MYANMAR: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on a visit to Buddhist-majority Myanmar, today said the teachings of Lord Buddha remain relevant even in today's times.
Addressing the 'Samvaad' programme here, Adityanath said, "I feel proud to step on the sacred soil of Myanmar. In Hindu religion Karma Yoga or the Karma Marg is the path to spirituality, which is devoid of any desires, and gives strength to do appropriate work at appropriate time. In Uttar Pradesh, different places related to Lord Budhha are being linked through Buddhist Circuit, which will facilitate domestic and foreign tourists and devotees of Lord Budhha to reach these pilgrimage places easily," he said.
"The three important teachings of Lord Buddha -- Dhammamm Sharanam Gachhami, Sangham Sharanam Gachhami, Buddham Sharanam Gachhami -- are relevant even today. For UP, it is indeed a matter of pride that many important sites related to the life of Lord Buddha are situated in UP. It was Sarnath located near Varanasi, where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon. At Kushinagar, he delivered his last sermon. Then there are Kapilavastu, Kaushambi and Sankisa, which are located in our state. His place of birth Lumbini and Bodhgaya are also not far from UP," Adityanath said while addressing the programme here, an official statement of the UP government said.
He said, "The ancient Indian philosophy, lays stress on knowing the state of mind of others and on thought process before giving one's reaction. In our tradition, there are numerous examples, where we never indulged in imposing our views using a sword. Instead, we believed in exchange of views as the best possible means".
The UP chief minister also said that to understand the real nature of 'Dhamma', it is necessary to know and adopt the 'Ashtaang Marg' of Lord Buddha.
"Different organisations of the world have responsibility to establish mutual cooperation and coordination and make an effort to instill awareness towards the environment in each citizen," he said.