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People Urged to Refrain from Vices in Commemoration of Visakha Puja Festival
Intl.Press Center : MCU[26/05/2007]
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 People from all walks of life have been urged to refrain from all vices as a tribute to the Buddha and His Majesty the King, in commemoration of Visakha Puja Festival this year. The tribute is also meant to show gratitude to His Majesty on the occasion of his 80th birthday, 5 December 2007.
The Ministry of Culture has instructed its offices nationwide to launch a campaign to encourage people to be aware of the importance of Visakha Puja, or the Day of Vesak. This year, Visakha Puja falls on May 31; celebrations in various forms are starting this week. The Ministry is distributing 200,000 copies of the Visakha Puja card to the public in order to promote the teachings of the Buddha. In the card, there is a poem titled “Visakha Night,” written by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
In his speech marking the Visakha Puja Festival at the World Fellowship of Buddhists Headquarters in Bangkok, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont touched on the topic of “Sufficiency Economy Leaders and Integrity: The Survival of Thailand.” The Prime Minister said that the philosophy of Sufficiency Economy, advocated by His Majesty the King, is based on Buddhist principles, such as the middle path, integrity, and reasonableness. This philosophy presents guidelines for leading one’s life in a balanced way. He called on the people to adopt this approach for the benefit of themselves and their organizations.
As the venue for the United Nations Day of Vesak Celebrations, Thailand hosts a great number of Buddhist monks and members of Buddhist organizations all over the world each year. This year, they will come from 60 countries and will gather at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok from May 26 to 29 for the Fourth International Buddhist Conference.
World-renowned Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh will also attend this conference. The Thai government has invited the Venerable Thich Nhat Hahn and his 64-member party from Plum Village in France, where he teaches people to practice mindfulness in their daily life. On Monday, May 28, at 10:30 a.m., at the United Nations Conference Hall, the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh will deliver a keynote on the topic of Buddhist Contribution to Good Governance and Development.
At 4:30 p.m. on the same day, all international Buddhist leaders, including the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, will depart for the Grand Palace for a chanting ceremony, blessing His Majesty the King on the occasion of his 80th birthday. The Government will host a luncheon for international Buddhist leaders at Government House on May 30.
A press conference on the Fourth International Buddhist Conference will take place at Monthatip One Room, Four Seasons Hotel, in Bangkok on May 25 at 4:30 p.m.
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