause of misery and the absence of peace. “We feeling will lead to the establishment of peace and non-violence, good conducts, equality and peace are cure for misery. The necessity of peace is worldwide as billions of dollars are being spent in arms production every year in the world,” he said, adding that for the same reason, the followers of Buddhism from countries of the West are on the rise.
Sharing the government’s target of bringing about two million tourists by 2020 AD, he said the government accorded priorities to the infrastructure development at Lumbini, Pashupatinath and Janakpur where the tourist arrivals are relatively high than other areas.
Organisation chair Chiniya Lama Bhupati Bajra Lama said the Stupa dating back to the fifth century keeps the significant value for Buddhist followers and it should be further promoted accordingly.
Founding president of the Osho Tapoban, Swami Ananda Arun drew the government’s attention to the fact that three million tourists would likely visit annually if the physical infrastructure in Lumbini could be constructed.
He believed that the base of a prosperous Nepal would be built if the stay of the visitors to Lumbini could be extended to one night. The tourists in Lumbini are said to spend only two hours in Lumbini at present. Arun also demanded that the government should take initiatives for celebrating Baisakh Shukla Purnima as the World Meditation Day.
World Hindu Federation general secretary Ashmita Bhandari said the bodies concerned should give their attention in time towards the Buddhist monasteries located in remote country-side being turned into ‘churches’ through surreptitious religious conversion.
Former lawmaker Yogendra Ghising, former chair of the Guthi Sansthan Laxman Gyawali, Taiwanese Buddhist follower Uisho, Guruama Khangdoma, Guthi manager Nabin Bajra Lama, among the speakers spoke on the relevance of Buddha’s teachings for promoting world peace in the present times. On the occasion, Chiniya Lama Bhupati Bajra Lama released a boon entitled ‘Anathko Bedana’ authored by Dr Sunita Singh Lama.
After the programme, a peace rally was organized from Bouddha premises which came back to the same spot after marching through Peepalbot and Chabahil.
