The Religious Forum of Boao Forum for Asia 2023 Media Meeting Concludes Successfully

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Religious Leaders Discuss Mutual Learning among Civilizations with International Media

BOAO, China, March 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Boosting Mutual Learning Among Civilizations & Promoting Religious Unity talk at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) was held in Boao, China, on the morning of March 31, 2023. Guests from four countries, among them, the Venerable Buddhist Master Yin Shun, Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China and President of the Buddhist Association of Hainan Province, Elias Szczytnicki, Secretary General of the Latin American and Caribbean Council of Religious Leaders (LACCRL), Liu Chengyong, President of the German Taoist Association, and Sainbuyan Nergui, Chief of Mongolian Sangha Federation and Abbot of the Sain Nomuun Buddhist Monastery of Mongolia, shared the stage and participated in exchanges and discussions on opportunities for mutual learning among different religions and civilizations and contributed their knowledge of religious harmony and mutual learning between civilizations to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The four speakers met with hundreds of international media organizations on the eve of the Forum to talk about how various cultures can learn from one another and explore how common human values can be created.

The Forum was sponsored by the China Religious Culture Communication Association (CRCCA) and the China Committee on Religion and Peace (CCRP), and hosted by the Religious Affairs Commission of Hainan Province and the Buddhist Association of Hainan Province.

The Theme of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023 is An Uncertain World: Solidarity and Cooperation for Development amid Challenges, while the theme of this year's Religious Forum is Inclusiveness and Coexistence: Striving for a New Level of Mutual Learning among Civilizations.

"BFA is a platform with an economic focus. Economic growth, culture comes first, and people-to-people relationships all serve as bridges, while a culture fostered by religion can play a special part in creating a spiritual bridge bringing together people from all nations," venerable Buddhist Master Yin Shun, the only speaker who has attended the event for seven consecutive years, responded when asked about the connection between the economy and religion. "The religious section makes use of the oriental cultural DNA, which is infused into our blood and soul to provide a force that keeps the world in balance. The more uncertain the times, the more we must work together to find the power of certainty from our respective civilizations and religions, restore inner peace for everyone in these challenging times, and undertake the creation of shared values for mankind. This is especially true at a time when the century is marked by turbulent changes, complex and changeable regional situations, and a still bumpy economic recovery."

Guests from all over the world facilitate religious harmony, exchange and dialogues, and mutual learning among civilizations

Sainbuyan Nergui -- When asked about the exchanges of Buddhist culture between Mongolia and China, he mentioned that since venerable Buddhist Master Yin Shun was invited to visit Mongolia for the first time in 2017, there have been deeper and more extensive exchanges of Buddhist culture between the two nations. Under the guidance of Buddhist Master Yin Shun, Nanhai Buddhism Academy has also helped Mongolia train many outstanding monks, who have each made significant contributions to Mongolia's religious landscape.

President Liu Chengyong -- He has accomplished much in Europe over the last several years, establishing the first Lao Tzu Taoist Academy and the first Taoist temple, Yuzhen Guan, in Germany. After becoming a monk in China, he returned to Germany to promote and spread Taoist culture by distributing the Tao Te Ching, making short-form videos, and posting a series of instructive guides on the Lao Tzu Cultural Academy's online platform. He also shared his experience mastering traditional Chinese medicine and the Tao Te Ching as a teenager.

Secretary General Elias Szczytnicki -- He commenced his speech by talking about Religions for Peace and expressed the hope that there would be more platforms like the Boao Religious Forum where major faith communities and civilizations could interact, learn from each other, and develop in harmony.

Since its inception in 2015, the Boao Religious Forum at the Boao Forum for Asia has taken place annually for seven consecutive years, bringing together 36 guests representing the world's major religions, as well as Nobel Prize winners in interfaith studies, Chinese scholars, and media celebrities, with the express goal of deepening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and offering expertise and support for building a community with a shared future for humanity.

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