Page 23 - YunnanTourismCultureTimes (98)

China·South Asia
Eminent Indian Buddhist monks visit Yunnan,
deepening cultural exchange
比丘云游 共话友好
By Yunnan Foreign Affairs Office Wechat public account
From April 24 to 29, Dr. Jina Priya (Bhik-
khu), founder and secretary-general of the
Dharmapriya Social Welfare Mission in In-
dia, along with Dr. Arunjyoti Sraman (Bhik-
khu), abbot of the Sambodhi Temple, and
Dr. Phara Buddhasri, president and high
priest of Nagrakata Buddha Jayanti, were
invited to visit Yunnan. This marked the
first visit to China for all three esteemed
Indian Buddhist monks, who had a pro-
ductive visit in Kunming and the Xishuang-
banna Dai Autonomous Prefecture.
4 月 24-29 日，印度马普里亚社会福利社创
始人兼秘书长吉纳·普里亚博士与印度佛教高僧
三菩提寺住持斯瑞曼博士、佛诞寺负责人法拉·佛
陀师利一行应邀访问云南。此次访滇均是 3 位印
度高僧第一次访问中国，他们在昆明市和西双版纳
傣族自治州进行了参访，颇有收获。
22
□ 云南外事微信公众号 / 文
“We are very pleased that in China, Buddhist studies are
flourishing, with numerous monks and a profound integration
of Buddhist culture into traditional Chinese culture.” said Dr.
Jina Priya. He was amazed to discover that all schools of Bud-
dhism, including Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, have
developed together in China. Dr. Jina Priya noted the equal
respect shown by the Chinese people towards the ideas and
concepts of these different Buddhist schools. Looking ahead,
he hopes to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the
Buddhist community in Yunnan province to further promote
the development of Buddhism.
The three prestigious Buddhist monks stated that their visit
to Yunnan provided them with a detailed understanding of the
province’s long history of Buddhism. They observed that Bud-
dhist traditions have been well-preserved and carried forward.
They noted that people enjoy freedom of religious belief, with
Buddhist culture seamlessly integrated into daily life. The lo-
cal populace is pious, respectful, humble, and courteous. Ad-
ditionally, all ethnic groups respect, unite, and help each other,
living together in harmony and happiness.
Dr. Phara Buddhasri said happily, “We were invited by
the Buddhist Association of Yunnan to visit Kunming and Xish-
uangbanna. During our visit to the Yunnan College of Buddhism
(Xishuangbanna Campus), we saw many monks practicing there.
We also observed that ordinary people are very receptive to Bud-
dhist teachings, showing respect and courtesy. As a monk from
India, the birthplace of Buddhism, it is a great honor to see how
Buddhism has further spread and developed in China.”
Dr. Arunjyoti Sraman noted that India and China, both influen-
tial Asian countries, share a long history of Buddhist exchanges.
He recalled how eminent Chinese Buddhist monks like Xuanzang
and Faxian studied Buddhism in India, while many distinguished
Indian monks promoted Buddhism in China. Dr. Sraman empha-
sized that if India and China continue to maintain good relations
and collaborate, it will ensure a brighter future for Asia and
help spread Buddhist concepts to more people.