More than 25 professors and Buddhist practitioners from America, Canada, Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Thailand have congregated in Bumthang for the three-day international conference on globalised Buddhism.
The conference with the theme is ‘Buddhism beyond borders’ will explore various aspects of Buddhism and its practice in day to day life.
The conference is being held in Bumthang since the place is significant in terms of evolution of Vajrayana Buddhism in the country. During the keynote address to the gathering, the Home and Cultural Affairs Minister, Minjur Dorji, said Bhutan has a living culture of Buddhism that assimilates the wellness of centuries of Buddhist wisdom into the daily lives of the people.
“In eighth century, Guru Padmasambhava brought Vajrayana Buddhism that contributed to change in the religious and cultural landscape of Bhutan. Thereafter, many renowned Tibetan Buddhists, saints who often came for pilgrimage and other purposes spread the dharma and increased the popular acceptance of Buddhism among the people,” he said.
The conference is being held to analyse broadly on various aspects of Buddhism and how it can be practiced in modern life. The President of the Centre for Bhutan Studies, Dasho Karma Ura, said the conference wish to explore the Buddhist understandings of lived experience. “During these times when we have problems which we have not faced before, we can understand news problems in the light of Buddhist principles and practices by looking at it little more closely. If we look closely we might find that there are imminently valid sources of application to our modern life.”
The conference is being organized by Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs and Centre for Bhutan studies. Officials from Zhung Dratshang, Centre for Bhutan studies and Department of Culture are also attending the conference.
