By NewsGram Staff Writer
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attended International Buddha Purnima Diwas celebrations in Talkatora Stadium, Delhi and offered prayers for the people affected by earthquake in Nepal.
The event was attended by thousands of devotees of Lord Buddha and followers of Modi, but the established agenda for the event was to help the affected people of Nepal in the best possible way.
In his speech, Modi expressed the role and relevance of Buddha's messages in today's world.
The focus of the Prime Minister's speech was to share the pain of quake-devastated people of Nepal and providing the hope of their resurrection as soon as possible. One-minute of mournful silence was also observed to recall the victims of the massive earthquake in Nepal and India.
"Today is a special day yet we feel a bit burdened. That is because Nepal, a land we all love, is facing difficulty," he said.
"We should share the pain and wipe the tears of people of Nepal," he added while making a reference to the disaster affected birthplace of Lord Buddha on the occasion of his birth anniversary.
He further referred the teachings of Lord Buddha as an anchor that can save our world from being blown away. "If we want freedom from Yudh, it can be through the Marg of Buddha," he said.
Modi furthermore said, "Everyone knows that 21st century is Asia's century. But without Buddha's teachings, the 21st century would not have been ours."
He gave an example of Lord Buddha, who took birth as prince, abandoned all the pleasures of life in search of enlightenment 2500 years ago. "Some people think power and prosperity are good enough to solve all problems…. But Lord Buddha renounced all these to seek greater powers through love and compassion for welfare of humanity. This thought is not small. He must have been having big conviction and courage to renounce all these," Modi said.
He also said that, "Whether its caste system or anything good or bad, Lord Buddha was sensitive on every issue and wanted evolution and the world to be united."