Sunday, 12/08/2024
Summer Retreat
Receiving precepts and taking refuges -Summer Retreat 2014
Update: 20/06/2014
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In the morning, Junior Ven. Thich Tam Tien, the monk at\r\nHoang Phap pagoda had a dharma talk and shared his practical experiences in\r\nbuilding and maintaining the good friendship by the lecture “Companionâ€.
\r\n\r\nQuy Son Patriarch said, “Although our mother had borne\r\nus, it is close friends who affect usâ€. Contacting good friends enables\r\nus to enjoy good words, learn good things, and derive unknown\r\nbenefits. So in Sigalodava Sutra, the Buddha taught 4 ways in making\r\n friends:
\r\n\r\nThe friend who is all take,
\r\n\r\n_The friend of empty words;
\r\n\r\n_The friend full of flattery;
\r\n\r\n_And the reckless friend These four are not friends, but\r\nenemies.
\r\n\r\nBesides, friendship will be sustained only when we have open\r\nheart, a heart of great compassion, tendency towards listening,\r\nforgiveness, tolerance and unselfishness.
\r\n\r\nIn order to meet the young cultivators' demand in\r\nseeking Dharmadhatu on the journey to enlightenment, in the afternoon, the Sen.\r\nVen. and the monks at Hoang Phap pagoda handed out three refuges and five precepts\r\nto the young practitioners in the Hall.
\r\n\r\nAfter the ritual of incense offering to Buddha, the\r\nSen. Ven. explained the meaning of the three refuges. He emphasized that\r\nBuddhism is a national religion; it is also a traditional beauty of Vietnamese culture. \r\nAll the youngsters, who are Vietnamese citizens, should be proud of and\r\nresponsible for preserving this cultural beauty. Moreover, for any reason, they\r\nshould not mislay their ideals or forget their national origin which was\r\n established with efforts for ages by their ancestors.
\r\n\r\nAfter that, the Venerable and the monks shared five\r\nprecepts – five basic moral principles to improve human personalities\r\nwith the youngsters
\r\n\r\nNext, all the youngsters simultaneously put their\r\nhands together and bowed in respect to take the three refuges and\r\nreceive the five precepts after the Senior Ven. and Junior Ven.'s\r\nteachings Finally, The Sen. Venerable reminded all of them, who are\r\nBuddhists, to follow the example of the Buddha to become a \r\ntrue Buddhist.
\r\n\r\nThe ceremony ended successfully and the\r\nwhole ceremony participants left in happiness.
\r\n\r\nBelow are recorded images: \r\n\r\n
Local Monks hold the ceremony of Triratna refuge to the\r\nyoung.
Translated by Bui Thi Bich Huyen.