Home-Leaving-Ceremony on Lunar Oct 1st Goat Year

Thanks to the protection of Buddha from ten directions of three lives as well as the witness of the present Venerable and Great assembly, Hoang Phap Monastery organized Hair Shaving ceremony for five good men who voluntarily took the path leaving the world on Dec 11st  2015 (Lunar Nov 1st Goat Year).

In order to have hair shaved, the learners on probation must spend at least 6 months of practice at the pagoda. During that time, the monks would be inspected ethics, conduct, and manner of each learner. In addition, they are required to memorize several doctrines, especially not getting into trouble of the monks.

After entering main hall and conducting the rite of offering incense to Buddha, a representative of good men offered good words to enter monastic life. Senior Venerable Thich Chan Tinh, Abbot of Hoang Pagoda Monastery, accepted the approval and then gave invaluable and enlightened words to good men before entering the official rite.

Entering monastic life and retreating is the much good seed people should appreciate. However, it is advised to understand the meaning of renunciation and the role and duties of a monk in Buddhism.

Renunciation means being out of house. The first is to be out of secular house. The monks should break off all relationship and go out of house, no longer cling to the emotional attachment of family such as parents, brothers, husband, wife, children. It does not mean that the monks no longer have feelings, it means they have to extend love to all people, all species. The second is to be out of trouble, i.e. to be out of the mind of negativity; the negative thoughts such as greed, ignorance and delusion are the root of sin and suffering. The monks, therefore, must get rid of them. The third is to be out of the Three Realms: the monks must try to overcome the three obstacles: Kamadhatu (realms of desire), Rupadhatu (realm of material), and Arupadhatu (realm of immaterial) for achieving liberation.

Renunciation is the act of a great man: great hero, great energy, great compassion. Not everyone can do it, because living beings are still immersed in Five Desires and Six Objects. It, thus, is very difficult to get out of them. To set foot into the monk’s life, the monks had better try to worthily practice to be appropriate to the appearance they are in, because the monks are on behalf of Buddha to propagate the True Dharma. Thus, the monks must take the precepts as their teacher, Discipline leads to Meditation, and from Meditation to Wisdom. The monks who do not keep the precepts will become “a fox to keep the geese," a kind of traitor who would subvert the Dharma.

Furthermore, apart from practice for benefit of their own, the monks need to have aspiration to salvage creature beings. They had better vow they sacrifice themselves in order to propagate Buddhism to everyone without being afraid of challenge or hindrance. The fortune of a Buddhist is wisdom; one with wisdom would surpass others but not follow the wrong path. To attain Buddha’s perfect enlightenment, the followers have to get over many hardships. With strong Bodhi mind and high aspiration, however, the learners can achieve liberation result.

Once finishing the rite of hair shaving, the Senior Venerable Abbot explained the three verses that were read while performing rituals in order to instruct the new monks to assiduously follow the practice path. The ceremony ended in rapture of everyone.