Vision
In our increasingly interconnected and diverse world, fostering understanding, cooperation and peaceful coexistence between different communities has become a primary concern. Differences in beliefs, practices and worldviews often lead to misunderstandings, mistrust and, most tragic of all, violence. The need for education and respect as a basis for building peace has never been more imperative.
The international community has come to recognize that cooperation between countries to prevent and resolve conflicts based on ethnic origin, culture and religion is essential to maintain peace. This is the driving force for the Grand Buddha Garden, which promotes Lumbini Garden Foundation.
Yet, the collaboration among nations hinges solely on trust, a quality that can only be established through shared knowledge and mutual comprehension. The Lumbini Garden Foundation was born from the experience of a group of people who noted the mutual ignorance of Easterners and Westerners, as well as the values that support their thinking and, by extension, their respective societies.
The Buddhist philosophy that influences Asian thought is based on an ancient maxim taught by the Buddha: “Consider others as oneself, do not hurt or cause harm to them.” Recognizing that others are essentially the same as oneself and feeling their desire for happiness as if they were one's own is the only effective means that we can propose to build the peaceful society that we all need and thrive for. Within this, Buddha's teachings, while aiming at personal liberation from suffering, are also expounded for the purpose of instructing us in how we can live in harmony with others.
Since the state of the world is a manifestation and reflection of the minds of its inhabitants, the achievement of permanent universal peace would require nothing less than a radical and widespread transformation of the global thought, which, by all accounts, is an almost unattainable dream. However, what is within the realm of real possibility is the achievement of lasting individual peace within ourselves, a peace that comes through the culmination of the teachings and practices around ethics, mental training and wisdom. This triple training will allow us to unearth and resolve the roots of the conflict that are buried deep down in our minds.