A Retreat Day for Students

On November 27th, 2016 (Lunar October 28th Monkey Year), more than 1,500 students from colleges and universities in Ho Chi Minh City came to Hoang Phap Pagoda to attend the retreat on ‘Students toward Buddha’.

 

In the morning, after having breakfast, the students gathered in the main auditorium to attend a chanting session, “Eight things on compassionate heart” from the monks’ instructions

Subsequently, they listened to Dharama ofabbessThich Nu Gioi Huong, the teacher of Vietnamese Buddhist University in HCMC, whose topic: “The wisdom way of life for the Youth”. More than an hour, she showed the matters concerning with the way of life according to the teachings of Buddha to the young, representing for the intellectuals nowadays.

 

This is a very practical subject for students nowadays. Because after leaving from schools to enter the life, they will have to get into touch with many reversible problems. Without the right way, they could be easily depraved, impacting to their own future as well as the future of generation.

In her Dharma, the abbess showed three questions to explain why we have to form and practice the wisdom way of life according to Buddha.

 

First, the development and integration of the economics as well as the development of the technology science have made the people improve in material life area. However from then, when improving material life, it has brought serious corollary from which the mental life will be seriously affected -sometimes the material is a measure of the spiritial.Therefore, nothing is impossible, and the people can fall to the gulf without realizing. Therefore, practicing the wisdom way of life according to the teachings of Buddha will contribute to diminish these things, the material and mental life of which gets balance, the society will develop more unshakeable

Second, people form the concept of happiness when getting the things that they wish but they do not know that happiness which is only frail, unsettled, shakeable. This wisdom way of life will help us to realize that the really happiness is now and here when we have enough conditions to improve the material and mental life; so we can find the way for us in the present and future, this life and later life.

 

Third, we are blessed to be a son of Buddha. Therefore, it is uppermost to study as our noble Father. This is the way leading to “The truth—The good—The beauty” in life. This is also the only way helping us to escape from Samsara, gaining to ultimate salvation.

 

As the above reasons, this topic was shared in details based on Buddha’s doctrine by the abbess, including doctrine about “Content in few desires”. The British scholar andworldwide famous King Alexander’s stories have showed clearly that happiness is not to get from desires, it gains by content with few desires as Buddha’s teaching.

 

To end my lesson, the abbess emphasized on as a son of Buddha keep on five precepts. This is the Acarin’s greatest happiness. We practice above things mean that we are doing Panna lifestyle as spirit of Buddha to build truly peaceful happiness in life.

 

In the afternoon, the students gathered in the main auditorium to continue the retreat. After seating in meditation together withSamgha, the students were heard about lessons through two-month lecture tour in the US from Thich Chan Tinh running Hoang Phap Pagoda, Head Organized board. This is the valuable lessons in every fields in order that students have the right concept to be aware of their thought and actions. It also improves people’s value, is worth being the Son of Buddha.

The retreat day ended up with everyone’s joys and satisfaction when each attendant received a sutra package including the book “A remainder letter ”, “Two happy lives”, and the DVD “Master’s Gratitude for Protection”, “Love without Making Mistakes, It’s due to …” as a present for this occasion.

On the especially retreat day, in order to create favorable conditions for students from Univesity, Colleges who were attending the practice, the monks organized program “Dharmadutha trip”. This is the practical program supporting stable and fast logistic for students. This time, program is implemented at University Villages, University of Technology and Education in Ho Chi Minh City, University of Engineering and technology, with a total participant of 300 students.

These are the photos noted: