Accompanying the Deputy PM included Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vũ Chiến Thắng, Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Vũ Hoài Bắc, and representatives from competent central agencies and Ho Chi Minh municipal  authorities.

Welcoming the guests were Most Venerable Patriarch of the VBS Thích Trí Quảng, Most Venerable President of the VBS’s Executive Council Thích Thiện Nhơn, members of the VBS’s Central Discernment Council and Executive Council.

On behalf of the Party and the State, Deputy PM Trần Lưu Quang extended warm greetings and congratulations to Most Venerable Patriarch Thích Trí Quảng, Most Venerable Thích Thiện Nhơn and all monks, nuns and lay Buddhists across the country on Vu Lan Festival.

The Deputy PM stated that throughout history, Buddhism has always accompanied with and attached to the nation, bringing the Buddhist loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity to Vietnamese people’s life.

The Vu Lan Festival is a Buddhist tradition and a cultural activity aimed at showing gratitude to ancestors and parents. This practice has become a good fine human feature of the Vietnamese Buddhism, demonstrating the harmonious connection between the religion and the worldly life, he added. 

He affirmed that Vietnam Party and State have always pursued a consistent policy of respecting and ensuring the right to freedom of belief and religion of people, creating favorable conditions for religious practices in accordance with the law, promoting fine cultural and moral values and resources of religions in boosting sustainable development in the country.

Deputy PM Trần Lưu Quang expressed his hope that the VBS would continue guiding monks, nuns and lay Buddhists to actively participate in patriotic emulation movements, charity and social welfare activities, environment protection, and preserve fine customs and cultural traditions of the nation, etc.

For his part, Patriarch Thích Trí Quảng took the chance to thank the Deputy PM for its visit. He affirmed that along with the nation's tradition, Vietnam Buddhism would continue carrying out Vu Lan Festival’s gratitude spirit,

The Most Venerable expressed hope that the government authorities would continue supporting the VBS in spreading loving kindness and alleviating human sufferings.

Vu Lan known as the Ullambana Festival takes place every year on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month. This year, Vu Lan falls on August 30.

Anh Khôi