On the occasion of Buddha Purnima, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday thanked the frontline workers who are putting their lives on the line in the fight against COVID-19 and drew a similarity between their contribution and Lord Buddha's teachings.
"Buddha is the ultimate limit of sacrifice and devotion. Buddha is the synonym of service and dedication. Buddha is the pinnacle of social change through strong willpower. Buddha is the one who burns and exhausts himself by sacrificing self, committed to spreading happiness around the world," Modi said in his address.
"It is the good fortune of all of us that we are witnessing several such people around us who are working round the clock to serve others, to nurse the sick, to feed the hungry, to clean a hospital, to maintain law and order on roads. Within India and outside of it, every such person is worthy of praise, worthy of salute," he added.
The Prime Minister had earlier in the speech praised the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) for dedicating the Buddha Purnima festival to the frontline workers around the globe, who are engaged in tackling the COVID-19 crisis.
"You have resolved to observe this festival as prayers week, dedicating it to health workers, and other people fighting COVID-19 pandemic, around the world. I appreciate you for this compassionate initiative. I am sure that we will be able to bring humty out of this tough challenge and reduce the problems of people, with such coordinated efforts," Modi said.
On the occasion of Buddha Purnima, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended greetings to the nation and the followers of Lord Buddha around the world.
( With inputs from ANI )