Wednesday, 10/09/2024
Retreat for Students
Students one-day practice
Update: 23/07/2018
In the morning, after breakfast, all gathered at the lecture hall for chanting the “Repentance on the Six sense-organs Sutra” together with the monks. Then, a Dharma Talk shared by Ven. Thich Nu Hang Lien, who received Ph.D. of Buddhist Philosophy in India, a lecturer of Vietnam Buddhist University in HCMC, and the Abbot of Hong Trung Son temple, Dong Nai. She had a talk on the title of “Awaken Heart”.
Trinh Cong Son, a Vietnamese musician said: “We all need a heart in life”. It means our lives pass so fast, and therefore a meaningful life is what we left for the life after death, much or less leaving depends on how big our hearts.
We all born with an innocent mind but growing up with a mess of defilement. Life changes all people, makes them can’t be innocent as before. In general, it changes our mind become more dirty and ugly.
Many people think going to the temple is for the old man, not the young man. This is a wrong concept about what is practice in Buddhism. Buddhist practice is simple to correct from wrong to right in our bodies, speech, and mind. The youth is the nicest period of life. When we are young we have a full alert-mind and strongbody. In this period everything we learn is fast and long remember, everything we do give the good result. Just like a tree, if we want to get many healthy fruits, a suitable caring program should be applied when it’s still young. If we wait until it’s getting old, all the leaves leaving, it’s too late to get the quality fruits.
This is why the young people have to engage to cultivate one’s morality and sow the good deeds in mind by listening Dharma and taking it into daily practice. This helps to clear out our defilement day by day and nourish an awakened heart. An alert heart knows how to do give. The giving in Buddhism is not only about the material part but also including the mind. Life is not perfect, so we shouldn’t ask a perfect mind from others. We have compassion and tolerance to others mistakes, we are giving. Take time to look inside ourselves and change what is not good, we will have a happy life in the present and future.
One-hour sharing all students really feel the power of awakening heart and hope they will make it larger for a happy life in the future.
In the afternoon, they all join the sitting meditation and take part in some game show.
Finished the practice day, everyone gets a small dharma gift from the Venerable abbot, it’s the book name “Great Compassion”.
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