On the morning of November 5, 2022, the opening ceremony of the 2022 Buddhist Debate was held at Hangzhou Buddhist Academy. The event was held by the Buddhist Association of China, co-organized by the Buddhist Association of Zhejiang and undertaken by the Chinese Buddhism Sutra Lecture Exchange Center, the Buddhist Association of Hangzhou and Hangzhou Buddhist Academy. Official leaders from municipal governments in Hangzhou as well as provincial governments in Zhejiang were present at the opening ceremony. Other attendees included relevant organizers and sponsors, the 17 debate teams from Chinese Buddhist temples, Buddhist masters and students from Hangzhou Buddhist Academy and representatives of Buddhist believers.
The Deputy Secretary-General of the Buddhist Association of China and the Chairman of the Buddhist Association of Zhejiang Venerable Master Guangquan presiding over the opening ceremony
The Chairman of the Buddhist Association of China Venerable Master Yanjue delivering a speech at the ceremony
The theme of the Buddhist Debate this year is “the practice of Buddhism with Chinese characteristics”. The 17 debate teams from Chinese Buddhist temples will debate on such topics as “What strategy should be adopted in the transmission of Buddhism, popularization or personalization?”, “What should be the focus of education in Buddhist academies, religious beliefs or religious studies?”, “What should be encouraged to Buddhist students, to study extensively or to specialize in a certain field?”, “Which exerts more positive influence in Buddhist practice, prosperity or adversity?” etc. The Debate contains four rounds – preliminary, repechage, semi-final and final, and awards include the First Gold Lotus Prize, the Second Gold Lotus Prize, the Third Gold Lotus Prize, the Best Debater and other prizes both for individuals and teams. The award ceremony will take place on the afternoon of November 8 after the Debate.
