Preaching dharma at Bang Pagoda, Hanoi

At the beginning of rite, the mass gathered at the ceremony place to welcome Most Ven Abbot Thich Bao Nghiem, Vice Chairman of Executive Committee cum Head of preaching Division of Central of VietNam Buddhist Sangha/ VBS, Head of Organizers, Senior Ven Thich Chan Tinh, Vice of preaching Division of Central of VBS, Abbot of Hoang Phap Pagoda (HCMC).

The Most Ven talked about the 10-year journey of celebrating the Buddha's enlightenment at Bang Pagoda. To have these successes, it is necessary to mention the help of Senior Ven Thich Chan Tinh and monks of Hoang Phap pagoda. Now, it's been 10 years of close relationship between Bang Pagoda and Hoang Phap Pagoda. To commemorate this great event, the Most Ven invited Senior Ven to demonstrate the flower-candle light night and have a dharma talk to the participants. Especially this year, Bang pagoda and Hoang Phap pagoda have combined to edit a picture book entitled "Ten year journey of the flower-candle light night" to dedicate for all Buddhists.

In the glad spirit, Senior Ven Thich Chan Tinh gave a lecture about the significance of Shakyamuni Buddha enlightenment, as well as encouragement of diligent efforts to study for all Buddhists. 

In history, the Buddha came from the emperor's family, whose father was King Suddhodana, his mother was Queen Māyā, and was born with 32 good appearances. In the Sutra of Digha Nikaya, the Buddha taught one has 32 good shapes in life, if living a normal life, he will become the Holy King in the Kings or if leaving home, he will become the Arahant of deliverance. In order to have 32 good shapes, he practiced throughout four Asankhya (innumerable eons) and one hundred thousand mahakalpa (a mahakalpa as 1,334,000,000 years), full of ten paramita. The Buddha taught that the human body is impermanent, transient of earth - water - wind - fire combined, when dead, it returns to dust; But man due to ignorance should not realize this truth, keep deluding and then fall into three evil ways: hell, hungry ghost, animal. Prince Siddhartha is different. Because of realizing that truth, he decided to give up the golden palace, a beautiful wife and a wise son, passed the citadel to become a mendicant, and live an ascetic life.

The monk reviewed the process of Prince Siddhartha Dharma attainment, becoming Buddha Shakyamuni. From here, he affirmed that the "he himself became a Buddha; sentient beings will be Buddhas in future". Each of us should diligently practice ourselves, give up three poisons of greed and delusion, keep solid bodhicitta, strive to imitate the Buddha's examples, learn and practice according to the teachings that He taught to transform inside, build a peaceful and happy life for ourselves and people around.

After the lecture of the Master taught, the mass continued to enter the recitation period of the Phap Hoa sutra to pray for national peace, epidemic diseases eliminated.

Images recorded: