Thoughts about the pilgrimage to make offerings to ten pagodas at the beginning of the year

At the beginning of the year, most pagodas and charity clubs in the city organize pilgrimage trips to the monasteries. This is an opportunity for Buddhists or those one who love Buddhism to be close to the Three Jewels as well as to plant a good deed to start a new year and reap many achievements based on morality and spirituality.

Spring is an opportunity for people to bon, through visiting, gesturing of connection, as well as establishing increasingly strong social relationships. According to the opinion of most people, bad things of the old year should be released and look forward to a good future.

Spring is also an opportunity to return to the roots of ancestors, grandparents, parents, such as decorating the house, preparing the altar, and weeding the grave in early spring. Besides, everyone also gives good wishes to each other. There are only three spring days but we can do so many meaningful things, indeed Tet is the most peaceful time for everyone.

Buddhists, in addition to being responsible for his family and society, also have a need for spiritual advancement through visiting monasteries and paying respects to the religious clergy, which has become a cultural and spiritual beauty that more and more monasteries and Buddhists practice today.

Likewise, most of the people who take part in pilgrimages, whether long or short, have a deep feeling and understand the full meaning of that work. Praying for health and peace is a legitimate need of every person. Starting the year with a good deed is the way that most people choose.  Praying for Spiritual Works to Accomplish Soon.

In January, many pagodas and organizations have chosen and planned pilgrimages to monasteries to worship Buddha at the beginning of the year. Hoang Phap Pagoda is more thoughtful, and has sent people to scout for the monasteries that are under construction or many pagodas that are raising children and lonely old people to do meaningfully good deeds at the beginning of the year.

 As a person organizing pilgrimages for Buddhists in pagodas for many years, Junior Ven. Thich Tam Hue - Head of Charity Department of Hoang Phap Pagoda, Hoc Mon district said, "In the city, most of the monasteries have their own conditions, only in the provinces where their people still have difficulties, the construction of a pagoda or a Buddhist meditation hall usually takes a long time to complete."

Almost every year Junior Ven. Thich Tam Hue also organizes for Buddhists to come to promote pagodas to contribute a little merit for restoration and construction. A pagoda that he came to a few years ago has only achieved a little at present. Therefore, he also wishes to guide Buddhists to these places to worship the Buddha, as well as to sow a good mind in the monasteries that are built but still have difficulty on the first day of the year. Those things will help the spiritual pagodas be accomplished soon.

Therefore, the plan for the lunar year of the Tiger, Junior Ven. Thich Tam Hue will guide the pilgrimage delegation of Hoang Phap Pagoda with about 130 Buddhists to visit the pagoda in Hoc Mon, Dong Nai province.

The first place is Hoang Phap Pagoda, Abbot Thich Chan Tinh, in Hoc Mon - City. HCM.

Junior Ven. Thich Tam Hue, along with his monks and 130 Buddhists, made offerings and celebrated the abbot's birthday. We listened to His preaching. The Venerable Master praised the spirit of gratitude of the Buddhists, and on this occasion, he also had a few words to the monks and the Buddhists. In the new year, you should renew yourself, cleanse your body and mind, practice diligently, correct the three pure karmas, try to do many good deeds to have a peaceful and happy life, and cherish the moments around you.

We were deeply touched and vowed to follow His instructions.

Then the group moved to:

Hue Vien Pagoda - Board of Directors, Venerable Thich Phap Dang Abbot, in Thong Nhat - Dong Nai province.

Nhat Phap Pagoda, Junior Ven. Thich Tam Trong abbot, in Thong Nhat - Dong Nai province

An Lac Pagoda – Executive Board, Junior Ven. Thich Quang Ly Abbot, in Cam My - Dong Nai province. Bao Quang Pagoda, Junior  Abbot Thich Tam Luan, in Cam My - Dong Nai.

At each pagoda, Junior Ven. Thich Tam Hue introduced a couple of features and explained the meaning of the name of each pagoda. From those meanings, the Venerable Head of the delegation conveyed noble humanistic meanings, positive lifestyles, and methods to transform body and mind to help everyone take it as a luggage for a full year of peace, happiness.

First of all, the group worshipped the Buddha, made offerings to the Three Jewels, then visited to pray and make offerings for the Buddha works here to be quickly accomplished, meeting the needs of monks, nuns and Buddhists to study and practice. as well as serving the spiritual needs of people in Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province. Going to a pagoda at the beginning of the year is also very valuable, but going on a pilgrimage to ten pagodas will have a fuller meaning.

It will help practitioners be near the teacher and good friends, a beautiful and fresh environment, to live in harmony with understanding and love. While many people in the world are absorbed in the red and black pleasures and whirling sensual pleasures, these practitioners lead each other along the journey of the Buddhas, the journey to the spiritual and cultural source of the nation, towards the truth, the good, and the beautiful. Funny stories in the car, pieces of cake, green tea, gifts for each other are the dear connection materials for the Love Dharma, and are also a source of motivation for the new year.

During the pilgrimage, people will know many new pagodas, and get close to learning more and more things from knowledgeable monks and nuns. Together, we bow to the Buddha, chant, pray and review the Buddha's teachings at the beginning of the year to successfully cultivate and conduct good deeds.

Moreover, it is also the time to plant merit and endless fields of merit which are waiting and the fruit will bloom in each life stage and over many lifetimes. "Eat rice with soup, cultivate with friends", "Go a day to study a wisdom sieve". Each practitioner will learn more things to renew themselves, to make good wishes in the new year.

Spring new life is emerging. The Rhythm of Life and Buddhism operate everywhere in the universe. The “Pilgrimage to ten pagodas” is that movement. Life changes and changes, every day is new, practitioners are swallows weaving the spring sky, bringing the vow of Universal Virtue into life, the aspiration of Sudmaha to pray for the path tirelessly and together, step by step lotus blooms on the journey back to "Hometown".

Junior Thich Tam Hue hopes that, with the blessings of sowing with the 10 pagoda scenes at the beginning of the year, all the monks and Buddhists in the group will have a peaceful new year, body and mind, everything will be fulfilled.

Hoa Đạo

Translated into English by Nguyen Thi Cam Nhung