President Trần Đại Quang has affirmed that the success of the just-concluded eighth National Congress of the Việt Nam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) demonstrates the robust growth and unity of Việt Nam’s Buddhism. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

HÀ NỘI — President Trần Đại Quang has affirmed that the success of the just-concluded eighth National Congress of the Việt Nam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) demonstrates the robust growth and unity of Việt Nam’s Buddhism. 

He hosted a reception for representatives from the new Patronage Council and the new Executive Council of the VBS in Hà Nội on November 23. 

He expressed his hope that the Patronage Council and the Executive Council in the 2017-22 term will work to encourage monks, nuns and followers to join in soundly implementing Party guidelines and policies, and State law while performing their duties and responsibilities as citizens.

They should also work to promote unity and harmony between Buddhism and other religions, and people of all walks of life, he added. 

He noted that the Party, State and people have always valued the concrete contributions of the VBS and its monks, nuns and followers to national unity and nation-building efforts.

The Party and State have consistently pursued the policy of respecting and safeguarding the people’s right to religion while creating conditions for adherents to exercise their faith practices in compliance with the law.

The VBS’s eighth congress concluded in Hà Nội on November 22, with Most Venerable Thích Phổ Tuệ re-honoured as Supreme Patriarch of the VBS. 

The event was attended by 1,250 Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns and followers from home and abroad.

The congress also elected 96 members of the Patronage Council with Most Venerable Thích Phổ Tuệ as the Patriarch of the council’s standing board, along with 225 official members and 45 alternate members of the Executive Council headed by Most Venerable Thích Thiện Nhơn for the 2017-22 tenure. 

The VBS has chapters in all 63 cities and provinces, and Associations of Vietnamese Buddhists in 11 countries worldwide. There are four Buddhist universities, eight college-level training programmes and 34 Buddhist primary schools in Việt Nam. — VNS