Founder Commemoration Ceremony

 “Respecting teachers and valuing education” and “When drinking water, remember its source” are the beautiful traditional cultural and ethical traits of our people since ancient times. Every year on the 16th day of Lunar October, Hoang Phap Pagoda solemnly holds a memorial ceremony for the late Venerable Ngo Chan Tu (1901-1988) – the founder of Hoang Phap Pagoda. This is a beautiful Buddhist cultural trait, a traditional festival for each person to express their gratitude and deep appreciation to the teacher of the Masters.

  

No matter how far we fly, no matter how far we spread our wings, we will never forget to return to the old pagoda, Hoang Phap, to reminisce about the life of our Master’s teacher, and at the same time we look back at the journey of continuing the sacred mission that our Master (Venerable Thich Chan Tinh - Head of Hoang Phap pagoda) and the monks have continuously devoted themselves and sacrificed to follow his virtuous deeds of benefiting the world, always respectfully preserving the tradition of propagating the Dharma and benefiting living beings, constantly adding the most beautiful red color to the name of Hoang Phap pagoda. It is an honor and pride for the pagoda to name Hoang Phap from his.

Dear Master’s teacher, seeing the Buddhist activities of the pagoda, we think you are very happy because you have a student, our Master, to maintain the lifeblood of Buddhism, making the true Dharma of the Buddhas always remain and shine eternally in life. “Hear deeply, understand thoroughly, and love much”. Take the true Dharma and morality as your refuge, do not depend on anything else. Light your own torch and go. Once you lose your human body, it is difficult to regain it in a thousand lifetimes.”

 

Our Master often says,

“Human life is a life of impermanence

Impermanence is a life of broken human life.”

 

In the vortex of impermanence and death, the human world is filled with torment and anguish, the sorrow of life and death. Life is still beautiful but still full of pain when receiving things that are not as expected. The heart is heavy with loneliness and sadness such as war, hunger, natural disasters, diseases, etc. Where do they come from? Birth and death, then death and birth, human life is full of tears and laughter that everyone has to go through more or less, immersed in the cycle of birth and death forever and ever, how can we be freed from suffering.

 

It has been 34 years since the day the Master's teacher passed away. Our Master has been in the religion for 49 years, and in life for 65 years, wholeheartedly doing his best for the career of cultivating people for the benefit of a hundred years. As long as he is alive, he still has beautiful aspirations, how to make everyone happy, knowing the Buddha Dharma:

 

 Do no evil

Achieve good

Keep your mind pure

This is the teaching of the Buddhas.

(Dhammapada)

 

Our Master often reminds us that in order to survive in this world, we must remember four main favors including the favors of our parents, teachers, country, and donors. In addition, we must also be grateful to many things in the world around us, such as nature, rice grains (compared to pearls because they contain so much effort and love that farmers have "sold their faces to the earth and their backs to the sky" to create), the earth, the sky, etc.

 

All things operate according to the principles of cause and effect and dependent origination. Up to now, Hoang Phap Pagoda - Ho Chi Minh City has had 46 branches. The later generations are the ones imbued with the sweetness of Buddhism, connected with Buddha, close to Buddha, from suffering to happiness, knowing how to come to the pagoda to study and practice, from ignorance to know Buddha Dharma, knowing how to take refuge in the Three Jewels, not forgetting the great holidays of Buddhists such as Buddha's birthday, Ullambana festival, Ancestor's death anniversary, Flower lantern festival to commemorate Amitabha Buddha, .... the silent flow of Mahayana Buddhism is quietly transformed by the Master and monks over time, using all means, bringing benefits to sentient beings.

 

Dear Master’s teacher, 

 

Your golden history of “giving up wealth for poverty, giving up one’s life for the Way” is truly rare and has always inspired the Master and the monks to carry out the mission of the Tathagata’s messenger, creating a great resonance for everyone in Vietnam as well as abroad. In the midst of the turbulent life, laughter still resonates when we have the Master’s teacher, the Master always watches over us to guide and show us the way to the right path.

 

We sincerely and respectfully show gratitude to our Master’s teacher and Masters for giving us a place to study and practice that is complete and spacious as it is today. They are like living Buddhas who have devoted all their souls, bones and flesh to the Dharma and the nation. Their teachings have been passed down forever, so warm and meaningful, as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama said, “The purpose of religion is to spread love, compassion, patience, tolerance, humility and altruism.”

 

Your shining morality and illustrious talents have moved us, made us admire, feel proud, and feel infinitely grateful.... They are always shining examples for us to learn from.

 

Certainly the Master’s teacher is very happy and joyful when the cause of propagating the true Dharma is successfully continued and promoted in a good way. We would thank you - a true monk who has left the world with a strong wish to enlighten humanity.

 

We would appreciate our venerable teacher, we will always remember you.

A life wearing a simple robe, but each fold of the robe is a great vow filled with inner strength, as a monk praised: ...

 

 Precious is the gem hidden behind the cloth.

Joyfully displaying gold before the eyes of ordinary people

How wonderful! How noble! How happy!

 

Hoang Phap, November 7th, 2022

 

Nguyễn Thanh Thảo

Translated into English by Huynh Thi Khanh Phung