The religious activity involved a total of 2,569 Buddhists participating from houses of worship, schools, universities, and offices of the Religious Affairs Ministry nationwide on Sunday.
“We tailored the number of participants to match the Buddhist year in which we are celebrating Vesak Day, 2569,” the ministry’s Director General of Buddhist Guidance Supriyadi remarked in Jakarta.
He noted that the Dhammapada is one of the most well-known and cherished holy scriptures among Indonesian Buddhists due to its easily understandable and practical teachings.
“The content of the Dhammapada conveys moral lessons and wisdom, which guide individuals to become ethical, prudent, and merry,” he pointed out.
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Supriyadi went on to say that the national event, which began at 7:30 a.m. local time, aimed to instill the noble values promoted by the holy scripture in all participants and to inspire them to embody these teachings fully in their daily lives.
"We all share the obligation to bring ourselves closer to the religion we adhere to. The recital of this holy scripture reflects our love for our religion, a love that must be reflected through our behavior and concrete actions,” he emphasized.
The national mass recital would hopefully motivate all Buddhists across the country to continue to deepen their spiritual understanding and actively integrate religious principles into everyday life, he said.
"Hopefully, the recital of the holy scripture can serve as a medium for us to express love for our religion and encourage us to put religious values into practice," he concluded.
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Translator: Asep F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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