The city of Astana, Kazakhstan, hosted the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions on 17–18 September. Since its founding in 2003, this gathering has become one of the world’s most important platforms for interfaith dialogue. From Catholic cardinals to Sunni and Shia imams, from Jewish rabbis to Daoist priests, and from political figures to scholars, Astana’s congress has consistently sought to provide a neutral meeting ground where voices of faith and tradition can speak directly to one another across divides that often appear insurmountable.
Among these voices, Buddhists have played a steady—if sometimes quiet—role. This year, too, the World Fellowship of Buddhists and other delegates represented the Dharma amid a cacophony of global concerns: war and conflict, economic instability, technological upheaval, and climate change. The challenge before Buddhists in Astana is not only what to say but what to listen for, and what to bring back to our own sanghas and societies.
These are many of the same concerns that BDG and partners addressed during our 30th anniversary gathering in Vancouver earlier this month.* Videos from presentations there are just starting to appear on our YouTube channel and more will be published in coming days. With a focus on the new technological age in which we find ourselves, we discussed innovative on-the-ground projects, concepts that reach across religious divides, and the ongoing need to reach and connect with young people around the world. The ripples of those discussions are still spreading and we will, no doubt, offer more in terms of new directions and projects in the months ahead.
Meanwhile, looking forward to November, the Global Peace Prayer Festival 2025 in Bhutan will offer a complementary yet distinct vision: not the negotiation of political rhetoric, but a great outpouring of ritual, prayer, and spiritual energy. Together, these three events point to a widening global recognition of Buddhism’s potential to contribute to humanity’s common search for peace and meaning.
The Buddha himself engaged in dialogue with rival teachers and seekers of his day, speaking in forests and city parks to Brahmins, Jains, kings, merchants, and ordinary villagers. His manner was neither to dominate nor to withdraw, but to teach with clarity while modeling humility. Modern Buddhists, drawing on this example, can approach interfaith dialogue as an opportunity to embody the Middle Way: avoiding both self-assertion and self-effacement.
At Astana, Buddhist delegates might not have arrived with the largest numbers or the greatest political influence. But they bring gifts that are sorely needed. First among these is a long tradition emphasizing interdependence. Buddhism’s central insight—that all beings and phenomena arise together in mutual dependence—offers a perspective beyond narrow nationalism and rigid religious identity.
Second, Buddhists can offer a practice of non-harming. At a time when even religious language is sometimes mobilized for war—including, unfortunately, some Buddhist language—Buddhist voices can insist on ahimsa, compassion, and the refusal to dehumanize. Read through past Buddhistdoor Views and countless articles and news reports on BDG, and you will see the persistent work of Buddhists around the world to promote peace in the face of so many tragedies.
Finally, Buddhists bring the witness of simplicity. Whether Theravada, Mahayana, or Vajrayana, Buddhist traditions emphasize restraint, mindful consumption, and humility. In a world addicted to excess, this can speak louder than political slogans.
Buddhists should not attend interfaith congresses merely to showcase their teachings. Dialogue is, by definition, reciprocal. The Congress offers Buddhists the chance to listen deeply. They will hear how other traditions confront extremism and violence in their ranks. Buddhists can learn how faith leaders address technological transformations such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and surveillance. And all present can see directly the creative ways that Buddhists and others link tradition with social justice and ecological concern.
Such listening is not passive. It shapes how Buddhists can then return to their communities with renewed perspectives. Just as monks in the Buddha’s time returned from distant travels to share what they had learned, today’s Buddhist representatives can help local sanghas understand global challenges in a more interconnected way.
And what can Buddhists take back to their communities from Astana? Buddhists might in turn bring home three key aspirations. First, a stronger solidarity across religions. Far from weakening Buddhist identity, recognizing shared values such as compassion, truthfulness, and generosity can strengthen our confidence that the Dharma participates in a global moral fabric.
Next, Buddhists can bring home a renewed urgency about climate and peace. Central Asia has long been at the crossroads of civilizations, trade routes, and ecological challenges. To speak about melting glaciers, dwindling rivers, and regional conflicts there is to situate Buddhism in the heart of today’s crises.
Lastly, Buddhists might return with a reminder of humility. For all the importance of high-level meetings, no dialogue is complete without action. Buddhists should come away not only with lofty statements but also with a determination to practice kindness in families, communities, and monasteries.
