State Governor Balramji Dass Tandon expressed hearty wishes to people of the State on the auspicious occasion of ‘Buddha Purnima’ here on Sunday. In his message to the people of the State, Governor stated that lord Buddha showed the path of love, compassion and kindness to humanity. He further said that it was essential to adopt ideals and thoughts of lord Buddha so as to maintain social harmony and peace.
In his message to public, Chief Minister Raman Singh said that founder of Buddhism- lord Gautam Buddha had inspired people to follow the path of higher virtues like truth, non-violence, compassion and kindness, in his times.
Singh said today when world was struggling through the evils such as war, terrorism and violence, it had become imperative to follow the path of non-violence in order to establish a world peace.
He further stated that though more than 2500 years have passed but thoughts and teachings of lord Buddha were still relevant and inspiring even today. “Impact of lord Buddha’s teachings can be clearly observed in the lifestyle of people in Chhattisgarh. Buddhist memorials discovered at archaeological sites like Sirpur are the clear evidence of this impact,” Singh quoted in an official statement.
Chief Minister said that according to historians, Buddha Purnima had significance for not only Buddhism but also for Indian culture, even as it reminded us of the three historical life events of lord Buddha.
“It is a pleasant co-incidence that on this day, lord Buddha was born in lumbini (Nepal) near Kapilvastu, and he also received enlightenment under the shade of Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya (India) on Buddha Purnima only; and he got Mahaparinirvana in Kushinagar (India) on the day of Buddha Purnima. With his divine knowledge and simple thoughts, he illuminated and enlightened the world,” Singh opined. Singh has prayed for peace, prosperity and progress of Buddhist society as well as all the people of State.