New Year Wishing Ceremony for Peace

All of Vietnamese agree that going to Pagoda to worship the Buddha and wish for peace at the beginning of new year is a custom with priority meaning searching for a mental value, praying peace for family during the year. It has become a cultural habit, a beauty in Vietnam traditional culture and custom. Following this tradition, on 22nd Feb.2015 ( 15th lunar Jan. Monkey year), Hoang Phap Pagoda solemnly organized a new year ceremony praying for peace with the attendance of thousands of people from Ho Chi Minh city and nearby provinces.

Spring is a season of love, hope, aspiration, wish, young green buds and beauty appearance. Spring’s atmosphere makes us become friendlier, more comfortable and our heart is also more altruistic. With a persistent concentration of mind to Triratna, on these days, the Venerables held this ceremony, truly wishing peace and luck to all people. The meaning of this ceremony is creating a chance for everyone to honest repent, do good things, avoid bad actions. They truly wish the blessing of Buddha, Bodhasattva together with making a vow  doing good deeds for life and Buddhism such as releasing creatures, donating, offering to Triratna, etc; in addition, turn towards merit of good actions to the universal well- being of our family. 

Before praying, Senior Venerable Thich Chan Tinh, Hoang Phap Pagoda’s Abbot, gave an extract in Angutara Nikaya Sutra talking about peace, happy and the meaning ofdharma.

We all wish good things in life. There are some good things to us due to the past merit;  some because of things that we do at present. However, all because we ourselves did in the past or create at present diligently. On the contrast, if we are lazy or neglectful, we cannot have peace and happy easily at present as well as in the future.

 In Angutara Nikaya 4, Chapter Happp Possibility, Buddha taught ten dharmas of Happy Possibility , Joyful Possibility, Thoughful Possibility, which is difficult to find in life such as property, appearance, heath, behaviours, virtue, friends, intelligence, wisdom, dharma and Heaven. To achieve all, we have to experience and apply Buhhda’s teaching in our real life then we will get expected result. We will have property, appearnce, health, solemn virtue, peaceful pure living, honest friends, knowledge, wisdom, awareness of dharma, method to cultivate, a chance to go to Heaven, good achievement on practice. 

Next, with stories in sutras and life, the Senior Venerable summarized the importance of those superior ten dharmas, which will help us with  a peaceful and happy life. However, we all have to practice diligently. At the beginning of New year we go to Pagoda to pray for peace. This is an understandable true wish; on the other hand, we have to combine with specific actions to get ideal results. Especially, as a Buddhist, we have to follow and apply Buddha’s teaching in life, for instance, in order to  have blessing, we have to do good deeds; to have property, we have to work diligently, etc. We will get the expected achievement on our cultivation.

After the dharma talk, in the most solemn environment, all people burnt incense to Buddha starting the new year  wishing a ceremony for peace.

On the program, there were the  performance of little singer Nguyet Thu from  a song “ Mung Tuoi Cha Me” (celebrating parents’ age), little singer TinTin with a song named “ Anh Ba Khia” (Mr Ba Khia).

Below are some recorded pictures: