Celebration of 40th anniversary of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha

Provincial leaders presents flowers to congratulate Bac Ninh Provincial Buddhist Sangha.

Participants at the meeting were Politburo member, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc; Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien; Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Committee for Mass Mobilization Bui Thi Minh Hoai.

Participants at Bac Ninh’s venue were Mr. Nguyen Quoc Chung, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for Religious Affairs; Mr. Dao Quang Khai, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Mr. Nguyen Dinh Loi, Chairman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee; Colonel Bui Duy Hung, Director of the Provincial Public Security; leaders of relevant departments, agencies and branches.

40 years ago, representatives of nine Buddhist traditions in Vietnam held a convention at the Quan Su Temple in Hanoi and agreed to establish the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha.

Over the past 40 years, the VBS has made significant contributions to building a Vietnamese culture imbued with national tradition by upholding national solidarity, safeguarding fine cultural values and rejecting superstition.

The VBS currently has nearly 55,000 monks and nuns, 18,000 places of worship and 50 million adherents and supporters.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc highlighted contributions of Buddhist monks, nuns, and followers to the struggle for national liberation, construction and defense, as well as present patriotic emulation movements, including those on poverty reduction, new-style rural area building, environmental protection and COVID-19 prevention and control, among others.

Besides, the VBS has seriously observed regulations on pandemic prevention and control, and contributed funds to the fight, he said, adding that thousands of Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns and followers have voluntarily joined the frontline of the pandemic combat.

The Party and the State always pay attention to religions and religious affairs, and have issued many relevant policies and laws that affirm religious followers form an integral part of the great national unity bloc, President Phuc stressed.

On the other hand, he affirmed that the Party and State have consistently implemented a policy on respecting and ensuring people's right to freedom of belief and religion, right to freedom of non-belief and religion, and guaranteeing that religious activities are practiced in accordance with the law.

Thanks to great contributions to the cause of national construction and defense, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha was awarded the First Class Independence Medal by the President. On this occasion, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha donated VND 1 billion for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Speaking at Bac Ninh’s venue, Mr. Chung congratulated all monks, nuns and Buddhists in the province. At the same time, he acknowledged and praised the results of the provincial Buddhist Church over the years.

In the coming time, Chung hoped the Provincial Buddhist Sangha to strengthen the spread of the ideas of Buddhism, cultivate filial piety, good life and dedication to the community; promote the spirit of energy.