The Sixth World Buddhist Forum, 15-17 October, 2024 - Xuedou Mountain, China

Before leading the China pilgrimage in October, 2024, Jiawen attended the sixth World Buddhist Forum which was held in Xuedou Mountain, Xikou county, Ningbo, China from 15-17 October, 2024.

The Sixth World Buddhist Forum (WBF), a globally significant event for the Buddhist community, was hosted by the Buddhist Association of China and the Chinese Association for Religious and Cultural Exchange.

The forum was held under the theme of
“jointly walking with the same aspiration and living in harmony and coexistence (同愿同行，和合共生), with the participation of about 800 Buddhist representatives, scholars, and leaders from 72 countries, with Buddhists from all the three vehicles (Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana), making it a truly international gathering.

The participants of the conference explored the Buddhist understanding of inclusiveness and diversity, with separate panel discussions on various Dharma related topics.

The forum aimed to promote the Buddhist teachings of compassion and peace, and orient them toward benefiting the global community. It also aimed to offer Buddhist wisdom as an aid to the realization of loving-kindness among the nations of the planet, to work hand-in-hand in solving our contemporary problems.

Mount Xuedou was the birthplace of the jolly and rotund monk Budai (often known as the happy Buddha), the legendary incarnation of Maitreya in Ningbo China in the later Liang Dynasty. Monk Budai often carried his bag wandering aimlessly (hence the name Budai, which means cloth sack), and was always laughing and offering wisdom to whoever asked.

Hence, Mount Xuedou is also known as the bodhimanda for Maitreya Bodhisattva (the future Buddha), and it’s regarded as the fifth holy Buddhist mountain in China✨????

It was truly an honour for Jiawen to be invited to attend such an amazing international Buddhist gathering, to connect with Buddhists from around the world. May the light of Buddha shine through every corner of this world, and all the worlds in the ten directions ✨????

May Buddhist wisdom bring peace and harmony to the world. May all beings hear the Buddhadharma and obtain ultimate liberation. May all beings hear the name of Amitabha Buddha and attain rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss ✨????

Namo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha ✨????
Namo Maitreya Bodhisattva ✨????
Namo Amitabha Buddha✨????

P.S. Maitreya Bodhisattva is also praising Amitabha Buddha and His Pure Land, as evident in the Pure Land sutras ✨????