Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh joins Buddhist dignitaries in the Buddha bathing ritual.

The ceremony was attended by Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh, President of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front Tran Thanh Man, as well as Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, and laypeople.

Reading a message by the VBS’s Supreme Patriarch, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu highlighted the achievements recorded by the sangha in recent years and called on Buddhists to uphold their traditions to further strengthen national solidarity and make greater contributions to the country.

For his part, Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh restated the Party and State’s commitment to guaranteeing the freedom of religion while hailing the close bond between Buddhism and the nation throughout history.

The ceremony in Dan Phuong Buddhist Sangha.

He expressed his belief that the VBS would continue to keep their vows of engagement with worldly affairs and take serving the people as its core principle.

Earlier on May 28, the VBS staged a procession of floats carrying flowers and the Buddha’s relics through streets of central Hanoi, while a ritual was jointly held by the VBS and the General Department of Fisheries to release fish into the river.

Ceremonies were also held at Buddhist temples and monasteries throughout Vietnam to commemorate the Buddha’s birthday, also known as Vesak Day.

Source: NDO