The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha partners with national arts associations to promote Buddhist values through literature, music, and the arts - creating a lasting cultural legacy.
The Central Culture Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has signed a cooperation agreement with various professional literature and art associations, marking an ambitious step toward establishing a "cultural heritage bank for contemporary Buddhist art" to serve both the present and future generations.
Venerable Thich Tho Lac.
On the afternoon of October 11 in Hanoi, the Central Culture Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) officially launched the national Buddhist art initiative “Awakening the Path in Life”, alongside a signing ceremony with associations across the fields of literature, music, fine arts, architecture, and more.
Speaking at the event, Venerable Thich Tho Lac, Standing Member of the Executive Council and Head of the Central Culture Committee of the VBS, emphasized: “This is a significant milestone that embodies the spirit of collaboration between Vietnamese Buddhism and the creative community, working hand-in-hand to spread the compassionate and enlightening values of Buddhism throughout society.”
According to Venerable Thich Tho Lac, for over two millennia, Vietnamese Buddhism has not only been a religion of compassion and wisdom, but also a cultural wellspring that helped shape national identity. In today’s era of global integration, the Sangha aspires to walk alongside artists to cultivate a modern Buddhist cultural landscape - where spiritual values intertwine with daily life, and art becomes a vessel for awakening and love.
The Awakening the Path in Life campaign encourages the creation of Buddhist-inspired works across a wide range of disciplines including literature, music, visual arts, theater, film, architecture, festival design, and sculpture. Outstanding works will be exhibited, performed, and incorporated into Buddhist cultural festivals throughout Vietnam, helping to build regional artistic identities while promoting unity in diversity.
Poet Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association, and Major General-Musician Nguyen Duc Trinh, Chairman of the Vietnam Musicians’ Association, at the signing ceremony
The initiative is supported by key national bodies including the Vietnam Musicians’ Association, the Vietnam Writers’ Association, the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, the Vietnam Association of Stage Artists, the Vietnam Architects’ Association, the Vietnam Folk Literature and Arts Association, the Institute for Ethnology and Religious Studies, among others. Together, these organizations hope to lay the foundation for a long-term "cultural heritage bank for contemporary Buddhist art."
As part of the same event, the Central Culture Committee also announced the formation of the Huong Sac Bo De (Fragrance of the Bodhi) Club - a creative space dedicated to artists, intellectuals, and devout Buddhists. The club’s mission: “Awaken the path in life - bring love and dreams to all directions.”
Vietnamnet.vn
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