New Delhi: India will host the first edition of the Global Buddhist Conference in November this year, Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations said during a media briefing on Tuesday. The Global Buddhist conference by the ICCR is in line with the mandate given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 'Revival of India as a global centre of Buddhist culture and Tourism and leveraging Buddhist linkages with ASEAN and East Asian Countries'.
In response to ETV Bharat, Dr Vinay Prabhakar Sahasrabuddhe, President, ICCR said, "it is known that Buddhism originated from India and it is a part of our ethnic spiritual tradition. Although Buddhism and Buddhist studies have been there in our country for the last several years and there are more than a dozen institutions that are working on Buddhist studies, there were perhaps, very few attempts to link with the international community of Buddhist scholars".
"To underscore the predominance of Buddhist studies in the idea of India and also the predominance of India in so far as Buddhist studies and discipline are concerned, we are going to organize annually a conference on Buddhist Studies”, he said.
The first conference is scheduled to be held at the campus of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara and the International Buddhism Confederation on 19th and 20th November this year. He said that before the annual conference, there are pre-conferences that ICCR has planned to organize in India and abroad including countries like Japan and Cambodia. “We expect about 150-200 scholars coming together”, added Sahasrabuddhe.
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“Importance of Buddhism has always been intact in India and we are just trying to underscore it once again. Since the academic community working on Buddhist studies is now growing and has become an important discipline, ICCR came up with the idea to underscore the same as we are working with cultural relations, of which, the academic relationship is also a significant ingredient”. Sahasrabuddhe pointed out.
Eminent scholars from prominent Buddhist universities and institutions in India and abroad will participate in the Global Buddhist conference. Delegates of the International Buddhist Confederation will also take part in the inaugural ceremony of the Global conference scheduled to be held on 19 November.
Moreover, to honour the contribution of foreign scholars, individuals and organisations for the promotion of Buddhist Studies internationally, ICCR has instituted an 'Award for promotion of Buddhist Studies'. The award is open to all international individuals regardless of nationality, race, creed or sex.
Since its origin and evolution in the 6th century B.C, Buddhism has undergone various phases, from enjoying states patronages by kings like Asoka and Kanishka to brutal persecution by fanatic rulers. Flourishing maritime trade from Bengal to Borneo due to monsoon trade wind helped the spread of Buddhism to South East Asia, East Asia and Central Asia.
India is home to the highest places of learning for Buddhist studies including Nalanda and Vikramsila universities, important Buddhist heritage sites, monuments and places of worship that has deep civilisation and cultural linkages with countries in these regions.
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