If Astana represents dialogue across traditions, Bhutan’s Global Peace Prayer Festival 2025 in November will symbolize the wellspring of practice within tradition. The, festival, scheduled for 4–17 November, will feature sacred rituals, a non-sectarian global peace prayer, public blessings, and the Kalachakra empowerment.
Where Astana emphasizes conversation, Bhutan emphasizes collective spiritual aspiration. The setting is not one of international negotiation but of Himalayan devotion, grounded in Bhutan’s unique ethos of Gross National Happiness. Yet the two events are not opposites. They are complementary: one outward, one inward; one discursive, one ritual; one focused on human speech, the other on sacred sound.
For Buddhists, attending or even following from afar, the Bhutan festival is an opportunity to root interfaith ideals in actual practice. To pray together across sanghas and to join in empowerment is to remember that peace is not merely negotiated—it is cultivated in the heart.
The Congress in Astana and the Festival in Bhutan are not isolated events. They represent a growing global recognition that religion still matters in shaping the future. For Buddhists, the question is not whether to participate, but how.
We must bring to dialogue the treasures of the Dharma: mindfulness, compassion, interdependence, and a vision of liberation that refuses to see any being as expendable. We must also come with ears open, willing to learn how other traditions are grappling with the same crises we face. And we must leave determined to weave insights from both Astana and Bhutan into the fabric of daily practice.
The hope is not only for grand declarations or media spectacles, but for a genuine turning of the human heart toward peace. If Buddhists can contribute even a small measure of that turning, then our presence at these gatherings will have been worthwhile.
As the Buddha once said, “Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is an eternal law.” (The Dhammapada) The Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan and the Global Peace Prayer Festival in Bhutan both remind us of this truth. Let us carry it forward into dialogue, into ritual, and into the everyday work of making peace real. We hope you will join us in our part in that journey and offer your feedback and insights along the way.
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Buddhistdoor View: Buddhists at the Crossroads of Global Dialogue
The city of Astana, Kazakhstan, hosted the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions on 17–18 September. Since its founding in 2003, this gathering has become one of the world’s most important platforms for interfaith dialogue. From Catholic cardinals to Sunni and Shia imams, from Jewish rabbis to Daoist priests, and from political figures to scholars, Astana’s congress has consistently sought to provide a neutral meeting ground where voices of faith and tradition can speak directly to one another across divides that often appear insurmountable.
Among these voices, Buddhists have played a steady—if sometimes quiet—role. This year, too, the World Fellowship of Buddhists and other delegates represented the Dharma amid a cacophony of global concerns: war and conflict, economic instability, technological upheaval, and climate change. The challenge before Buddhists in Astana is not only what to say but what to listen for, and what to bring back to our own sanghas and societies.
These are many of the same concerns that BDG and partners addressed during our 30th anniversary gathering in Vancouver earlier this month.* Videos from presentations there are just starting to appear on our YouTube channel and more will be published in coming days. With a focus on the new technological age in which we find ourselves, we discussed innovative on-the-ground projects, concepts that reach across religious divides, and the ongoing need to reach and connect with young people around the world. The ripples of those discussions are still spreading and we will, no doubt, offer more in terms of new directions and projects in the months ahead.
Meanwhile, looking forward to November, the Global Peace Prayer Festival 2025 in Bhutan will offer a complementary yet distinct vision: not the negotiation of political rhetoric, but a great outpouring of ritual, prayer, and spiritual energy. Together, these three events point to a widening global recognition of Buddhism’s potential to contribute to humanity’s common search for peace and meaning.
The Buddha himself engaged in dialogue with rival teachers and seekers of his day, speaking in forests and city parks to Brahmins, Jains, kings, merchants, and ordinary villagers. His manner was neither to dominate nor to withdraw, but to teach with clarity while modeling humility. Modern Buddhists, drawing on this example, can approach interfaith dialogue as an opportunity to embody the Middle Way: avoiding both self-assertion and self-effacement.
At Astana, Buddhist delegates might not have arrived with the largest numbers or the greatest political influence. But they bring gifts that are sorely needed. First among these is a long tradition emphasizing interdependence. Buddhism’s central insight—that all beings and phenomena arise together in mutual dependence—offers a perspective beyond narrow nationalism and rigid religious identity.
