Deputy Prime Minister: Vesak 2025 awakens the good energy in every person

On the morning of May 8, in his closing speech at the 2025 United Nations Vesak Festival at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy (HCMC), Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh said that the festival was a great success.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that the ceremony attracted the participation of more than 2,700 domestic and international delegates, along with tens of thousands of monks, nuns and Buddhists. This is an opportunity for Buddhists around the world to connect spiritually, foster solidarity and promote the noble values of Buddhism.

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, in recent days, the quintessence of Buddhist ideology, wisdom and compassion has spread widely, becoming a bridge connecting peoples, religions and cultures together.

All share a noble aspiration: to promote the spirit of tolerance, harmony and humanity to build a world of lasting peace, cooperation and happiness for humanity.

A powerful call to create a peaceful world

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh quoted UN Secretary-General António Guterres as saying: “The Buddha’s timeless teachings of peace, compassion and service to others are the path to a better, more understanding and harmonious world for all.” This was clearly demonstrated through this year’s UN Vesak celebrations.

The success of the Vesak 2025 celebration with the theme “Solidarity and Tolerance for Human Dignity: Buddhist Insight for World Peace and Sustainable Development” once again affirms the noble responsibility of Buddhism in the face of global issues.

The festival is a great source of inspiration, awakening faith and igniting the positive energy in every human being. It affirms the core values of Buddhism such as compassion, mindfulness and ethics, which are capable of showing an effective and sustainable path to solving current global problems and challenges, from comprehensive human development, environmental protection, to building a solid foundation of peace.

This is a strong call to promote international cooperation to create a world of peace, justice and sustainable development for the common good of all humanity.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh quoted the words of beloved President Ho Chi Minh who affirmed: "Vietnamese Buddhism and our nation have shared the joys and sorrows throughout thousands of years of history."

That fine tradition is not only protected but also continues to be strongly promoted. The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha always upholds the spirit of compassion and wisdom, arouses patriotism and solidarity, creates a solid foundation for the great national unity bloc, makes an important contribution to building a peaceful society, and increasingly promotes the great role of Buddhism in the cause of national construction and development.

The successful hosting and organization of the 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak in Ho Chi Minh City is a clear mark, showing the increasingly enhanced role of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in the international Buddhist community and in enhancing dialogue on global issues, preventing conflicts, promoting social justice and sustainable development.

"This is also vivid proof of Vietnam's commitment to spreading the Buddha's teachings," Mr. Nguyen Hoa Binh emphasized.

Affirming many humanistic values of the country and people of Vietnam

The Deputy Prime Minister summarized that after 40 years of renovation, Vietnam has achieved great and historic achievements, including efforts and many achievements in implementing the United Nations' millennium goals, the material and spiritual life of the people has continuously improved, and the poverty rate has significantly decreased.

Vietnam is considered by the United Nations as a bright spot in poverty reduction, a symbol of peace, stability, hospitality, and an attractive destination for international investors and tourists.

"Also at this forum, I can share with you that in 2025, Vietnam will exempt tuition fees for children, complete the elimination of temporary and dilapidated houses and build new houses for people with meritorious services, poor households, and near-poor households (about 223 thousand houses); we will also soon have solutions to reduce the burden of medical costs, moving towards exempting hospital fees for people," said the Deputy Prime Minister.

He believes that the compassionate Buddha always wishes, watches over, blesses and urges us to do such virtuous and good deeds.

Vesak is an important festival of the world Buddhist community, which needs to be maintained and organized annually.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh also affirmed that in religious life, Vietnam always implements a consistent policy of respecting and protecting people's freedom of belief and religion; ensuring equality and non-discrimination on the basis of belief and religion.

Under the leadership of the Party and State of Vietnam, over the years, religious people have always been united, attached, and actively participated in the cause of national construction and development, contributing significantly to socio-economic development, ensuring social security, humanitarian charity, and together with the State taking care of the poor and disadvantaged, leaving no one behind.

"Vietnam will continue to make more efforts so that the Vietnamese people can have a more prosperous and happier life, for the goal of a rich people, strong country, fair, democratic and civilized society," the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed.

Emphasizing that the 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak in Vietnam was a great success, the Deputy Prime Minister said that the success of the event is a strong testament, affirming many humanistic values and great achievements of the country and people of Vietnam.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh respectfully thanked the representatives of the United Nations, international guests, delegates and all monks, nuns and Buddhists from near and far for their enthusiastic response, participation, and contribution of wisdom and effort, contributing to the success of the ceremony.

According to him, the success of this year's festival shows that Vesak is an important festival of the world Buddhist community and needs to be held annually.

Concluding his speech, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh expressed his hope that delegates attending the ceremony will bring the message of Vesak 2025 in Vietnam with the belief in a peaceful and beautiful life to other countries, territories and the world community.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/pho-thu-tuong-vesak-2025-khoi-day-nang-luong-thien-lanh-trong-moi-con-nguoi-2398925.html