Invoking Lord Buddha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reached out to victims of the Nepal earthquake and prayed for their speedy recovery from the tragedy. He was speaking on the occasion of ‘Buddha Purnima’ in the national capital.

“The joyous occasion of Buddha Purnima is shadowed by the sorrow of our beloved brother Nepal. The birthplace of the Buddha is facing a huge crisis. I pray to the Buddha that Nepal finds strength to bounce back,” Modi said addressing a gathering during the Buddha’s birth anniversary celebrations.

He led the gathering in observing a minute’s silence in the memory of victims of the earthquake. He said the Buddha’s teaching of compassion inspires one to rebuild lives. India has deployed massive resources, including military forces, for rescue and relief operations in Nepal. Modi also said the world is going through “turmoil” and added that the teachings of Lord Buddha can show the way out.

The Centre has decided to mark the anniversary with state-supported celebrations every year — a move hailed by the International Buddhist Confederation, which rued the fact that the Indian government has not been lending support to the event for years.

Noting that the Buddha has championed the cause of underprivileged and Dalits, Modi said it was inherent in the Buddha’s teachings to bring people together.

“All Asian countries I have visited have organised visits to Buddhist temples in those places, like Japan and Sri Lanka. The Buddha’s ideals have impacted many countries and cultures… But they are all lying scattered. The Buddha should bring them all together,” he said, adding,

“The world acknowledges that the 21st Century belongs to Asia. I believe this cannot happen without embracing the Buddha’s philosophy.” In his half-hour speech, Modi sought to establish what he described as his “deep connect with the Buddha’s ideals”.

- Manohar