Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated the country’s Buddhists on the Lunar New Year, the Kremlin press service said on Friday.
“This festival heralds the arrival of the New Year under the lunar calendar and symbolizes the transparency and purity of thoughts, an aspiration to a moral reinvention. There is a tradition to do good things, forgive old wounds and help those who are in need during these days,” Putin said in his message.
“For many centuries, the everlasting values of Buddhism have been serving honorable goals – people’s unity and the strengthening of mutual understanding of cooperation,” the Russian president said.
“Russia’s Buddhists carefully safeguard this unique spiritual legacy and pass it down from generation to generation, making a significant contribution to the harmony of the inter-ethnic and inter-faith dialogue in our country, the development of productive cooperation with state and social institutions in the sphere of culture, awareness raising and the education of young people. They have been doing a great deal to revive the traditions of spiritual education and have been actively engaged in charitable causes,” Putin said.
Source: Voice of Russia
