Monday, 04/20/2026
Glistening Amitabha Ceremony
Update: 16/12/2016
With the respectful and sincere spirit from Buddha’s\r\ndisciples, on Dec 15, 2016 (Nov 17 lunar calendar), Hoang Phap pagoda solemnly\r\nheld the Amitabha Day with floral candle light ceremony. The event was attended\r\nby large participation of Buddhist devotees from provinces in the country and abroad;\r\nincluding the Korean Yaksasa delegation from Incheon that contributed some\r\ngreat traditional performances in the event.
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The Amitabha Day with floral candle light ceremony,\r\nfilled with holy and divine spirit, has become the annual greatest event at\r\nHoang Phap pagoda for years. This is an opportunity for Buddhists, especially\r\nthe Pure Land practitioners to review the great\r\nvows of Amita Buddha that awakening the thought of Enlightenment.
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Large crowd gathered at the pagoda so early to have\r\nthe seat at the ceremony despite unfavorable weather. Everyone would like to enjoy\r\nthe whole view of the celebration and beautiful performances.
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In the solemn and sincere air, exactly at 18:00,\r\nBuddhist devotees lined up to welcome the clergy guests of honors. Mighty\r\nprajna drum and bell resounded while the clergy procession walked onto the stage.\r\nAfter that, the mass took the seat and listened to the verse from monk Thich\r\nTam Hieu that caused the awakening and soothing atmosphere.
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After the statement of reasons and introduction of\r\nattendants, monk Thich Tam Dai, on behalf of the organizer, gave the opening speech.
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Next, the mass headed to the statue of Amita Buddha\r\nfor the Triratna incense offering ritual.
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The key point of the ceremony was the light sharing\r\nritual. In the divine and serene atmosphere, abbot Senior Venerable Thich Chan\r\nTinh solemnly received the light from the altar of Amita Buddha and shared to\r\nthe mass via clergymen as a symbol of turning the Dharma wheel. This ritual\r\nrepresented the continuous Dharma preaching from Buddha to sentient beings via\r\nthe harmonious sangha. In the yard, the light shared among mass, from people to\r\npeople, from heart to heart. Tens of\r\nthousands of heart beat in in sincere, harmonious and pure atmosphere. The\r\nmagical light is offered to Triratna, pushing back the darkness of greed -\r\nhatred – ignorance, eliminating the discrimination of rich and poor, noble and\r\nignoble, happiness and unhappiness, opening the pure land right in the middle\r\nof Saha world. Candlelight reveals ones’ inner Buddha nature, relieving the\r\nsorrow in daily life.
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In such spiritual environment, the mass headed to\r\nthe stage to chant complimentary verses of Amita Buddha’s virtue and\r\ncompassion. Next, the Amitabha’s 48-vows were recited by Senior Venerable Thich\r\nChan Tinh, that accompanied with the refrain:â€Namo Amita Budha†from the mass. Then\r\nthe mass proclaimed the twelve vows, re-prayed and repeated the oath taking\r\nrefuge in Triratna.
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Especially in this event, there was the moment of\r\nsilence in memory of the immeasurable compassion of Amita Buddha for all\r\nsentient beings in the great manifold cosmos.
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After that, Abbot Hoaung of Yaksasa pagoda in\r\nIncheon, Korea, made a statement to express his gratitude for the invitation\r\nfrom the Venerable Thich Chan Tinh for the delegation attending this solemn and\r\nimpressive ceremony. This is also the meaningful point to promote the intimate\r\nrelationship between the two countries Vietnam and Korea. Representing of the\r\ndelegation sent gifts to the Venerable, head of the organizer, as the\r\ncongratulation for the great ceremony.
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Subsequently, the Yaksasa delegation offered their\r\ntraditional performances in Hanbok costume.
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Senior Venerable Thich Chan Tinh - Head of the\r\nOrganizing Committee explained about the significance of the floral candle\r\nlight ceremony and Pure Land practice. Specifically, he emphasized the Tri-practices\r\nas the ultimate condition for Pure Land attainment; stated in Pure Land Sutra (The\r\nAmitayur Dhyana Sutra). This knowledge will benefit not only our own practices\r\nbut also for others’ so that we all can together cultivate to be born\r\nspontaneously in Pure Land. Besides, the Venerable shared about the causality\r\nof the relationship between Hoang Phap Pagoda and Yaksasa pagoda in Incheon,\r\nKorea, which is called as the supreme convergence of the former causes and\r\nconditions or “Vietnam-Korea Blessed Relationshipâ€. The Venerable also hopes\r\nthat this brethrenhood will have the sustainable growth for the goodness of\r\nBuddhism and Buddhists of the two countries.
\r\n\r\nFinally, the Venerable expressed his deep gratitude\r\nto the clergy people, especially the Yaksasa delegation for their kind attention\r\nand performance, as well as sent his best regards to the whole ashram. Performances,\r\npraising Amita Buddha and his compassion,\r\nincluded:
\r\n\r\n· Hoa\r\nDang Dem Di Da
\r\n\r\n· Vui\r\nTrong Anh Dao
\r\n\r\n· Mung\r\nNgay Via Phat A Di Da
\r\n\r\n· Dang\r\nHoa Dem A Di Da
\r\n\r\n· Nam\r\nMo A Di Da Phat
\r\n\r\n· Toa\r\nSang Dem Di Da
\r\n\r\nfrom singers:
\r\n\r\n· Luong\r\nViet Quang,
\r\n\r\n· Thu\r\nTrang
\r\n\r\n· Ngoc\r\nVu
\r\n\r\n· Dzoan\r\nMinh
\r\n\r\n· Kim\r\nLinh
\r\n\r\n· Tuan\r\nPhuong, and
\r\n\r\n· Thuy\r\nDuong
\r\n\r\nBesides, there were two items from Rex dance: Dang\r\nHoa Cung Duong and Thien Thu Thien Nhan.
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The ceremony closed with the impressive scenery of magical\r\nglistening candle light in the night sky bringing joys to all. The pagoda served the mass more than 18,000 food\r\nbox and Dharma gifts including DVD “Glistening Amitabha Day†and 2017 calendar\r\nwith Retreat agenda.
\r\n\r\nFollowing are the recorded\r\nphotographs:
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