The Telegraph of India
NEW DELHI, India - Buddhism is set to get more organized with its various traditions resolving to form an international confederation, an umbrella body that would represent Buddhist values.The Global Buddhist Congregation, a four-day event that ended here today, promulgated a declaration creating the International Buddhist Confederation, which would be based in India.
The meet saw delegates from 46 countries -- from the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana [a Himalayan, largely Tibetan, subset of Mahayana] traditions -- discuss Buddhism’s relevance in dealing with contemporary issues, including women’s rights.
A 40-member working committee will be formed, including a sub-committee that would draft a constitution for the new body. Australia-based Vietnamese Buddhist leader Thich Quang Ba said it would take about a year to draft the constitution, after which a leader would be elected.
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama asked the gathering to bridge the gap between the different traditions. “There are many traditions -- Hinayana [a pejorative term no longer in use except to insult Theravada, the oldest extant Buddhist tradition; Hina-yana, or "lesser vehicle" refers to schools or sects like Sarvastivada that no longer exist], Mahayana, Vajrayana. People get the impression these are different. That is totally a mistake,” he said.
The meeting, to mark the 2600th anniversary of the Buddha’s enlightenment, also had a subtle political subtext. More
The meet saw delegates from 46 countries -- from the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana [a Himalayan, largely Tibetan, subset of Mahayana] traditions -- discuss Buddhism’s relevance in dealing with contemporary issues, including women’s rights.
A 40-member working committee will be formed, including a sub-committee that would draft a constitution for the new body. Australia-based Vietnamese Buddhist leader Thich Quang Ba said it would take about a year to draft the constitution, after which a leader would be elected.
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama asked the gathering to bridge the gap between the different traditions. “There are many traditions -- Hinayana [a pejorative term no longer in use except to insult Theravada, the oldest extant Buddhist tradition; Hina-yana, or "lesser vehicle" refers to schools or sects like Sarvastivada that no longer exist], Mahayana, Vajrayana. People get the impression these are different. That is totally a mistake,” he said.
The meeting, to mark the 2600th anniversary of the Buddha’s enlightenment, also had a subtle political subtext. More
