First Repentance Ceremony, Monkey Year

In the evening of February 21st, 2016 (Lunar January 14th Monkey Year), thousands of Buddhists inside and outside HCMC gathered at Hoang Phap pagoda to attend a repentance ceremony at the beginning of the year.

As usual, every month the repentance ceremony is organised at the bodhimandala (a holy site) of Hoằng Pháp pagoda. The purpose of repentance was to make body and mind pure and three karmas (action of body, speech, thought) clear to receive Shakya Muni Buddha’s dharma teachings on the path of enlightenment.

Therefore, it had an important meaning in the process of cultivation. This repentance ceremony was more special than ever before since it was the first one of Monkey Year. Because of that reason, Far many of Buddhists arrived together at pagoda on this year’ repentance ceremony.

This was an occasion for those who went back to their hometown to welcome Tet (They  missed the chance of visiting Hoằng Pháp pagoda at the beginning of the year) for sightseeing and photo taking as souvenirs with small background which  the monks had decorated in the first days of new year.

Before reciting the Buddha’s great name repentance started, Junior Venerable Thích Tâm Đạo-the vice abbot of Hoang Phap pagoda talked the topic: “Thefeeling confidence by new year”

To begin the Dharma preaching, the Junior Venerable and the great assembly review “the purpose of visiting pagoda of every single Buddhist”

This matter seemed to be simple, but it was quite crucial and necessary. We often went to pagoda to worship the Buddha, yet sometimes we forgot our purpose of visiting it for unsound customs and superstition, etc to get the suffering and annoyance. 

Thus, reviewing opinion about coming to pagoda would help us much on the path of spiritual growth.

Besides, being Buddhists cultivating the Buddha Dharma, we must believe profoundly in the law of causality. Whether our cultivation could gain achievement, it was decided vastly by the way we sow. As you sow, so shall you reap. In the process of causality, there was also another important factor that needed to be mentioned; it was circumstance. This circumstance would decide what we reap.

We sow good cause, but it was badly developed  in the journey of circumstance. In other words, if we sow bad circumstance, we would reap bad consequence.

It could be inferred that the influence of circumstance in the process of causality was great.

Hence, we, Buddhists, must obviously know  this issue to grow good causes and circumstances and avoid creating condition for the growth of bad circumstances. If we could do that, we would have good results like what we wanted.

With meaningful stories, the Junior Venerable showed Buddhists the benefit of cultivation such as creating good causes and circumstances will have peace and happiness in the present and future. This was what we needed to aim for in the practise of this coming year.

After the speech, the great assembly bowed Great Buddha Name and recite Dharma rules of lay people.

Here are some photos taken as below: