Lord Buddha’s Message
PRIME MINISTER Girija Prasad Koirala said that Buddha’s teachings are
equally relevant in the present context as they were 2,500 years ago and that his message
of peace and non-violence need to be translated into practice so as to rid the country and
the people of the ongoing violence and terror. Addressing the concluding function of the
weekly programme organised on the occasion of Silver Jubilee of the Buddha Bihar Sangh at
Aksheshwor Mahabihar in Lalitpur the other day, Prime Minister Koirala said that the
messages of Lord Buddha are important for the happiness of humanity, world peace and
international brotherhood. Lord Buddha, who was born in Lumbini, Nepal more than 2,500
years ago, is also called the Apostle of Peace throughout the world because he was a
strong advocate and practitioner of peace, harmony, non-violence and universal
brotherhood. The very fact that the present day world is suffering from numerous problems
like conflicts, wars and intolerance among fellow human beings only proves that his
messages of peace, harmony and non-violence are as relevant in this milieu as they were
during his time. Since Lord Buddha launched his mission of spreading his messages from
Nepal, his teachings, over these centuries, have been verily internalised by the Nepalese.
It could be for this reason that while Nepal is known as a strong champion of peace and
nonviolence in the international arena. Moreover, Nepal has made the five fundamental
principles of Panchasheel—which are also based on Lord Buddha’s
teachings—as the cornerstones of its foreign policy. It is a proven fact that in an
atmosphere of war, conflict and distrust, it is simply impossible to expect peace,
happiness and prosperity to reign in any country, including Nepal.
Nepal is currently facing the problem of terrorism
and violence perpetrated by the so-called Maoists and which has already claimed the lives
of more than 1,500 people. Violence and conflicts are definitely not in the interest of
the nation and people since they act as virtual hurdles in the path of development. For,
without peace, the overall development of the nation and uplift of the people’s low
socio-economic status would not be possible. As such, while the need for the Nepalese
people, especially by the misguided perpetrators of violence, to translate Lord
Buddha’s messages of peace, harmony and non-violence into practice has indeed become
urgent, it is also the duty of a democratically elected government to resort to all means,
measures and resources at its disposal to ensure that peace, the sine quo non of
development, reigns in the country.
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