President extends greetings to citizens on Ashadha Poornima

On the occasion of Ashadha Poornima, President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday extended greetings as he emphasised the need to maintain the social distancing norms in order to ward off the spread of coronavirus.

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday extended greetings to all on Ashadha Poornima, also being observed as Dhamma Chakra Day and said that India is "proud of being the land of the origin of Dhamma".

"It was from India that it began to spread in neighbouring regions. There, in new fertile soil and new climate it grew organically, eventually branching off into various offshoots," he added, while addressing an event commemorating Dharma Chakra Parvattana, organised by the International Buddhist Confederation.

"Ever since, the 'Dhamma Chakka', has been the lodestar, helping spiritual seekers navigate through the maze of worldly life and arrive at the end of suffering - here and now. It is so scientific that it resembles psycho-therapy more than traditional, dogmatic religion," the President further said.

"It was today, some 2,500 years ago, that the Word of Wisdom was spoken out for the first time. On attaining enlightenment, the Buddha spent five weeks in a state beyond description. Then he started sharing with people the nectar he had discovered," the President added.

"It was in the Deer Park in Sarnath, near Varanasi, the ancient city in the Eastern part of India, that Buddha taught the Dhamma to his five original disciples. It was a momentous occasion unparalleled in the history of humankind."

The President added that the day is also known as Guru Purnima, which the Hindus and Jains celebrate as a "mark of reverence for their spiritual teachers".

"This day is an unbroken link to India's eternal pursuit of wisdom without dogma," he said. He also expressed his happiness over the Ashadha Poornima celebration in the Rashtrapati Bhavan and said that "it is part of the civilizational journey for the welfare of the universe since time immemorial."

"Buddha's teaching was "against the current" during those times. But the force of his argument was woven around love, compassion and non-violence. The spread of Buddhism around the world was guided by these eternal values," he said.

The President also mentioned the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and said there is a need to follow all the norms in order to contain the virus.

"We are in the midst of a virulent pandemic that has overwhelmed the entire humanity. Perhaps no part of the world remains untouched by this calamity that adversely affects every individual. We have to follow a certain discipline and maintain physical distance."

He added, "The world has suffered much this year, and I sincerely wish that this sacred day heralds a new ray of hope and grants a glimpse of happiness. I also pray that it lights the lamp of wisdom in the heart of everyone."

ANI report