Bodhgaya, Bihar: His Holiness the Dalai Lama is set to Inaugurate the First International Sangha Forum in Bodhgaya, Bihar on Wednesday, 20 December.
The International Sangha Forum – “Bridging Traditions, Embracing Modernity: A Dialogue on the Buddha’s Teaching in Today’s World” will be addressed by Sangharajas, Abbots and heads of Buddhist institutions. More than 2,000 sangha members and invited guests from 33 countries, including Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Tibetan, Bhutan, Nepal, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Russia, and Mongolia, will attend the conference.
The primary focus of the conference will be to augment ongoing dialogue and collaboration among practitioners of the Pali, Sanskrit and Tibetan Buddhist traditions.
The conference aims to identify and emphasize the shared benefits of study and practice across all traditions, while nurturing an appreciation and understanding of the unique strengths of each tradition. Moreover, the conference will consider what it means to be a Buddhist in the 21st century.
In the morning of 23 December, His Holiness will also participate in a World Peace Prayer Session with delegates, who have taken part in the three-day International Sangha Forum 2023, and members of the public at the Mahabodhi Stupa in Bodhgaya.
The conference will be held at the International Convention Centre Bodhgaya, Maya Sarovar, Bodhgaya, Bihar.