Dharma Talk at Bo De Meditation Hall in Honolulu, Hawaii, US

In the morning of Oct 28, 2016, the Venerable Thich Chan Tinh visited some beautiful sites as the beach, the Japanese cemetery and American military cemetery in Honolulu, Hawaii, US.

In the evening, he had a Dharma talk at Bo De meditation hall regarding the Buddha’s life and extracted lessons for everyone to follow. Besides, the Venerable also stressed that the merit is made by us and our efforts instead of God or praying. Those who have accumulated enough merits will enjoy peace and happiness in life with least of challenges, loss, misery and lots of good lucks and supporters regardless how much they pray. From that point of view, the Venerable shared that Prince Siddhartha becomes Buddha because he has practiced and accumulated merits and wisdom for immeasurable kalpas. We are the rookie Buddhists, with little merit and lots of accumulated bad deeds, nevertheless, we are lucky enough to have good conditions and opportunity in life as having sound health, fit body, happiness in mind, good and virtuous friends/teachers, meeting with Dharma, knowing the Path to the Enlightenment which is the far end of ignorance. Hence in our daily life, we should practice the mindfulness in our speech, thoughts and actions while walking, standing, sitting, lying on the bed… We should also cultivate the Four Immeasurable Mind (Catvāryapramāṇāni) with loving kindness, compassion, bliss, and equanimity to cease the inner tri-poisons (i.e. craving, aversion and delusion), abide in Triratna, follow Buddha’s teaching to bring happiness to others and ourselves both in this life and the after-lives.

Ending the session, the Venerable presented the audience the Dharma gift, DVD film:” Searching for the Enlightenment” published by Hoang Phap pagoda.

Following are the recorded photographs: