Celebrating the Retreat on The Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva"s Birthday in Hoa Phuc Pagoda

Avalokitesvara is a Bodhisattva with His great faculties and virtues, brilliant wisdom. He brought the spirit of compassion in Buddhism to the saha world for saving sentient beings from sufferings. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva always has responsive manifestation to rescue living beings to be free from all paintful things in the world, as a compassionate mother who opens wide her arms and protects her children. In order to longingly think the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva"s Birthday, the 19th of the second month Lunar calendar, there are many cultivated activities organized in the second month Lunar calendar at Hoa Phuc pagoda (Hoa Thach Commune, Quoc Oai District, Hanoi City) to celebrate the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva"s Birthday.

Besides annual activities such as reciting the Avalokitesvara Sutra, prostrating five hundred bows to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's name in alternation; on Lunar Feb. 18th Rooster Year (March 15th, 2017) the retreat of "A peaceful day and prostration to five hundred Buddha's names" solemnly organized in Hoa Phuc pagoda in order to create favorable conditions for more than 1,300 buddhists who have opportunity to practice Buddha Teachings, to reminist and be grateful to His great vows.

At the retreat, the mass was reverently welcomed the calm footsteps of Senior Venerable Thich Giac Nguyen, to be concurrently the Deputy director of monks and Deputy chief of the propagating board of Vietnamese Buddhist Association in Tien Giang Province, chief of the Buddhist managing board in Go Cong District's capital Tien Giang Province, the abbot in Hue Quang pagoda, the instructor of bodhimandala in Hoa Phuc pagoda, has come and shared to Buddhists the sermon on the topic "How to have a peaceful life".

After more than an hour listening to his precious words, the mass deeply understood if they wanted to have a peaceful life and keep right mindfulness and make three karmas of our bodies - speeches - mind into purity at the moment in present in order to have a pleased mind for acceptance and transforming bad karmas created in the past. Buddhists must have clear awareness, know to learn and practice Buddha Teachings for giving up greed - anger - ignorance, and renunciaton of these sufferings. Buddhists have absolutely to kept five commandments, know to cultivate and to grow up our bodies and mind, relying on the Dharma's power for having a peaceful life.

In order to have much more achievement of merits in the Avalokitesvara's Birthday, under the guidance of Senior Venerable Thich Giac Nguyen, Junior Venerable Thich Tam Hoa and venerable monks of Hoa Phuc pagoda, the assembly of buddhists who had blessings to take part in the period of "prostration to five hundred Buddha's names" meant prostrating five hundred bows to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's name for longing thinking and being grateful His great vows. Nearly 1,300 buddhists gathered round the lecture hall, did respectful homage in Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and invoked His name with a loud voice. A pure blue color present all over bodhimandala together with Avalokitesvara virtuous mother's name contributed to embroider the beauty for a serene pagoda in the middle of poor and remote countryside but full of religious joy. All buddhists in bodhimandala of Hoa Phuc pagoda respectfully led to the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's Birthday

Below are some recorded pictures: