Bangkok Declaration The Seventh International Buddhist Conference
on The United Nations Day of Vesak May 23-25, 2010 (B.E.2553)
on The United Nations Day of Vesak
May 23-25, 2010 (B.E.2553)
at the Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University Main Campus,
Wang Noi, Ayutthaya, The United Nations Conference Centre,
Bangkok and Buddhamonthon, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand

With full reference to the resolution approved on 15th December 1999 by the General Assembly of the United Nations, Session No. 54, Agenda Item 174, a joint proposal by representatives from 34 countries, that Vesak, which falls on the Full Moon day in the month of May, be internationally recognized and observed at the United Nations Headquarters and its Regional Offices from the Year 2000 onwards, The United Nations Day of Vesak will be jointly celebrated by all Buddhist traditions;

Furthermore, having consolidated mutual understanding and cooperation amongst all Buddhist traditions, organizations, individuals, other spiritual traditions and civil society through ongoing dialogue;

Having decided to disseminate the following message of peace based on the Buddha's teaching of wisdom and compassion;

Having explored the Buddha's teachings to aide and sustain global recovery;

We, the participants from 83 countries and regions of the International Buddhist Conference on the United Nations Day of Vesak convened at the Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University Main Campus, Wang Noi, Ayutthaya, The United Nations Conference Centre, Bangkok and Buddhamonthon, Nakhom Pathom Province from May 23-25, 2010 (B.E. 2553), gratefully acknowledging that the Conference has been generously hosted by Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University of Thailand and The Inner Trip Reiyukai International, ITRI, of Japan, supported by the Royal Government of Thailand under the guidance of the Supreme Sangha Council of Thailand, have unanimously resolved the following:

(1) to reiterate once again the sheer impact of the man-made global banking and economic crisis on every community and nation and how a human's states of mind influence his actions which in turn affect his environment; and to re-affirm our efforts towards filling the spiritual vacuum by emphasizing the natural law of inter-being that will help sustain the fragile global recovery;

(2) to encourage, as part of Buddhist contribution towards global recovery, the world community to introduce humanistic education in order to promote human dignity, security and social and economic solidarity on the one hand and on the other to minimize self-inflicted problems in the world; and to urge world religious and political leaders to strengthen ongoing dialogue in order to avoid mistrust and violence between different cultures;

(3) considering that every big crisis starts out as a small crisis, the escalation of which is not inevitable if we manage to understand the causal chain of events which produces it, to develop peaceful social strategies based on the Middle Path in prevention, resolution and healing through non-violent and tolerant communication, participation and interdependence for harmonious existence;

(4) to promote mental and emotional welfare and wellbeing of mankind through moral ethics, meditation, self-evaluation, self-awareness and right view as well as to highlight the danger to the society of egoistic states of mind and the benefit of service to the wider society;

(5) to use socially engaged Buddhism in various fields as guided by the Dhamma as a tool in order to help relieve the impact of global economic crisis on individuals and communities;

(6) to promote awareness on the interlinkages between Buddhism, ecology and attitudes to nature; and to endorse a global "eco-Buddhist" network;

(7) to endorse the creation of World Buddhist Park by the World Buddhist Park Foundation in Prachin Buri Province, Thailand as a further development of the Centre of World Buddhism, as internationally endorsed in 2005/ 2548, at Buddhamonthon, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand;

(8) to continue promoting better understanding of Buddhist principles amongst the wider public by compiling and distributing widely a common Buddhist text, which will reflect the rich resources of the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions as well as the needs of today's society;


(9) to continue supporting the ongoing electronic project for a Union Catalogue of Buddhist Texts, UCBT, which is currently being carried out by leading scholars from 23 universities and libraries from 16 nations, by hosting a seminar at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University in September 2010;

(10) to hold the second conference of the International Association of Buddhist Universities, IABU, in December 2011/ 2554 under the theme of Buddhist Philosophy and Praxis at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University;

(11) to hold the 2011/2554 United Nations Day of Vesak at the Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University Main Campus, Wang Noi, Ayutthaya, The United Nations Conference Centre, Bangkok and Buddhamonthon, Nakhompathom Province, Thailand, so celebrating the Auspicious Occasion of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 84th Birthday Anniversary December 5, 2010.

Dated: 25th May 2010/2553