The Indonesian Buddhist Youth Association and the Indonesian Buddhist Women Association (Wanita Buddhis Indonesia) made history on July 14 when they hosted the “Humanitarian Cultural Exchange Tour 2024: African Kids Show” in Surabaya. The event was part of a tour in which a delegation of African Buddhist children will present cultural performances in four Indonesian cities: Surabaya, Makassar, Bangka and Batam.
The Young Buddhist Association (YBA) is Indonesia’s leading Buddhist youth organization. With deep belief in the Buddha’s teachings of compassion, growth and liberation, the YBA promotes a positive lifestyle among young people to build a society based on wisdom, compassion and gratitude. They establish Buddhist organizations across the country, promote Buddhist dharma learning among young people and provide leadership training.
At Sunday’s performance in Surabaya, the children attracted a crowd of nearly 2,000 people who were amazed by the diverse performances by children from the South African kingdom of Eswatini.
YBA President Limanyono Thant explained that the event was especially special as it was organised in collaboration with the Amitfo Care Centre Foundation and Indonesian Buddhist Women, and was also attended by Amitfo Care Centre founder Ven Li Hui, who has been spreading Buddhist teachings on the African continent for 20 years.
“We feel that the visit of the African children is not just an exchange of arts and culture, but an injection of enthusiasm and inspiration, because we have a group of children who have been able to happily fill their childhood with Buddhism, even in the midst of difficult lives in Africa,” Limanyono said. “As young Buddhists in Indonesia, and especially in the city of Surabaya, we see this as a source of motivation to inherit their perseverance, spirit and fighting spirit in learning Buddhism.”
Despite the abundance of facilities and opportunities in Indonesia, there are still many who do not choose to seriously study Buddhism to find happiness, Limanyono explained, noting that these young children from Africa can all read and recite Buddhist scriptures in Chinese, something that is very rare among young Buddhists in Indonesia.
“So what matters most is whether we can imbibe the spirit and fighting spirit from our African brothers and sisters to become a lotus flower blooming gracefully in the middle of a muddy pond,” he stressed.
Limanyono also expressed his appreciation for the presence of Ven Li Hui, founder of the Amitofo Care Center, who raised these children to be ambassadors and missionaries of the Dharma who would be easily accepted by the local community. He expressed hope that Ven Li Hui’s work would inspire Indonesian Buddhists to establish Amitofo Care Centers in remote areas of Indonesia to alleviate poverty and improve access to education.
“I am confident and optimistic that Buddhism will develop rapidly if it is supported by the formal education sector, where it can become the foundation of students’ morals and mindset from an early age,” Limanyono added. “I believe this is a major challenge that we need to tackle together in Indonesia, especially in big cities like Surabaya.”
Meanwhile, Indonesian Buddhist Women’s Association Chairperson Lucy Salim said the cultural exchange was special and unexpected, and praised the Indonesian Buddhist Association for its role in organizing the event. “I hope we can continue to work together, be successful, and do the best for our community,” Salim said.
Jaswati, Chairperson of the Indonesian Buddhist Women of East Java Province, agreed, expressing her gratitude for the opportunity and praising the greatness of the members of the Indonesian Buddhist Women Union. She said, “I hope that my children in the Indonesian Buddhist Women Union and the Indonesian Buddhist Women Union will continue to unite and organize even more wonderful events.”
Indonesia is officially a secular state, but is home to diverse communities and religious and spiritual traditions. Islam is the most widespread religion, practiced by 87% of the population, according to national data for 2022. Christian traditions together account for 10.5%, Hinduism 1.7%, and Confucianism, folk and other traditions together account for 0.07%.
Buddhism, practiced by 0.73% of the population, or approximately 2 million people, is the second oldest spiritual tradition in Indonesia after Hinduism. Historical records show that Buddhism first flourished in the Indonesian archipelago around the 6th century, after which several powerful Buddhist empires rose and fell, including the Sailendra dynasty (8th-9th centuries), Srivijaya (7th-12th centuries), and Mataram (8th-11th centuries). Today, the majority of Indonesian Buddhists belong to the Mahayana sect, although there are also communities of Theravada and Vajrayana followers.
see next
Indonesian Buddhist Youth Association
Indonesian Young Buddhist Association (YBA) (Instagram)
Indonesian Buddhist Youth Association (Facebook)
Wanita Buddhi Indonesia (Instagram)
Amitofoh Care Center International
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