Repentance Celebration on Lunar June 13th (Goat Year)

On the afternoon of August 13th, 2015 (Lunar June 29th, Goat Year), all of Buddhists in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring province returned at Hoang Phap pagoda to join the repentance celebration.

 

Retreat is the time for the monks focusing on promoting, cultivating body and  mind with morality and virtue. This tradition has been lasting since the Buddha was alive.

 

In acient India, floods occurred during rainy days. Therefore, Buddha required the detention retreat to express compassion which creates the alms monks to avoid trampling living beings  and this also ensured the safety for the monks during pratice.

 

After three months of retreat, the monks held Ceremony of Completing Summer Retreat called Tu tu. This was the occasion for the monks looked back the 3 month-practice of retreating, which repented their mistakes and appealed to point out the shortcomings. After Tu tu day, the monks added one age. It is the meaning of the summer retreat.

 

Vu Lan means “Giai Dao Huyen”, liberating the suffering and the pain of creatures who are being punished in the hell. Vu Lan stemed from filial story of Moggallana, who wants to save his mother from suffering due to the power of the monks after the summer retreat.

 

 Hoang Phap pagoda applies the retreatment spirit which taught by the Buddha. The monks paused unnecessary things to study with courses at the pagoda. In addition, Hoang Phap pagoda also organized for Buddhists came to practice with the monks during retreat season. This was the valuable time for every disciple who can rely on the power of the monks to cultivate the merit.

 

After the talk, the mass entered the cultivate schedule as usual.

 

Here are some images recorded: