The second Global Buddhist Summit is scheduled to take place on 24–25 January at the Bharat Mandapam, a convention center in New Delhi, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to inaugurate the event. The summit will bring together Buddhist leaders, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers from India and abroad to examine contemporary global challenges through the framework of the Buddhadharma.
According to organizers, more than 200 delegates and 800 participants from around the world are expected to attend. The summit is being organized by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), a global umbrella body headquartered in New Delhi that operates under the auspices of India’s Ministry of Culture.
This year’s summit is organized around the theme “Collective Wisdom, United Voice, and Mutual Coexistence.” In a statement, the IBC said the theme reflected its guiding motto, “Collective Wisdom, United Voice,” and is intended to strengthen dialogue among diverse Buddhist traditions while encouraging engagement with global institutions and policy discussions. The organizers noted that the second summit would seek to build on conversations initiated during the inaugural summit and expand the role of Buddhist perspectives in addressing shared global concerns.
Among the confirmed speakers and panelists is former minister for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Maris Sangiampongsa, whose participation reflects the summit’s emphasis on engaging policymakers alongside monastic and academic voices, and highlights Buddhism’s potential contributions to diplomacy and international cooperation.
The summit’s discussions will focus on how core Buddhist values may offer guidance in areas such as social harmony, ethical economic practices, education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability. To that end, deliberations have been structured around five thematic sessions: Collective Wisdom and United Voice for Social Harmony; Entrepreneurship and Right Livelihood in Buddha Dhamma; Scientific Research, Healthcare, Medicine, and Sustainable Living in Buddha Dhamma; Learning in the Light of Buddha Dhamma; and Sangha Dynamics through Roles, Rituals, and Practice in Buddha Dhamma.
In addition to panel discussions and keynote addresses, the summit will feature two exhibitions. Titled Sacred Relics and Cultural Engagement in Contemporary India and Virasat se Vishwa: India’s Buddha Dhamma Outreach, the exhibitions will focus on Buddhist heritage in India and the country’s recent and ongoing efforts to share the Buddhist teachings and Buddhist culture globally.
A live demonstration of NORBU, a language-learning and dialogue model designed to support Buddhist understanding, will also be presented during the summit. NORBU, an acronym for Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding, is based on a ChatGPT algorithm and has been trained on Buddhist texts in multiple languages. According to the organizers, the system is designed to generate responses grounded in Buddhist teachings. The IBC has adopted NORBU as a global initiative and has named it “Kalyan Mitra,” meaning “spiritual friend,” with the stated aim of engaging younger audiences through technology.
The Global Buddhist Summit was first held in New Delhi on 20–21 April 2023. That inaugural event was also inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi and brought together sangha leaders, scholars, and practitioners from 31 countries. Organized around the theme “Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis,” the first summit drew more than 170 delegates and laid the groundwork for ongoing dialogue between Buddhist communities and global institutions.
India is home to a small but historically significant Buddhist population, estimated at around 8–9 million people, or less than 1 per cent of the country’s population. Despite this, India occupies a central place in global Buddhism as the location of key pilgrimage sites connected with the life of the Buddha. In recent years, the Indian government has increasingly emphasized Buddhism as a component of its cultural diplomacy, particularly in engagement with Asia and the wider world. The Global Buddhist Summit is widely seen as part of this broader effort to position Buddha Dhamma as a resource for addressing ethical, social, and environmental challenges in the contemporary era.
See more
Second Global Buddhist Summit to be held in Delhi on January 24-25 (DD News)
What Hosting the Global Buddhist Summit Signals to the World (Asia Net News)
Second Global Buddhist Summit to be held in New Delhi on January 24–25 (Hindustan Times)
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