Second, Buddhists can offer a practice of non-harming. At a time when even religious language is sometimes mobilized for war—including, unfortunately, some Buddhist language—Buddhist voices can insist on ahimsa, compassion, and the refusal to dehumanize. Read through past Buddhistdoor Views and countless articles and news reports on BDG, and you will see the persistent work of Buddhists around the world to promote peace in the face of so many tragedies.
Finally, Buddhists bring the witness of simplicity. Whether Theravada, Mahayana, or Vajrayana, Buddhist traditions emphasize restraint, mindful consumption, and humility. In a world addicted to excess, this can speak louder than political slogans.
Buddhists should not attend interfaith congresses merely to showcase their teachings. Dialogue is, by definition, reciprocal. The Congress offers Buddhists the chance to listen deeply. They will hear how other traditions confront extremism and violence in their ranks. Buddhists can learn how faith leaders address technological transformations such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and surveillance. And all present can see directly the creative ways that Buddhists and others link tradition with social justice and ecological concern.
Such listening is not passive. It shapes how Buddhists can then return to their communities with renewed perspectives. Just as monks in the Buddha’s time returned from distant travels to share what they had learned, today’s Buddhist representatives can help local sanghas understand global challenges in a more interconnected way.
And what can Buddhists take back to their communities from Astana? Buddhists might in turn bring home three key aspirations. First, a stronger solidarity across religions. Far from weakening Buddhist identity, recognizing shared values such as compassion, truthfulness, and generosity can strengthen our confidence that the Dharma participates in a global moral fabric.
Next, Buddhists can bring home a renewed urgency about climate and peace. Central Asia has long been at the crossroads of civilizations, trade routes, and ecological challenges. To speak about melting glaciers, dwindling rivers, and regional conflicts there is to situate Buddhism in the heart of today’s crises.
Lastly, Buddhists might return with a reminder of humility. For all the importance of high-level meetings, no dialogue is complete without action. Buddhists should come away not only with lofty statements but also with a determination to practice kindness in families, communities, and monasteries.
If Astana represents dialogue across traditions, Bhutan’s Global Peace Prayer Festival 2025 in November will symbolize the wellspring of practice within tradition. The, festival, scheduled for 4–17 November, will feature sacred rituals, a non-sectarian global peace prayer, public blessings, and the Kalachakra empowerment.
Where Astana emphasizes conversation, Bhutan emphasizes collective spiritual aspiration. The setting is not one of international negotiation but of Himalayan devotion, grounded in Bhutan’s unique ethos of Gross National Happiness. Yet the two events are not opposites. They are complementary: one outward, one inward; one discursive, one ritual; one focused on human speech, the other on sacred sound.
For Buddhists, attending or even following from afar, the Bhutan festival is an opportunity to root interfaith ideals in actual practice. To pray together across sanghas and to join in empowerment is to remember that peace is not merely negotiated—it is cultivated in the heart.
The Congress in Astana and the Festival in Bhutan are not isolated events. They represent a growing global recognition that religion still matters in shaping the future. For Buddhists, the question is not whether to participate, but how.
We must bring to dialogue the treasures of the Dharma: mindfulness, compassion, interdependence, and a vision of liberation that refuses to see any being as expendable. We must also come with ears open, willing to learn how other traditions are grappling with the same crises we face. And we must leave determined to weave insights from both Astana and Bhutan into the fabric of daily practice.
The hope is not only for grand declarations or media spectacles, but for a genuine turning of the human heart toward peace. If Buddhists can contribute even a small measure of that turning, then our presence at these gatherings will have been worthwhile.
As the Buddha once said, “Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is an eternal law.” (The Dhammapada) The Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan and the Global Peace Prayer Festival in Bhutan both remind us of this truth. Let us carry it forward into dialogue, into ritual, and into the everyday work of making peace real. We hope you will join us in our part in that journey and offer your feedback and insights along the way.
* The Door to Digital Dharma: The Age of AI meets Ancient Wisdom at BDG’s 30th Anniversary Symposium (BDG)
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Religious leaders convene in Kazakhstan amid global conflicts
International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue
Buddhistdoor Global (YouTube)
Global Peace Prayer Festival 2025
The Dhammapada (Buddhanet)
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