Vatican City, May 17, 2010 / 17:05 pm
As Buddhists celebrate the Feast of Vesakh, the Vatican sent a message to members of the religion on Monday in which it noted the common ground between the two religions on certain issues. The note from the head of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue underlined shared views on the value of life and the need to promote ecological responsibility.
The Feast of Vesakh commemorates the main events in the life of Buddha and, while it was already celebrated in Japan in March, it will be observed in Korea and Taiwan on May 21. In eight other Asian countries it will be celebrated on May 28.
The President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, Cardinal Jean-Louis Touran, along with the dicastery’s secretary, wrote the note to all Buddhists complementing the mutual efforts of both faiths in raising awareness about the importance of spiritual and social concerns in the environmental sphere.
The message underscored the common values of the two religions, particularly “respect for the nature of all things, contemplation, humility, simplicity, compassion, and generosity” and the contribution of these values to “a life of non-violence, equilibrium, and contentment with sufficiency.”