New Delhi (VNA) – Scholars fromVietnam, India and other countries including Australia and Belgium exchangedviews on Buddhism’s role as a social and cultural bridge and a source of globalpeace at an international conference in India’s Bhubaneswar city on February8-9.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Van Toan, Director of theCentre for Indian Studies (CIS) at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics,and President of the CIS’s Science Council, highlighted cultural exchangesbetween Vietnam and India related to Buddhism, Hinduism and Brahmanism, and similarities in the thoughts ofPresident Ho Chi Minh, leader Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India.
He also highlighted the core Buddhist ideas suchas peace, non-violence and tolerance.
During the conference, Toan answered otherscholars’ questions regarding the practice of Buddhism in Vietnam and its rolein the country’s national construction and defence./.