WBF participants say dialogues significant in Buddhism development

WBF participants say dialogues significant in Buddhism development

The model of a pagoda being built in the Famen Temple is shown at a press conference in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 29, 2009. The Famen Temple in China's northwestern Shaanxi Province will finish building a pagoda in May to house a special relic, a fragment of Buddha's finger bone, and a grand ceremony would be held in May to mark the enshrinement of the sarira, or remains, according to the press conference.

WUXI, Jiangsu, March 29 -- Participants hailed the importance of dialogues in the development of the Buddhism as the Second World Buddhist Forum wrapped up its first part on Sunday in Wuxi City of east China's Jiangsu Province.

The jointly-held forum, which will continue in Taipei on Tuesday, is installed with eight sub-forums in Wuxi where more than 1,700 participants from nearly 50 countries and regions can have dialogues on a series of topics, such as Buddhism and Education, Buddhism and Science and Buddhism and International Exchanges.


The performance of "Song of Auspiciousness" is staged at the Buddhist Palace in Lingshan Mountain in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 29, 2009, marking the end of the first phase of the Second World Buddhist Forum (WBF). The second phase of the forum will take place in Taipei from March 31 to April 1.

"In today's world, having dialogues is crucial to the development of Buddhism," said Master Hsing Yun, founder of the Taiwan-based Fo Guang Shan Monastery, who is present at the forum with a theme of "a harmonious world, a synergy of conditions."

Chinese government has clarified that building a harmonious world requires an active role played by various civilizations and religions.

"Such an attitude of the government has provided room for dialogues and development of the religions," said Professor Wang Yukai with China's National School of Administration.


The performance of "Song of Auspiciousness" is staged at the Buddhist Palace in Lingshan Mountain in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 29, 2009, marking the end of the first phase of the Second World Buddhist Forum (WBF). The second phase of the forum will take place in Taipei from March 31 to April 1.

"An effective dialogue is not necessarily about seeking consensus amid differences," said Lou Yulie, head of the Institution for Religion Studies of Beijing University and also a renowned Buddhism expert. "It is about finding out differences while maintaining the distinctiveness and showing respects to each other."

The Buddhism, imported to the country 2,000 years ago, is no stranger to dialogues with the home-grown Taoism and Confucianism.


The 11th Panchen Lama, Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu (front) attends a sub-forum of the Second World Buddhist Forum (WBF) in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 29, 2009. Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, attended the forum Sunday here with businessmen and monks, where they discussed Buddhist philosophies related to business.
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