Lasting impression of the Grand Celebration of Vesak 2023 and the Inauguration of the World’s Biggest On-mountain Buddhist Lecture Hall at Ba Vang Pagoda

On May 21, 2023 (the third day of the fourth lunar month), Ba Vang Pagoda solemnly organized the Grand Vesak Celebration (BE.2567 - CE 2023) with meaningful rituals and activities to commemorate the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Attending the celebration were Most Venerable Thich Thanh Duc - Deputy Supreme Patriarch of the Verification Council of Central Committee of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha; Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon - Chairman of the Administration Council, Head of the Monastic Affairs Board of Central Committee of Vietnam, and other venerable monks of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

For international monks, the event featured Most Venerable Maha Bounma Simmaphom - President of the Central Buddhist Fellowship Organization of Lao PDR; Most Venerable Dhammasobhana Mahasthavir - President of All Nepal Bhikkhu Association; Most Venerable Thumbulle Seelakkhandha Nayaka Thero - President of All Island Buddha Sasana Council of Sri Lanka; Most Venerable Sayadaw Bhaddanta Jagara - Chairman of State Samghanayaka, Mon State, Myanmar; Most Venerable Bounsouane Phanthavong - Vice President of the Central Buddhist Fellowship Organization of Lao PDR; Most Venerable Shasana Priya Mohasthabir - Deputy Sangharaja of Bangladesh; Most Venerable Dharmagupta - Secretary General of All Nepal Bhikkhu Association; Most Venerable Mugunuwela Anuruddha Nayaka Thero - Secretary General of All Island Buddha Sasana Council of Sri Lanka; and Venerable Pema Gyeltshen - Secretary General of the Central Monastic Body of Bhutan; Most Venerable Phrabhavanadhamvides - the Assistant Abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya; Most Venerable Phrakruvibulnitidham - the Assistant Abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya; Most Venerable Phravidesdhammaphorn - the Assistant Abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, President of Dhammakaya Foundation, Director of International Relations Department.

The grand celebration also featured many leaders and former leaders of government parties and organizations, including Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Doan - Former Member of the Party Central Committee, Former Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association for Promoting Education; Mr. Cao Duc Phat - Former Member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Central Economic Commission; Mrs. Truong Thi Ngoc Anh - Vice Chairwoman of Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee; Mr. Ta Quang Dong - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Dr. Le Doan Hop - Former Member of the Party Central Committee, Former Minister of Information and Communications, Chairman of the Vietnam Record-Setting Council; Mr. Pham Manh Hung - Former Deputy Minister of Education and Training; Amb. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Son - Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Former Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese; Mr. Pham Hong Hai - Former Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, etc.

Some foreign leaders and ambassadors also joined Vesak at the Pagoda such as: Mr. Sambo Neak - Under Secretary of State Ministry of Cults and Religions, Kingdom of Cambodia; Mr. Sandeep Arya - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Vietnam of the Republic of India; Mr. Shovgi Mehdizada - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Vietnam of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Mr. Hynek Kmonicek - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Vietnam of the Czech Republic; Mrs. Morakot Janemathukorn - Minister and Charge d'Affaires to Vietnam, Thai Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam; Mr. Mahesh Premathilake - Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Vietnam; Mr. En Tara - Counsellor of the Embassy of Cambodia in Vietnam; Mr. Khamtan Somvong - Ambassador and Counselor of Culture and Education Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in Vietnam; Mrs. Manivanh Yiapaoher - Lao's Vice Chairwoman of the Committee of Social and Cultural Affairs; Mr. Bounthavy Phonethasin - Deputy Director of the Religious Department and Lao Front for National Construction Central Committee; Mr. Chantrea Lay - Deputy Director General of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Along with that was the participation of Dr. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury - Chairman of the World Records Union (WorldKings), and Mr. Michael Vincent - General Director of the World Record Association (WRA).

In addition, more than 60,000 Buddhists and people in Vietnam and abroad joined the Vesak Celebration.

In the joyful atmosphere of the event, Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon delivered the Vesak Message - BE.2567, from the Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. After that, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Quyet read the Vesak speech - BE.2567, from Most Venerable - The Chairman of the Administrative Council in Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

At the celebration, Thay Thich Truc Thai Minh, abbot of Ba Vang Pagoda, gave a welcoming speech to all venerable monks and guests who were attending the Grand Vesak Celebration at the Pagoda and introduced the Pagodas history, Buddhist activities of monks, nuns, and lay Buddhists, the process of building facilities for Buddhism learning and practice.

Especially, the Buddhist Lecture Hall was honored to be recognized by the World Record Union (WorldKings) and the World Record Association (WRA) as the Worlds Biggest On-mountain Buddhist Lecture Hall and was awarded by representatives of both organizations during the ceremony.

Moreover, the celebration had other meaningful activities such as art performances celebrating the day of the Buddha, chanting the Vesak sutra, performing the Buddha-bathing ritual, ribbon-cutting ceremony, and touring the Lecture Hall.

The Grand Celebration of Vesak 2023 left a good impression and spread the humanistic values of Buddhism to everyone.