NEW DELHI: Has the time come to take Buddha and Buddhism to the next level? This may appear facetious but Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Lumbini in Nepal, where the Buddha was born, could set that stage. One could argue that at a time when the world is consumed by the war in Ukraine, and other conflicts in Africa, the simple universal truths that the Buddha preached could have value and impact.
In this conversation on The Gist, Dr. Ravindra Panth, Director of the International Buddhist Confederation, a body tasked with promoting the teachings of the Buddha and reinforcing the Buddhist connect with Sri Lanka, South-east Asia and other countries, calls for more endeavours of the kind that Modi made in Lumbini.
In his view, although Buddhism has different streams, the version in India represents the original thoughts and preachings of the Buddha. That is India’s universal connect which we need to build upon.
Tune in for more in this conversation with Dr. Ravindra Panth.
