Celebrating Buddha's Birthday with peace and harmony

"where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy."

• excerpt from Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

With so much conflict and suffering around the world, now more than ever we need to come together to champion peace and harmony.

So it was fitting that we gathered at Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple on Saturday to celebrate Buddha's Birthday with a focus on world peace. Joined by leaders of other faiths and religions, as well as local community and political leaders, schools and more, it was a humbling experience to be part of. A timely reminder of the cooperation required to achieve peace, at home and aboard.