Wednesday, 10/09/2024
Dharma Light
61st Buddhism Dharma Light Program
Update: 22/01/2018
Based on the invitation from organizer, Venerable Thich Phap Dang - Member of the Executive Management Board of Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation in Dong Nai province, Head of Executive Management Board of Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation in Thong Nhat district, conducted the program and its Q&A session.
Issue 1:
I have lived with my husband for 26 years and had two children in the age of 22 and 18. My husband and I are completely different in aspects as spirituality, behavior, money management, parenting, and the way of living. I have thought of divorce several times but I know he does not agree. My family has had to stand this situation for 26 years!!!
Now I just want to be alone to have peace and calm in mind without having to suffer daily conflicts and sufferings. If I try my best with whatever price, I will be able to get the divorce after all. I wonder if such decision and strong action create any bad karma? Current happiness/misery is the result of my past karma, I know. I do not want to sow more bad deeds abandoning my husband while he still wants to preserve this marriage. His situation would be really bad after the break-up (if any) because I have got advantage in degree, economic and children’s love comparing to him. Kids would like to live with me.
Please give me your advice.
Issue 2:
Based on the online news in Nov 2014 about Gadhimai (goddess of power) festival in Nepal, that involved the large scale sacrificial slaughter of nearly 6000 water buffaloes and hundreds of thousands of other animals such as chickens, , pigeon ... This is really a very cruel event! At the end of April 2015, there was a huge and unprecedented earthquake, that has never been that strong in the past 80 years in Nepal, making more than 1,900 deaths, many more injuries and heavy property losses. My question is: if this is the bad karma of the large- scale slaughtering in Gadhimai festival of Nepali?
Back to Viet Nam, nowadays, in lunar new year, every house, every company celebrate year-end party, in which people kill a lot of beings as pigs, chickens, ducks for food. Totally, this amount is so huge that we have to think back. The cause and effect rule is always right. Is this slaughtering for food to welcome new year right and beneficial for our happiness in life? Please give me your advice so that everyone, including Buddhists, non-Buddhists and all sentient beings, can avoid the slaughtering karma and be happy.
Issue 3:
In Buddhism Dhamma, there are terms as "cause and effect rule" or "karma". What are they and their difference? Please explain so that we can have the right understanding.
Closing the program, Senior Venerable Thich Chan Tinh, Abbot of Hoang Phap Pagoda, Program Director, summarized and gave general comments on issues.
Following are recorded photographs:
BBT Website