400 monks talk world peace at Penang meet
Monks from 27 countries gathered at the World Buddhist Sangha Council General Conference with the aim of promoting harmony around the globe.
Among others, representatives from the United States, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Myanmar and New Zealand were seen at the conference, which first started in 1966.
Themed “Harmony”, the conference, considered the largest to date, has about 400 delegates who will use the gathering as a platform to exchange notes on promoting harmony.
“The World Buddhist Sangha Council is an international organisation that helps the sangha (association) carry out activities
around the world to enhance harmony among different Buddhist traditions and promote world peace,” said World Buddhist Sangha Committee president Venerable Liao Chung.
“We hope that with the cultivation of harmony, we can promote a peaceful life and everyone can be treated as equals,” he said at the opening ceremony of the conference.
The event, which ends on Thursday, is organised by the Malaysian Buddhist Association (MBA).
Organising chairman Datuk Seri Venerable Seck Jit Heng, who is MBA president, said this was the third time since 1995 that Malaysia played host to the conference.
“It was held here in Penang in 1995 and Kuala Lumpur in 2005.”