President’s address on ‘Dhammacakka Day 2022’

Published: 22nd Jul, 2022

Context

The President of India, Shri Ram NathKovind addressed the Dhammacakka Day 2022 celebrations at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh.

About

Dhammacakka Day 2022, ?sha?haP?r?ima is the second most important sacred day of observance for Buddhists after Vaishakha Buddha P?r?ima.
It commemorates Buddha's First Sermon or the First Turning of the Wheel of Dhamma, when he taught the Dhammacakka-pavattanaSutta (P?li) or DharmacakrapravartanaS?tra (Sanskrit).
Seven weeks after his Enlightenment, he gave this discourse to pañcavargiya - the first five ascetic disciples- at the ‘Deer Park', ??ipatanaMrigad?ya in the current day Sarnath, which is in Varanasi.
It is here that the Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Paths and the Middle Path: avoiding the two extremes, i.e., life of extreme indulgence and the life of extreme penance.
The International Buddhist Confederation, New Delhi has organised Dhammacakka Day 2022 (The Turning of the Wheel of Dharma), ?sha?haP?r?ima on 13 July 2022 in Sarnath, U.P. (India).

International Buddhist Confederation:

It was formed in 2013 as an international Buddhist umbrella body to serve as a common platform for Buddhists worldwide.
Headquarters:New Delhi.
IBC represents the rich diversity of Buddhism and provides a platform for the global Buddhist community to share its wisdom and meaningfully participate in the on-going global social and political discourse, while at the same time preserving and promoting its shared heritage.

Guru Purnima

According to the Hindu calendar, Guru Purnima generally falls on a full-moon day in the Hindu month of Ashadh.
It is dedicated to Maharshi Veda Vyasa, the sage who is believed to have edited the sacred Hindu text, the Vedas and created the 18 Puranas, Mahabharata and the SrimadBhagavatam.
For Buddhists, the festival marks the first sermon of Lord Buddha, which is said to have been delivered at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, on this very day.
It is also believed to mark the onset of monsoons.

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