Opening remarks by H.E. Mr. Vitavas Srivihok, 

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations 

at the Virtual Commemoration of the International Day of Vesak 2021, co-hosted by the Permanent Missions of Thailand and Sri Lanka to the United Nations

Tuesday, 25 May 2021 at 9:00 - 10:30 am (EDT) 

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Most Verenable Mahasangha,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Permanent Missions of Thailand and Sri Lanka to the United Nations are pleased to welcome all of you to the virtual commemoration of the international day of Vesak of 2021, which marks the auspicious occasions of the day of birth, enlightenment and passing of Lord Buddha.

It is my great honour and pleasure to be co-hosting this event with Ambassador Mohan Pieris and the Sri Lankan Mission, for this very important day to all Buddhists around the world. Despite not being able to hold the commemoration in the General Assembly Hall like in previous years, we would like to express our high reverence and utmost gratitude to all venerable monks, and the Buddhist and non-Buddhist friends participating in our virtual event today.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Here at the United Nations, we work together to promote the world’s harmony, peace, sustainability, and the well-being of our people. The current situation in the world – of increased hatred, discrimination, and violence – compels us to work even harder. I believe we can tackle this “pandemic of the mind” by learning from the teachings of Lord Buddha. Principles such as Metta and Karuna fosters the much-needed compassion, tolerance, and respect. And awareness, resilience, and inner peace of the mind, or Sati, have proved to help people maintain their good mental health so that they can get through external shocks and emergencies – like COVID-19.

I hope that today would be another opportunity for us to gather and reflect on our actions and efforts on our journey to build a better world of harmony, with respect for all diversity and differences.  

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Watch the live streaming on United Nations WebTV channel: click here