ベサックデー記念イベントにおける石兼公博大使ステートメント
令和3年5月25日
(As delivered)
Venerable Monks,Excellencies,
Dear colleagues,
It is a great honour to speak on this occasion of the Vesak Day commemoration. I would like to thank Ambassador Srivihok of Thailand and Ambassador Pieris of Sri Lanka for organizing this event.
In Japan, Buddhist temples hold “Flower Festivals” to celebrate the birth of the Buddha, fixing the date of April 8th on the solar calendar. The first “Flower Festival” in Japan is said to have been held in the year 606, following the introduction of Buddhism to Japan in the mid sixth century. The manner in which we celebrate may vary, but the Day of Vesak always reminds us of the Buddhist teachings and its spirit, including tolerance, harmony and compassion.
As we strive to recover from the human security crisis of pandemic, such attitude will be all the more important. Violent extremism, hate speeches, intolerance and lack of mutual respect should be no more in a post-COVID-19 world. Japan believes the United Nations can and should play an important role to alleviate such distress and bring peace of mind to people.
To conclude, I would like to offer my best wishes to those celebrating the Day of Vesak, and express my sincerest hope that this auspicious occasion will renew our commitments and efforts to overcome the global crisis with peace and mutual respect in the heart of every person.
Thank you very much.