Panchen Lama says China enjoys religious freedom

Source: Xinhua | 03-28-2009 10:27

WUXI, Jiangsu Province, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The 11th Panchen Lama, Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, said here Saturday that China enjoys religious freedom.

The 11th Panchen Lama, Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, attends the opening ceremony of the Second World Buddhist Forum (WBF) in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province on March 28, 2009. The Second WBF opened here on Saturday.(Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Addressing the opening ceremony of the Second World Buddhist Forum, the living buddha said that this event fully demonstrates that China nowadays enjoys social harmony, stability and religious freedom. It also shows China is a nation that safeguards and promotes the world peace.

He called on people in the modern world to do more beneficial deeds and serve others.

Extending his gratitude to the central government for the concern for and patronage to the forum, the Panchen Lama said, "this Forum is convened in my country -- China, which has a Buddhist cultural tradition going back 2,000 years. "

More than 1,700 Buddhist monks and scholars from about 50 countries and regions attended the forum. The event, with the theme of "A harmonious world, a synergy of condition," was jointly organized by the Buddhist Association of China, the Buddha's Light International Association, the Hong Kong Buddhist Association, and the China Religious Culture Communication Association.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei