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Ram Nath Kovind inaugurates Dharma-Dhamma conference, calls for taking inspiration from Buddha's life

He says the spiritual, cultural and trade links that were created by the monks of Dharma and Dhamma, hundreds and thousands of years ago, were much more than a historical memory

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President Ram Nath Kovind, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi at the inauguration of a three-day International Dharma Dhamma Conference at Rajgir
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The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the Fourth International Conference on "State and Social Order in Dharma-Dhamma Tradition" at Rajgir in Bihar, and called for participants to take inspiration from the life and teachings of Lord Buddha, which he described as the "Light of Asia".

The three-day conference is being organised as a part of the 25th anniversary of the ASEAN-India Dialogue Partnership by the Nalanda University, in collaboration with the Vietnam Buddhist University and the Ministry of External Affairs, and will witness the participation of scholars and delegates from 11 countries.

"It is estimated that more than half the world's current population lives in regions that have been historically influenced – and in many cases continue to be influenced – by the enlightenment that Lord Buddha attained and placed as a model before humanity. This is the thread that stitches us all together," said Kovind, terming Buddhism, the basis for an early form of globalisation and interconnectedness in our continent.

He said the spiritual, cultural and trade links that were created by the monks of Dharma and Dhamma, hundreds and thousands of years ago, were much more than a historical memory. "They are wired into society's DNA. They are a living reality and as such, Dharma and Dhamma are both a continuous, eternal journey – and a destination," Kovind said.

Throwing light on India's Act East Policy, the President said it is much more than a diplomatic initiative. "The Act East Policy aims at sharing not merely economic opportunities – but at an integration of the dreams and hopes of the hundreds of millions who live in India and in Southeast Asia, and in other parts of Asia that are covered by the Dharma-Dhamma footprint. Our past has a common source and inevitably, our destiny too is linked," he said.

Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, led Kovind's welcome brigade. "Bihar is a land of knowledge. But, the pages of history are gathering dust," the CM said at the conference and called upon the attention of archaeologists on the matter.

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