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The results of the Buddhist forum: Spiritual and moral values need to be protected now

At the II International Buddhist Forum, issues of Buddhism and traditional values were discussed. Spiritual and moral values, which are traditional for modern society, need to be protected now.

The discussion platform "Buddhism and Traditional Values" brought together about 90 experts from Russia, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Bangladesh, China, Vietnam and Belarus.

The participants discussed Buddhist ideas in the culture of China, India, Nepal and Russia; as well as the values of Buddhism, such as tolerance to any views on life, regardless of nationality, race, religion or national traditions.

- Mount Meru is not a geographical place, not a place that can be seen. This is a spiritual state, but do not think that it is unattainable. You can awaken it in yourself. After all, in fact, Meru is in each of us," said Bhutia Karma Dhikik, a guest from India, researcher at the Center for Northeastern Studies, talking about the concept of Mount Meru (a sacred mountain in the cosmology of Buddhism: it is considered as the center of all material, metaphysical and spiritual universes).

The main ideas of the panel were the attitude of Buddhism to the traditional values of the peoples living in Buddhist regions, and historical strategies for adapting Buddhism to new cultural space.

During the discussion, Tatyana Bernyukevich, Doctor of Philosophy, Associate Professor at Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, noted that the Buddhist ideas in Russian culture became very popular at the turn of the XX century. It was conditioned by people's interest in the Orient and in the impact of Oriental science and philosophy, by first-hand interactions with the cultures of Buddhist regions.

"Since traditional values act as moral guidelines for the sustainable development of society as a whole, the potential of Buddhism can be used within the framework of economic and technological innovations", - it was the speaker's conclusion at the end of the panel, and the majority of those present agreed with her.

The participants of the panel came to the conclusion that nowadays traditional spiritual and moral values need to be protected in modern society. It is necessary to ensure that the next generations develop within the framework of a multinational spiritual culture and receive the same moral guidelines that we are receiving now.

One of the ways to achieve this goal is the development of a post-secular society, when the boundaries between a secular society and religion are being destroyed. And the state takes into account the role of religion, including Buddhism, in terms of its preserving the world's intangible heritage. The participants of the discussion panel came to the conclusion that the II International Buddhist Forum is a good example of such an association of religion and non-religion.

The II International Buddhist Forum "Traditional Buddhism and Modern Challenges" will be held in Buryatia on August 12-14, 2024 by the initiative of Head of Buryatia Alexei Tsydenov with the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Forum will become a new platform for international dialogue and comprehensive discussion of the development of Buddhism, Buddhist culture, philosophy and practice, and promote the development of scientific, educational and cultural cooperation between Buddhist organizations from different countries. The forum will be attended by representatives of 15 countries: Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Bhutan, Vietnam, India, Cambodia, China, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan.

The forum is organized by the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia, the Government of the Republic of Buryatia, the Foundation for the Promotion of Buddhist Education and Research with the support of the Roscongress Foundation.13:36