Drama Guardians Pick Nature Gifts in Initial Year.

Sunday, February 21st, 2016 (Lunar January 14th Monkey year), More than 200 members of The Dharma Guardians came to Hoang Phap pagoda to listen Dharma and participate in choosing gifts in Initial Spring” program on the occasion of New year.

Accepting the Executive board of the Drama Guardians’ invitation, Sen. Ven. Thich Chan Tinh, the abbot of Hoang Phap Pagoda came and encouraged them. Firstly, The Venerable praised the members for their cultivation spirit and works. Although the Dharma guardians must study and work in society, they are aware that coming to pagoda to cultivate and help the monks in Buddhist works is a noble action and bring many blessed rewards. Then, the Senior Venerable cited asignificant poem:

We own the life a debt of gratitude

Promising to dedicate our lives to people

We were born in this life because of predestination and mercy: graces of our parents for bringing us up, graces of our teachers for educating us, graces of master for guiding us to cultivate, graces of nature and living beings. All of these gave us current life. Therefore, our responsibilities are to act something that is able to reciprocate these great mercy.

Today, staying here to listen to dharma, we recognized that we would have the big blessing for being humans, knowing drama, coming to pagoda to cultivate under masters’ guidance, protecting Triratna, which is truly the mighty fortune. For this reason, Buddhists must have high responsibilities, obligations to spread dharma with other monks. That is the practical action to reciprocate Buddha’s graces for all people. Moreover, it’s so significant when we can bring happiness to other people so that we, ourselves, also have happiness, achievement through those actions. The happiest person is the one who brings happiness to most of people, or “open your heart, happiness will come in it”.

 

Besides that, on the occasion of initial Monkey lunar year, through the story about monkey in Samyuktagama sutra and Thais story, the Venerable shares the precious learning for our cultivating. Being children in family, we must know our responsibilities and obligations, not to leave parent’s arms too soon, always to listen to their commandments. So, we will not be depraved, will not fall into the guilty way and will have a bright future. Similarly, the monkeys in the story told by Venerable bring an important value in cultivating. In life, we sometimes release five sense organs like the monkeys to cling to five sense objects after that we incur grievousness, affliction. Clinging itself is the root of grievousness. After understanding, we must control the five sense organs in order not to be grieved, afflicted. Besides, “How many people being lucid know that greed is root of grievousness”, the greed itself leads us drift in misery. Hence, we must understandthis clearly to try to cultivate, get rid of greed to get true happiness in this life.

 

 After the talk, the Venerable gave them envelops of initial-year lucky money, DVDs of â€œPhap luan” , books of â€œUnexected Fortune or Misfortune”.

 

The meeting finished in everybody’s happiness.

 

Below are recorded pictures.