Ceremony Taking Refuge In The Triratna I - 2016

On March 20th, 2016 (Lunar February 12th, Monkey year), the 1st ceremony of taking Triratna Refuge in 2016 hold at Hoang Phap pagoda. Nearly 2,000 good men and believing women inside and outside Ho Chi Minh City returned to attend this ceremony.

In life, each person wishes to reach a good and noble place. That is a righteous hope when he/she always desires for his true happiness. Thus, how to step up the good and noble place? Taking Triratna Refuge is the answer. This is an initially important step, marking for a vigorous change step in order to return and rely on the Trinity: Buddha - Dharma - Sangha. Returning and relying on the three Treasures is the shortest way to avoid a vicious circle of deluded life, strive to go forward the light of supreme truth, help us to be perfectible personality becoming a useful person for self, family and society.

 

The ceremony took place during a day at Hoang Phap pagoda.

 

After having breakfast, all good men and women gathered in preaching hall to listen to Junior Venerable Thich Tam Trong who shared the basic doctrines about Taking Triratna Refuge, the meaning of three Refuges and five Precepts, all related concepts such as Repentance, Buddhist name, upasaka, upasika, etc. Besides, the Venerable Master also instructed the necessary majestic for Buddhists when they came to Buddhist temple such as  holding hands, to bowing someone with holding hands, to prostrate, etc.

 

In the evening of the same day, Senior Venerable Thich Chan Tinh, abbot of Hoang Phap pagoda and the monks officially ascended the platform to transmit Three Refuges, Five Precepts in the solemn and purity atmosphere of Bodhi-mandala with the true and reliable receiving from disciples. After the incense rituals of Buddha recitation, the Senior Venerable proceeded the repentant manners, transmitted the Three Refuges and Five Precepts. Also in ceremony, the Senior Venerable had some words to praise the desirous spirit of cultivating and studying from disciples and stimulated the beginners who recently joined the religion.

 

In his reminder, the Senior Venerable emphasized on the spiritual religion of a nation, a country. Because spiritual religion took part in creating the value of spirit and culture; it formed the separate character for that nation or country.To our VietNam, the nation with more than 2,000 years, which had been closely connected with a religion, originated from India, the Buddhism. In this period, a close attachment had quickly brought Buddhism becoming the spiritual religion to Vietnamese nation.

 

Today, it was lucky when we returned to rely on spiritual religion of our ancestors, which was the surpassing blessed conditioning. Because not many people had a sense as to return and rely on it. With particular ideas and basically specific trait about humanism, non-ego, equality, compassion and wisdom would be steps to push up our life’ s coming to the nice and noble place. Therefore, we had to feel lucky when we were buddhists; this was a way to bring back bliss, happiness at present as well as in future.

 

Besides receiving the three Refuges, receiving and retaining the five prohibitive Precepts was also very important. It is essential that we would take the complete personality of a true buddhist. It is the five Precepts - five basic morals that would help us to be perfectible ourselves, making our life come to sublimation. 

 

The ceremony ended in the joy of everybody.

 

On this occasion, the organizing board sent Dharma gifts to buddhists includig: a summary history book about Sakyamuni Buddha, DVDs of Taking Triratna Refuge, Dignified Conduct of a Buddhist and The Gentle Advice.