Namo Shakyamuni Buddha
To the Venerable Sangha Elders, esteemed Monks and Nuns of the Buddhist Order,
To all Good Spiritual Friends, Devout Lay Buddhists,
To fellow compatriots and people of all walks of life near and far,
More than 2,650 years ago, the World-Honored Shakyamuni Buddha, manifested His birth in the Lumbini Garden with the supreme, unparalleled insight of the Honored One. This was not only a living testament to the highest potential for enlightenment inherent in every human being, but also a radiant sun that illuminates this world shrouded in ignorance and darkness.
The Buddha did not appear as a divine being, but as a fully enlightened human who entered this world with great compassion and great wisdom, to deeply understand the suffering of all sentient beings and to open the path of liberation for all.
This year’s Vesak, amid a world full of turmoil and change, the image of the newborn Buddha taking seven steps on seven lotuses remains an eternal declaration: every sentient being possesses the equal Buddha-nature. Commemorating the Buddha’s Birth is not merely recalling a sacred historical event, but a return to our innate awakened nature— a call for the “birth” of awakening within our own minds through three essential aspects:
1. Purifying the Inner Mind: Cleansing the three karmas of body, speech, and thought; transforming greed, hatred, and delusion so that the true pure mind can manifest.
2. Illuminating Wisdom: Taking the Right Dharma as the guiding lamp, and wisdom as the compass for every thought, word, and action.
3. Spreading Compassion: Bringing love and understanding into life, transforming anxiety, fear, and division into the energy of peace and fearlessness.
Only when these three aspects are truly practiced can Vesak transcend religious formality and become a profound message of wisdom, peace, and awakening for humanity today.
Dear Venerable Ones and Dharma friends,
In a world still filled with insecurity, war, violence, division, extremism, spiritual crisis, and deepening moral decline, the message of the Buddha’s Birth is more urgent than ever. The Buddha did not conquer the world with power or violence, but with compassion and wisdom. He clearly pointed out that the root of suffering does not lie in the external world, but in the greed, hatred, and delusion within the human mind.
Modern humanity has advanced remarkably in science and technology, yet if the inner mind is not illuminated by compassion and wisdom, material progress alone can never bring true peace and lasting happiness.
The spirit of tolerance, harmony, and non-violence taught by the Buddha remains the essential path for humanity to escape the vortex of hatred and fear. When people learn to listen to one another with understanding instead of prejudice, and to treat one another with loving-kindness instead of confrontation, only then can the seeds of genuine peace begin to blossom in this crisis-filled world.
On this auspicious Vesak season, we respectfully pray that the Venerable Monks and Nuns uphold pure precepts, diligently propagate the Right Dharma, and serve as bright examples for the world. We pray that lay Buddhists earnestly practice and study the teachings, fully embodying their mission to bring the light of the Buddha Dharma into their families and society, becoming exemplary children of the Buddha who serve all beings with selfless compassion and egolessness.
As long as the light of awakening continues to be kindled in human hearts, humanity still holds hope to overcome the darkness of hatred, fear, and suffering.
When the seeds of enlightenment are sown, the light of awakening gradually shines forth, and humanity will rise above the sea of ignorance, hatred, fear, and pain. True peace does not begin with external treaties, but with the transformation of the human heart and mind.
Sharing the joy of this Vesak season, we wholeheartedly pray together:
May the light of the Buddha’s wisdom continue to illuminate the world.
May the Sangha remain pure, harmonious, and enduring.
May peace prevail among nations and peoples.
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and realize true happiness.
NAMO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA
We reverently take this as witness.
United States, on the 8th day of the 4th lunar month, Year of the Horse
corresponding to May 24, 2026.
On behalf of the Executive Board,
President
Most Venerable Thích Viên Lý
