Remarks by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Singapore Buddhist Federation's Vesak Celebrations on 12th May 2024 at Singapore Expo Hall

Venerable Seck Kwang Phing, President of the Singapore Buddhist Federation,

Venerables

Distinguished Guests

1. Each year on Vesak Day, many Buddhists perform acts of generosity and compassion. They make donations to charities, or help out at homes or shelters set up by various religious and non-profit organisations.

2. These acts reflect the Buddhist belief that Venerable Seck Kwang Phing spoke about: that our well-being is intimately tied to the well-being of all beings and the world around us. And when we are selfless and show compassion, we create a ripple effect of peace and harmony that benefits all. This includes looking after nature, as he also mentioned: our actions have consequences throughout the web of life.

3. The values of selflessness, compassion, tolerance and acceptance of others are a way of life for Buddhists. But they are also highly relevant to how we live together in multi-racial and multi-religious Singapore – where each community’s well-being is bound up with the well-being or others in our society.

4. Selflessness, compassion and acceptance of others, in thought and action, will indeed help Singapore remain an oasis of peace and harmony.

5. It helps also for us to appreciate that while we have quite diverse cultures, with some obvious differences between them, there is also a lot in common between them.

6. The cultures practiced by each of our communities, and even our different religions, indeed shaped and influenced each other. For example, scholars show how the Buddhist and Hindu cultures borrowed from each other over centuries in India. And how as Buddhism spread from India to China and much of East Asia, it interacted with other local beliefs and cultures.

7. We should therefore cherish both our diversity and what we share in common - including what we share as a result of our cultures having interacted with others over time.

8. I commend the Singapore Buddhist Federation, and our other religious and community organisations including MUIS, Jamiyah and the Hindu Endowments Board, for their efforts to deepen mutual understanding and acceptance, especially among young Singaporeans.

9. Programmes and events such as ‘Ask Me Anything’ about each of our faiths, and Common Senses for Common Spaces, have been useful.

10. Likewise our Harmony Circles in neighbourhoods around the island.

11. However what matters is not just what our religious leaders do, but what each of us as Singaporeans do to ensure we remain an oasis of harmony, and that we strengthen our multiculturalism.

12. We can do so in small ways, in our everyday lives. Being respectful of each other and bringing each other into conversations, at school or work. Looking out for each other’s children as neighbours. Encouraging them to play in the same teams. These simple acts are what develops our sense of comfort with each other, creates friendships and over time tightens the knitting of our social fabric.

13. I wish happiness and serenity to all Buddhists ahead of Vesak day. May we show wisdom in the practice of all our religions and cultures and appreciate both our diversity and what we have in common. And let us cultivate friendships in our everyday lives.

14. My best wishes ahead of Vesak Day, 祝大家卫塞节快乐、吉祥如意!