A series of pictures of the Summer Retreat at Tay Khanh Pagoda – Thai Binh Province in 2015

So with well-prepared luggage, free souls and steps in happy summer days, young people came to Tay Khanh pagoda to attend the four-day retreat. Is four days too short for a human’s life? Yes, it is, though it is short, we can truly realize how important these days are. Those are the keys to open so many ways that lead to love, happiness and wisdom of the true value waiting for us. Opening these doors and each of them have to choose a proper way and walk freely behind the wonderful sight of compassionate and wisdom light. Hopefully they can succeed after four days of the summer retreat.

The first day, they must finish the necessary formalities to join the course and listen to some encouraging words from the monks at the beginning of the ceremony. Second day, they listened to the share of  Ven.Thich Tam Thuan and the monks of Hoang Phap pagoda about the future and the experiences in overcoming the difficulties and challenges of their life. After the preaching, they joined the first round of the “Understanding life of the Buddha” contest.

In the evening of the second day, the monks guided them how to cook “Areca Flower sweet sticky rice” in an extracurricular course. The program attracted all of them because they received so many real lessons of life from it. Then, the monks would reward people who won the most completed products. The trays of sweet sticky rice offering the Buddha represented their faithful minds. The minds with full of appreciation sending to the Buddha for their chances to learn his dharma. Next, here came the second match of the “Tay Khanh Soccer Cup” contest. The match was so exciting among the cheering drum and the cries of the fans and the technical play of the players. In the evening, after Ullumbana sutra, the gratitude ceremony was hold solemnly and emotionally. By this ceremony, they could show their love to their parents. Tears fell on their cheeks. They could not repay their parents for everything that they received from them; so, they just hoped to build some tiny merits and transfer them to their parents in order to wish for them to live peacefully and happily in the teachings of Buddhism.

To the third day, Ven. Thich Dao Quang talked to them a subject entitled “Love”. To them, this title was so interesting . The applauses and the laughters were their endless funs and also the useful experiences for their own futures.

The flowing Ullumbana sutras were continuously recited in the evening under the guide of the monks. Then, the final matches of “Tay Khanh Cup” contest were taken place under the enthusiastic exhortation of the spectators. Finally, Ven. Thich Tam Kinh granted cups to the champion and the second. In the evening of the same day, the second round of the Game show was held. They joined and answered the multiple-choice questions and the best one would enter the final round. Also in this night, the students in the retreat course told about their feeling confidences. Each had a private circumstance but they had the same purpose of learning Buddha’s teaching to better their characteristics and the way to reverse the sufferings in their lives. The music and song performances were interposed and performed by the students in the retreat.

In the morning of the last day of the course, Ven. Thich Tam Kinh and Ven. Thich Tam Tien answered the students’ questions about the retreat and the Buddhism and their cultivation. Next was the final round of the “Understanding the life of the Buddha” contest. After the stressful presentation, the organizer did choose the most excellent student of this course.

In the evening, the assemblies joined the exciting “tug of war” contest. Then, the end of the course was taken place in the emotion of the farewell time. Four days with a lot of memories passed. Four days but as just a moment. Although the time has changed and the space has distanced, there was still the thrill of joy of the small birds and the love their parents and the smiles and the limpid eyes of the children etc. All of them made us filled with love. So, farewell to the sorrows, farewell to the new friends and all the memories will be stored into a zone of fond remembrances so that we can search the youth with full of joy again in the future, wishing to have a ticket to travel back to the childhood. Wishing the summer pass slowly so that we can remember Tay Khanh pagoda where  we had a summer of growth  and  youth,  and a summer of the future with full of love.

On this occasion, the organizers gave each student a present included a book of “Good and Bad Karmas”, a book of “Proper person with proper work” and book of “Unexpected Fortune and Misfortune”.

Below are recorded pictures.

The second day of the course

The first round of the “Understanding life of the Buddha” game show.

Cooking program “Areca Flower sweet sticky rice”

Citing Ullumbana sutras.

Gratitude ceremony.

The third day.

Having meal together.

Playing outdoors.

Tay Khanh Soccer Prize

The second round of “Understanding life of the Buddha” gameshow.

The second round of “Understanding life of the Buddha” gameshow.