General Assembly of International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) held in New Delhi

By Aanchal Kumari, ANI, November 29, 2023

New Delhi, India -- A two-day General Assembly Meeting was held by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), a global Buddhist platform, in New Delhi with the aim to elect office bearers of the world body for the next three years.

Shartse Khensur Jangchup Choeden Rinpoche from the state of Himachal Pradesh was elected as the new Secretary General of the world body.

The event brought together Patriarchs of Buddhist Sanghas, senior monks, and Dhamma practitioners from across 26 countries.

The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, is a Buddhist umbrella body with its base in New Delhi that serves as a common platform for Buddhists worldwide.

During the event, distinctive spiritual leaders and practitioners addressed contemporary issues and expressed their thoughts on them.

Ven Bhikkhu Nandisena, President of IBC, Abbot from Mexico AR, said, "The world we are living in now is very complex, there is a lot of violence, and we live in very difficult times, but we have an advantage that Buddha teachings are universal."

He further said that we need to take the universal from the Buddha's teachings to different parts of the world and teach people one of the main principles of Buddhism, which is 'non-violence'.

The IBC has around 39 countries and 320 organizations such as Argentina, Mexico, Nepal, and Bhutan as its members where the General Assembly acts as the body which enables them a participatory role and brings both the Buddhist and non-Buddhist organizations together on one platform.

Barbara Maas, Secretary of Environment and Conversation for IBC, who hails from Germany, said that Buddhism changed her life as a German and that Buddhism is something that can improve the quality of life of every human being on the earth if applied.

"Gautam Buddha 2600 years ago said I have figured a way out in which you can be happy, in which you can be contented, that will make you kinder. If we all are kinder to each other, if we all are kinder to the planet, it will change the world," said Maas.

One of the former Abbots from the US, Khen Rinpoche Nicholas Vreeland said that IBC has helped them develop dialogues, to strengthen the message of Buddhism and make that available to those who don't know much about it.

"The way in which Buddhism contributes to those challenges is by the techniques for inner development that Buddhism teaches," said the former Abbot.

Abhijit Halder, the Director General of IBC, in an interview with ANI, gave insights into the journey of Buddhism.

"Buddhism has spread to different countries. It emanated here. The birthplace of Buddha was Lumbini, then, of course, his preaching was here, and his enlightenment was in India. But it has travelled to as far as countries like Myanmar, Magnolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and China," he said.

"You see when it is spread out to all these countries, as it travels it inculcates the values and traditions of these countries, wherever that Buddhism travelled. So as a result, the texture, and the colour of Buddhism changed a little bit. So, you have different traditions, you have different sects like the 'Theravada', 'Mahayana', 'Hinayanas', and the 'Vajrayana'," said Abhijit Haldar.