BDG contributor Dr. Sanjoy Barua Chowdhury recently attended one of China’s most important Buddhist events of the past few years, the Sixth World Buddhist Forum (WBF), which ran from 15–17 October in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. Hosted by the Buddhist Association of China (BAC) and the Chinese Association for Religious and Cultural Exchange, this gathering has traditionally served as the main event that many Buddhist commentators associate with the BAC. State-owned news outlet the China Daily described the forum as an event that “aims to serve as an equal, diverse, and open platform of high-level dialogue for those who cherish the world, care for all sentient beings, espouse Buddhism, and embody compassion.” (China Daily)

More than 800 Buddhist representatives, scholars, and leaders from 72 countries attended this year’s forum. The previous WBF in 2018, held in Wuxia, Fujian Province, was attended by about 1,000 guests, with the core theme of “Exchange with Mutual Learning: Middle Way for Perfect Harmony.” This year, the overarching theme was “Hand in Hand for Coexistence,” echoing the consistent themes of coexistence, multipolarity, and mutual respect and tolerance that has defined the forum’s themes for years.

There is some significance to the WBF being held in Zhejiang Province: the first World Buddhist Forum, held in 2006, was also hosted by Hangzhou and Zhoushan, both in Zhejiang. Aside from the modern political significance of Hangzhou, the city has been a center of Chinese Mahayana Buddhism for centuries, including its scenic Lingyin Temple and the three temples of Tianzhu Mountain: Faxi (Dharma Joy), Fajing (Dharma Purity), and Fajing (Dharma Mirror) temples.

These locales may be better known among younger demographics as locations to “daka” (Ch: 打卡), which means to take and upload pictures from photogenic spots for digital clout on the massively popular Xiaohongshu app—the Chinese equivalent of Instagram. However, there is a deeper significance. The Tianzhu Mountain temples form part of a pilgrimage circuit of Guanyin Bodhisattva, a central subject of reverence at Ningbo due to ties with Putuoshan, the fabled divine dwelling of Guanyin. Guanyin, or Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of great compassion. This indicates how endlessly and tirelessly Guanyin manifests to save all sentient beings, with a perpetual vow to remain in samsara until the karma of all enlightened beings is extinguished.

The spirit of Guanyin was not the only one articulated at Hangzhou. The aspiration for coexistence was also expressed with the introduction of “Maitreya culture” at the forum. According to Dr. Chowdhury, this was important since the conference’s main hall ground was at Ningbo’s Mount Xuedou Temple, the reputed birthplace of Budai, a legendary incarnation of Maitreya. Since the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–979 CE), this legend has informed Chinese aesthetic expression of the iconic image of Maitreya, with his big belly, open smile, and jolly laughing countenance. In some ways, Maitreya culture indirectly serves as a reclaiming of the popular Western stereotype of Buddhism, but its prominence at the WBF serves as a reminder for Buddhists to spread the core values of openness, tolerance, harmony, and joy.

The beloved figures of Guanyin and Maitreya or Budai are a fitting pair of role models of unbiased, universal compassion, coupled with quite literally laughing in enlightened joy amid and in spite of our troubled world. More philosophically, the Buddhist community’s emphasis on finding common ground, mutual recognition, and simply seeing the Other and identifying the inherent buddha-nature in every being can serve as an example of a diplomatic model for the 21st century—a century in which stability and harmony appear more fragile than ever.

As part of the forum’s reaffirmation of Buddhism’s place in Chinese society and outreach to other nations, Prof. He Huanhuan of Zhejiang University led a team to curate an exhibition of Buddhist art with the themes “Harmonious Coexistence: World Buddhist Culture and Art,” and “Common Aspirations: The Heritage and Development of Chinese Buddhism.” Using her institution’s access to the data of the majority of Dunhuang art, Prof. He digitally showcased many of the most iconic and famous Buddhist creations, from cave murals to calligraphic paintings and iconographic presentations.

One of China’s most accomplished and prolific Buddhist specialists, Prof. He is a servant of Guanyin and has devoted years of rigorous academic research and teaching on the interconnectedness between the historical force of Buddhism and the Buddhadharma as a transcendent force of transformation and liberation in our own time. The act of bringing together an international database of sacred Buddhist material heritage, of which thousands of manuscripts, artworks, and more can now be found across the globe, is an affirmation of the globalized nature of Buddhist civilization and of humanity’s aspiration of peace.

Aside from the many local Chinese and international attendees, scholar-practitioners and devotees such as Dr. He represent the best hope of Buddhism as a vehicle for productive and positive cultural diplomacy. While it is easy to be cynical about any country’s attempts to emphasize its Buddhist ties—through forums or meetings with political leaders—such attempts can also be viewed as an acknowledgement of Buddhism’s importance, especially in certain aspects of statecraft that the sangha is exposed to in these exchanges.

These aspects should be scrutinized strategically by Buddhist scholars, leaders, and communities, so that Dharma representatives, writers, and supporters can exert a positive presence and action on these spheres of influence in the name of crafting a Buddhist values-informed society. These values are expressed in Guanyin and Budai, the embodiments of compassion and enlightened mirth.

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72 nations take part in World Buddhist Forum (China Daily)
Buddhists across world gather to promote civilization exchange (Xinhua)

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China’s Sixth World Buddhist Forum to be held 15–17 October at Xuedou Temple, Ningbo