Impression

Buddhism is a religion of benevolence and salvation, expressing the spirit of compassion and wisdom of Buddhism. Hoang Phap Pagoda, Hoc Mon, Ho Chi Minh City always maintains meditation courses, taking the joy of sentient beings as one's own joy, taking the suffering of sentient beings as one's own suffering.

 

  From December 4th, 2022 to December 11^th, 2022 (from November 11th to November 18th in the Lunar calendar), the 98th Buddha's Seventh Meditation Course continues, helping us to consolidate our knowledge of Buddhism: the temporary existence of the body and mind is due to the false combination of the five aggregates; mistaking suffering for joy will eventually lead to destruction, so do not be deluded. Buddhism inherently has only one taste, that of liberation.

 

We sincerely thank the lecturers who are the great wise ones who have awakened and reminded us. From then on, we know how to seek true happiness. You have helped us deeply contemplate the impermanent changes of life.

 

 Flowers bloom to fade

The moon is full to wane

Duckweed gathers to scatter

People meet to part.

(Xuan Dieu)

 

Indeed! Life is impermanent, empty, separated, suffering, and ultimately returns to nothing. The perfect nothing is not something worthless, but it is a mirror for you to reflect on yourself, to see cause and effect, to deeply believe that cause and effect follow each other like a shadow and its form. This life always has things that are not as expected, happiness is short-lived, and pain follows you all your life. In the end, everyone must die, but the important thing is where do you go after death? To the Western Paradise of Amitabha Buddha, or to hell and be executed as lecturer Thich Dao Quang said: "According to the human vehicle, the heavenly vehicle, there is hell; According to the Bodhisattva vehicle, hell is in the mind" and lecturer Thich Tam Luan presented “Mind and scene are in harmony”, the tree will fall to whichever side it leans. Buddhists who only know the theory but do not practice are abandoning the root and chasing the tip, planting the cause of the six realms of reincarnation, which is not in accordance with the spirit of Buddha’s teachings.

  

 The last day of the Buddhist retreat on December 10th, 2022 (November 17th, LC) is the Hoa Dang festival commemorating Amitabha Buddha - the supreme father of humanity. The stage is majestic, magnificent, and brilliant in the middle of the temple yard. The solemn and peaceful atmosphere of the ceremony, we are blessed to admire the radiant beauty of respect in the vast and mysterious space of consciousness of the Buddhas. How wonderful! His appearance in this world is the ultimate and boundless happiness for everyone.

 

Together we solemnly receive the Buddha's boundless wisdom, hand in hand passing on blessings and wisdom to each other so that sentient beings will have less crying and sorrowful lamentations, so that society can develop strongly on the foundation of Buddha's teachings. The flickering candles are shining brightly throughout the temple yard, the light of the Dharma has filled the space. Faith is the invisible thread that connects people with the Buddha's grace, freeing sentient beings from the bondage of greed, hatred, and ignorance. For those who practice and know the Buddha's teachings, drifting in the cycle of birth and death without knowing when they will be able to escape is the most frightening thing.

 

We sincerely and deeply express our gratitude to the Master and the monks for allowing us to have this extremely solemn and meaningful ceremony. It is wonderful, boundless happiness. Please pray for those who do not know the Buddha Dharma to awaken, to realize that this body is temporary, to see the nature of truth, to return to rely on Amitabha Buddha, to take refuge in the Three Jewels, to do good and avoid evil, so that when impermanence comes, they can be at ease and free, without fear for any reason. The baggage that we return with, as Venerable Lecturer Thich Minh Thanh taught, is love, dedication to the true, eternal beauty of humanity. The subject of a human being is still the "heart" that creates the human personality in the inner spiritual depth. There is a French proverb: "It is not just wearing beautiful clothes that makes a good person". There is no love equal to the love of Buddha, there is no realm as happy and joyful as Buddha's realm, choosing Buddha's realm or hell depends on one's own karma.

 

The ceremony ended in joy and wonderful emotions about Amitabha Buddha, who is always the red flame warming the world and the boundless light for humanity. Let's practice diligently and focus on reciting Buddha's name. We have an extremely solid foundation with the 12 vows of Buddha to follow. That is the path to enlightenment and liberation, to the Western Paradise, this is our eternal homeland.

 

Nguyễn Thanh Thảo

Translated into English by Cao Thanh Tuyen