Hawzah News Agency – “Safeguarding ourselves from doing destructive acts, saying hateful words, and thinking badly towards others are profound messages to the current situation brought by the Vesakh,” said Sauca. “I am deeply grateful for your willingness to walk and work together.”

Sauca expressed a wish to continue sharing resources among people that will heal the wounded world. “May we, together, overcome destructive situations with the light and the vision of each religious community,” he said. “Within this spirit, I wish our Buddhist friends, once again, a blessed feast of Vesakh.”

World Council of Churches (WCC) Acting General Secretary’s Vesak Message

Dear Buddhist friends,

On the occasion of Vesakh, commemorating the Nativity of Siddhata Gautama, I want to wish you a blessed observation and celebration of the Vesakh. Amidst the current situations of war between Ukraine and Russia, of religious phobia, of hatred promoted by religious nationalism, and other destructive powers which erodes the sustainability of the entire world, the Vesakh calls us to pay attention, to closely consider the possibility to overcome further destruction of the situations by observing and controlling our minds, our hearts, our words, our deeds, and our thoughts, all of which was practiced by Shakyamuni Buddha. Not only did he provide the world an excellent example of preventing destruction, Sakyamuni Buddha offered us a living hope on the possibility to overcome the destructive power surrounding us.

Safeguarding ourselves from doing destructive acts, saying hateful words, and thinking badly towards others are profound messages to the current situation brought by the Vesakh. In addition to this, I am very much interested in extending our effort to prevent our world from further destruction by offering my humble appreciation to Buddhist communities already engaged in interreligious solidarity, spreading the example and hope together with other religious communities. I am deeply grateful for your willingness to walk and work together.

May we continue to share resources among our people, and heal our wounded world. May we, together, overcome destructive situations with the light and the vision of each religious community.

Within this spirit, I wish our Buddhists friends, once again, a blessed feast of Vesakh.

Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca

Acting General Secretary

World Council of Churches