"Lotus in Pure Land" painting selected as gift at U.N. Day of Vesak 2025

Artist Kim Duc (right) and the “Lotus in Pure Land” painting

In Buddhism, lotus flower is the ultimate spiritual symbol representing Buddhist virtues of purity, nobility, clarity, and wisdom. Through the 2025 U.N. Day of Vesak and the Sacred Sarira Pilgrimage Ceremony, the VBS aimed to honor artistic creation and the spiritual beauty of the eternal lotus, a symbol of humanity’s pursuit of inner values and spiritual cultivation. The message aligned with the theme of Vesak 2025 of “Solidarity and Tolerance for Human Dignity: Buddhist Wisdom for World Peace and Sustainable Development.”

"Lotus in Pure Land" oil painting is a lotus-themed artwork of high artistic merit, deeply emblematic of the compassion and wisdom in Buddhism. It conveys a vivid message of mindfulness and compassion, illustrating the transformation of suffering into peace, like the lotus rising unstained from the mud to bloom in serene purity.

“Lotus in Pure Land” painting is displayed at a ceremony to observe the sarira (sacred relics) of Shakyamuni Buddha in Vietnam.

At Vesak 2025, the painting was presented to President of Sri Lanka Anura Kumara Dissanayaka; Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Buryatia Igor Ivanovich Zuraev (representative of Russian President Vladimir Putin); Minister of Religious Affairs of Azerbaijan Ramin Mamadov; Most Venerable Thich Dien Giac, President of the Chinese Buddhist Association; and numerous other international and local dignitaries.

Song Anh