▶ Vesak Day (B.E. 2567) was celebrated around the world to honor the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha and reflect on his teaching. The United Nations officially adopted Vesak Day in 1992 at the 54th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which is commemorated annually on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month as the internationally recognized day of Buddha's birth.

- Vesak Day celebration at Columbia University (April 29)

The Buddhist Council of New York and the Columbia University Buddhist Association (CUBA) held a Vesak Day celebration at Columbia University on April 29. The event was attended by New York-based Korean Buddhist monastics, including Ven. Dosin, the abbot of Jeongmyeong-sa Temple, Ven. Gou, the abbot of Daegwaneum-sa Temple, Ven. Seonmun, the abbot of Bulkwang Zen Center, Ven. Seonmyeong, the vice-abbot of Wonkak-sa Temple, and Ven. Seoklim, the vice-abbot of Wonjeong-sa Temple, as well as the monks from other Buddhist countries.

- White House hosts its third-ever Vesak ceremony (May 5)

The White House held a Vesak Day event on May 5, with this year’s ceremonymarking its third annual Vesak celebration. The ceremony was attended by three monks from the Mahayana, three Theravada, and two Vajrayana traditions, including Ven. Seongak, the chair of the American Bhikkuni Sangha and abbot of Buddhanara Temple in Georgia. Other guests included Second Gentleman Douglas Craig Emhoff, Wangmo Dixey, the president of the International Buddhist Association of America (IBAA), and the ambassadors from Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, and Mongolia.

The White House shared a statement from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on this Buddhist holiday: “We send our best wishes to Buddhists around the world as they commemorate Vesak…. The occasion provides the chance for us all to renew our commitment to universal values such as compassion, tolerance, and human dignity.”Other dignitaries also offered their congratulations and reflected on the Buddha's teachings to end war and suffering and bring hope to humanity.

-The US Eastern Chapter participates in the United Nations Day of Vesak

The US Eastern Chapter of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism participated in the United Nations International Day of Vesak 2023 celebrated on May 18th at the UN Headquarters in Manhattan. The UN organized the event to honor Vesak Day by inviting ambassadors and monastics from various countries. Ven. Jigwang, the president of the US Eastern Chapter of the Special Overseas District, Ven. Sunmyeong of Wonkak-sa Temple, Ven. Ilman of Bori-sa Temple in New Jersey, Ven. Ingung of Jogye-sa Temple in New York, Ven. Gou of Daegwaneum-sa Temple in New York and Ven. Seoklim of Wonjeong-sa Temple in New Jersey attended the event to represent Korean Buddhism.