Dharma Protection Group Pick up Buds at Beginning Year.

On Sunday March 1st 2015 (January 11th Goat Year), more than 200 members of Dharma protection group came to Hoang Phap pagoda to listen and attend the program “Picking up buds at the beginning of the spring" on the occasion of the new year.

Accepting the invitation of the Dharma\r\nProtection Group’s Board, Senior Ven. Thich Chan Tinh, abbot of Hoang Phap\r\npagoda officially visited and encouraged the cultivation of\r\nyouths. The Ven. praised the spirit and operation of all\r\nmembers. Although they have to learn and work, they are still\r\naware of coming to the pagoda to cultivate and help\r\nVenerable in the Dharma work, which is a noble act and brings blessings.\r\nThe Venerable hoped they continue to improve that sense in\r\nthe New Year

 Besides encouraging them to cultivate,\r\nduring the Dharma talk, the Sen. also reminded them\r\nwhat they should avoid and what they should do to get\r\nhappiness.

 According to press reports, during Spring Goat Year,\r\nthere were 6200 fighting cases resulting in death and injury. There are three\r\nmain causes of the conflicts:

  Today there are many teenagers who live\r\nimmorally, and just a slight collision, a word or an unpleasant\r\naction would immediately lead to a fight. Therefore, the youths need to\r\nknow how to keep calm, control themselves when they get\r\nangry and have patience in confront with unexpected situations.

 There are many fights due to alcohol as the main\r\ncause. Alcohol makes families broke, brothers separate and friends hate each\r\nother. When people get drunk, they will lose moral, the mind becomes weak and\r\nbrain is no longer wise. Alcohol is one of the five prohibited precepts of\r\nBuddhism so the youths need to be aware of the harmful effects of alcohol and\r\nstay away from it.

 Due to misconceptions in picking up buds at the\r\nbeginning of spring, people scrambled and led to fight against each\r\nother because of "buds" in temples, shrines, palaces... It is\r\nconsidered as a lack of intelligence. The Buddhists need to understand causes\r\nand effects, do goods will, have good retribution and doing evils will have\r\nbad one. There is no God who gives blessings and punishes anyone. The\r\nforms such as begging oracles, having one’s fortune told, worshipping the\r\nstars... are superstition. Begging "buds" in the pagodas just means a\r\ngood blessing or lucky wish for New Year's First Day. The Buddhists should not\r\nbelieve in baseless and unscientific things. We should have the right\r\nmind against the suspensions or myths.

 After the talk, the Venerable gave lucky\r\nenvelopes, “Protection of Beings” DVDs, “Whose Responsibility is it?”\r\nVCDs and books “Still Having Happiness”.

Next, the Dharma Protection Group together participated in\r\nthe program "Picking up buds at the beginning of the spring"\r\nwith Dharma questions and Dharma interesting presents. The program\r\nended in the joy of everyone.

 Here are some images recorded: