Monday, 04/20/2026
Posts
Journey of Love to Dak Som, Ta Dung, Dak Nong
Update: 12/11/2022
This is an activity with profound humanitarian meaning, demonstrating the good traditions of the nation, contributing to encouraging families with many difficulties. Every year, the pagoda always has a charity plan across the country. The charity group has mobilized benefactors to share and compensate for the losses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
On September 15th, 2022, Venerable Thich Tam Hue and the charity group went to Dang Phap Pagoda, Binh Phuoc, under the Hoằng Pháp Pagoda supervision, to guide Buddhists to offer pure money to the Triple Gem. The delegation's representative offered prayers and offerings, praying that Dang Phap Pagoda would gradually become a beloved pagoda for Buddhists everywhere to practice in order to find peace and happiness, contributing to the propagation of the Dharma, and maintaining the lifeblood of Buddhism. The group stayed at the pagoda to have dinner and recite evening sutras with the monks and Buddhists at the main pagoda, wishing to dedicate the merits to Venerable Thich Tam Quang and the Buddhists who worked hard in the pagoda to have peace of mind and body, and to perform successful Buddhist work.
On this occasion, Venerable Thich Tam Quang would like to express his gratitude and praise to the monks and delegation who did not mind the long distance to visit, encourage, and send wishes for the Buddhists to have a happy body and mind, being the extended arm of Buddhism.
Following the volunteer group, in hot weather conditions, the mountainous roads of the Central Highlands are small and difficult to travel, at 5:00 a.m. on September 16th, 2022 (August 21st, Tiger Year), the group continued to Dak Som, Dak Nong. From Dang Phap Pagoda, the car rolled, after 2 hours, the charity group of Hoang Phap Pagoda arrived in Dak Som, Dak Nong to carry out the program of giving gifts to ethnic minorities in difficult circumstances. In fact, charity is a meaningful humane activity that demonstrates responsibility, love and sharing with the community.
Venerable Thich Tam Truong, abbot of Hoang Phap Pagoda, and the charity group presented 530 gifts to Dak Som commune, Dak GLong, Dak Nong. These are very meaningful gifts, showing the concern of Buddhists through charity programs, helping poor households, disadvantaged families, sick orphans, etc., which are a source of motivation to encourage families to have more faith on the path towards the future.
Many people suggested that the group should go to nearby provinces for charity, but the monks wanted to go to places that others had difficulty going to. The monks were not afraid of difficulties, they just wanted to help the right people.
Dak Som is a purely agricultural commune, in which ethnic minorities account for 76%, people's lives mainly depend on agricultural and forestry production, so the main crops are coffee, pepper, rubber, fruit trees... combined with raising livestock and poultry. Most of the people around here are in difficult circumstances, many students have to cross the mountain to get to school. Through that, the teachers and the delegation understood more deeply the meaning of volunteer activities and wanted to contribute more.
Sharing the difficulties with the ethnic people in the highlands, only when you come here and witness life with your own eyes can you see all the difficulties and disadvantages of the people who are bareheaded and barefoot, without warm clothes to wear in the winter...
The first impression of the volunteer group was being welcomed by many warm eyes and smiles from the village officials and villagers who gathered here to welcome the group with joy filled in their eyes.
After the friendly greetings, the delegation quickly started to give gifts to the people. The motivation that helped the delegation overcome all the difficult journeys was the desire to send love to the people in remote areas. At exactly 7:30 a.m., the official gifts of love were presented, each worth 330,000 VND, including 10 kg of rice, 1 box of vegetarian noodles, 1 envelope worth 150,000 VND. The total amount for 530 gifts was 174,900,000 VND.
People walked nearly 15 km from communes and small villages on high mountain peaks to receive gifts from the charity committee. This is the distance that not only adults but also children have to regularly overcome to get to school. Actually, life is poor, the roads are long and difficult to travel. The barefoot children, wearing thin clothes, their hands and feet swollen from frostbite... really made everyone in the group feel sorry for the poor life and harsh circumstances of the people here.
The members of the group quickly arranged and prepared gifts wrapped with love to help people have a warm winter and improve their lives, such as rice, vegetarian noodles and money. Seeing the bright, excited smiles of the people when receiving the gifts warmed the whole group's hearts. Hopefully in the future, the charity group will have more meaningful and practical trips to help people in the highlands reduce their deprivation, reduce their burdens and difficulties, and have the opportunity to see more happy smiles of the people.
In the group, everyone's face showed indescribable joy and happiness. They were happy because of being cared for and shared, and also because of the warm human affection. Although the small amount of money is not worth much, the poor and sick people feel warm because there are still many loving and sharing arms, which is the motivation for them to overcome poverty and illness.
Venerable Thich Tam Hue, representing the charity group, praised the local officials for taking care of the people in their commune.
By 9:30 A.M, thanks to the help of the local government, the benefactors like Mr. Su's family and his family's friends, and the Buddhists who were in the group, the gift-giving ceremony was very complete. We would like to thank Mr. Su's family for supporting the small car carrying the monks, the truck carrying 5,300 kg of rice and 530 boxes of vegetarian noodles to the gift-giving point in Dak Som, Dak Nong.
Following the guidance of the abbot of Hoang Phap pagoda, the group visited Ta Dung National Park and Lake. This is considered as Ha Long Bay on high, located in Dak Plao commune and Dak Som commune, Dak Glong district, with vast green forests and large lakes with more than 36 large and small islands. In the middle of the vast sea, there are towering hills like jade islands created from red basalt soil, reflecting on the lake surface like a giant mirror, makes many people admire this poetic beauty. It is wonderful to sit on a boat around Ta Dung Lake, gently weaving through each green island, taking a deep breath, letting your soul wander amidst the poetic, fresh and exciting scenery.
“Ta Dung, the water is blue, the mountains are green
White clouds float silently
A few boats are scattered on the lake
On the mountain, the people are sparse
The nature is skillful in creating masterpieces
The history books record Dak Nong's blessing
Hearing the famous guests, I am nostalgic
The scene gives rise to feelings to write poems”.
(Excerpt from the poem "Vinh Ta Dung" by Venerable Thich Chan Tinh)
Continuing the journey, 10:30 A.M starting from Ta Dung Lake, driving 3km, walking 1km through steep, winding, zigzagging roads, clear, babbling streams, we hear the stream flowing like a harp, lost in the peaceful natural Ta Dung Lake.
At 11:30 A.M, the group came to the hermitage of the Venerable Dao Truong of Hoang Phap Pagoda (donated by a Buddhist in Dak Som commune, Dak Glong district) to make offerings to the Triple Gem. The Venerable's small stilt house was very simple and plain, with three rooms, the middle room was the Triple Gem, the right room was the Venerable's resting and meditation place, and the left room was the living room.
Venerable Thich Tam Hue, representing the delegation, respectfully offered his words of offering and greetings to the Venerable. He praised the Bodhisattva spirit of Venerable Thich Tam Hue and the Buddhists, and promised to accept the offerings. So tolerant and simple, close and warm, he was like a towering yet gentle mountain. The opportunity to practice a wonderful Dharma that the Venerable wanted to teach us was for us to contemplate for ourselves. He wished to repay everyone's gratitude, to devote all his heart to life, and to devote his entire life to the Dharma and the nation.
He taught “we must know how to skillfully use our minds to cultivate when the opportunity comes, when the mind arises to do good deeds, we must immediately do them, because when impermanence comes, we will lose the opportunity to practice good deeds. Buddhists in the group, please follow the example of Venerable Thich Tam Hue, be effective Dharma protectors, exemplary filial children, and live peacefully in the protective halo of the Buddhas of the ten directions”.
At meal time, the monks and Buddhists gathered around the table, chanting the name of the Buddha Shakyamuni. We felt His love. Although the meal was simple, it only had wild vegetables such as bamboo shoots, squash shoots, cabbage, tofu... but it was very delicious, cooked by Venerable Thich Tam Thuong and three monks to offer to the monks and Buddhists.
After the meal, the whole group visited places, took pictures, and recorded beautiful moments when being with the Venerable in a peaceful space, feeling the joy right in the present. It is true that:
“Coming to Ta Dung at sunset
The sun is red on the top of the mountain
The birds are chirping and flying back to their nests
The traveler returns to the village with a happy smile
The white clouds, big and small, drift slowly
The big and small yachts glide over the waves
The night falls, stirring the heart
The scenery here is soul-stirring”.
(Excerpt from the poem Ta Dung Sunset by Venerable Thich Chan Tinh)
At the end of a day of volunteer work, the group left with a feeling of nostalgia. Promises and farewells were filled with love. This is an activity with profound humanistic meaning, demonstrating the fine traditions of the nation, contributing to encouraging the spirit of families with many difficulties to rise up in life.
This trip, in addition to understanding more about the difficulties of the people in the highlands, is memorable, lovely and truly touching. We have worked together every moment to overcome difficult challenges to reach the destination. The monks and the group want to spread love to many people in remote areas - where life is still difficult. From this trip, the group will continue to initiate the new vitality program with contributions from each individual and organization, sharing practical values, solving key problems... always aiming at the sustainable development of society, to humane values for the community!
We would like to express our gratitude to the monks, Buddhists at home and abroad, the benefactors, Venerable Thich Tam Hue, Mr. Su's family and friends, and fellow Buddhists in the group who joined hands to give meaningful gifts. The people were very happy to receive the kind hearts to make the group's Charity trip a complete success. We hope that what the Charity Committee has done will contribute to multiplying good deeds, so that society can join hands to help those in difficult and unfortunate circumstances. Those volunteer trips help us understand the difficult life of the people in the highlands. In our hearts, we always want to do something, no matter how small, to help the people in the highlands reduce their difficulties and disadvantages. The silence of the charity committee of Hoang Phap Pagoda has brought happiness, joy, and faith in humanity to everyone. Wishing people's hearts to always be open, sharing love so that no one is left behind.
Hoa Đạo
Translated into English by Huynh Thi Khanh Phung