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At the 20th United Nations Day of Vesak Celebrations held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, President Anura Kumara Disanayake delivered a powerful keynote urging the global community to embrace Buddhist philosophy to extinguish the fires of war and foster peace, compassion, and mutual respect.
Addressing over 2,800 participants from 85 countries, President Disanayake highlighted the timeless relevance of Buddhist teachings—particularly the Four Brahma Viharas: loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), empathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha)—as guiding principles to heal a world scarred by violence and inequality.
Drawing upon Sri Lanka’s long-standing Buddhist heritage and deep ties with Vietnam, the President emphasized that the Dhamma offers humanity a spiritual arsenal far stronger than any weapon—urging all nations to follow the path of restraint, generosity, and moral leadership. He paid tribute to Vietnam’s resilience and praised the country’s rise from war toward peace and progress.
Marking Vesak under the theme “Solidarity and Tolerance for Human Dignity”, the event also honored the legacy of Sri Lanka’s Lakshman Kadirgamar, whose UN proposal in 1999 led to Vesak becoming an internationally recognized observance.
