The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) along with the Union Ministry of Culture, the Embassy of India in Bangkok, Thailand and Silpakorn University, jointly organised a day-long international symposium on the “Significance of Vipassana Meditation for Wellbeing & Global Peace” at the main auditorium of the Silpakorn University campus in Bangkok on February 27.
The symposium took place on an auspicious occasion when a high-level delegation from India led by Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar and Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar visited Bangkok with the Holy Relics of Tathagatha Buddha and his two chief disciples, Arahant Sariputta and Arahant Maha Moggallana.
A release by IBC read, “The emotions about the holy relics were well connected with the local people as well as the participants of the Vipassana symposium since they have been experiencing the right perspective and the significance of the event.”
The inaugural session of the symposium commenced with a replay of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video on Vipassana, followed by welcome addresses by Prasopchai Patrojanasophon, Vice President of Silpakorn University, Poulomi Tripathi, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India in Thailand and Pornchai Pinyapong, Dhamma Secretary of IBC from Thailand.
During the keynote address, Abhijit Halder, Director General, IBC highlighted the significance of the Vipassana from today’s perspective in relation to well-being and global peace.
The symposium witnessed Vipassana experts from India, including Piyush Kulshreshtha and Dr Melvin Chagas Silva (a practicing psychiatrist and psychotherapist) from the Vipassana Research Institute, Mumbai, Roli Bajpai, Dhamma Bodhi Vipassana Centre, Bodhgaya and Ravindra Panth, Director, IBC and former Vice-Chancellor of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara Deemed University, Nalanda. One of the technical sessions was chaired by Nitinant Wisaweisuan, Member, Board of Directors, Institute of East Asian Studies, and Lecturer of Economics, Thammasat University. The Sanskrit Studies Centre of Silpakorn University, led by Padmashri Professor Chirapat Prabandavidya, also added great value to the objective of the event.
While Vipassana has been an ancient form of meditation that originated in India many thousands of years ago and was taught by the Buddha, its relevance remains more apt in today’s time and age with the complex contemporary challenges that all of us are dealing with on a daily basis across the world.
“This is a thought that Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminded us of earlier this month in his address celebrating the centenary birth year of Acharya SN Goenka. Quoting Guruji Goenka, Prime Minister Modi emphasised the concept of self-transformation, which is imperative for self–realisation,” said the IBC release.
The symposium had significant participation from monks, academicians, Vipassana practitioners and students and faculty members, who very actively interacted during the question-answer session, clarifying fundamental ideas like difference between yoga and vipassana, connecting with spirituality, understanding faith, etc.
(with inputs from ANI)
