Repentance ceremony on June 29th, Year of the Dragon

On August 03rd, 2024 (June 29th, Year of the Dragon), good men and believing women inside and outside HCMC returned to Hoang Phap pagoda to attend a periodical penitential ritual.

Junior Ngo Tri Dung, Monks of Giac Ngo pagod in District 10, HCMC had a dharma talk named “Cultivation is the karma changing” to Buddhists before the rite.

Thought actions are these that are intentionally controlled by the mind which is called Karma. The Buddha taught in the Dhammapada “Mind precedes all knowables, mind's their chief, mind-made are they…”. In reality, there are cases where it is not intentional but actions and words cause suffering to others, then that action also creates karma. So, we should be mindful, control and master our body, speech, and mind to keep us pure, avoid creating unwholesome karma, causing suffering to ourselves and others.

Let's control ourselves. When doing good deeds, do not depend on the attitudes of others. Turn back to ourselves, reflect on ourselves from within our consciousness to see our mistakes and correct them. The Buddha taught in daily life, each person should regularly reflect on three karmas of body, speech, and mind. Before doing something, while doing something, and after doing something ... let's consider whether these karmas of body, speech, and mind will harm ourselves? Will they harm others? Will they harm both? If so, then give up doing it; On the contrary, if it will benefit us, others, or both, then we should do our best to do it.

After the Dharma talk, the mass entered the penitential ritual as usual.

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