One Day Retreat

On Dec. 13th, 2015 thousands of Buddhists from different places came to Hoang Phap monastery to attend the One Day Retreat.

After taking breakfast, people gathered at the lecture\r\nhalls to listen a Dharma Talk shared by Sen. Ven.\r\nThich Chan Tinh, the abbot of Hoang Phap pagoda  and\r\nthe chief of the organization. Over one hour, he talked about\r\nthe life of Tran Nhan Tong  king Buddha on the occasion\r\nof 707 years from his death’s commemoration.

Tran Nhan Tong was a wise and gracious king, a brilliant\r\npolitician and also a wise Buddhist sage and was thought to have attained\r\nBuddhahood. He was a talent Buddhist leader throughout 1000 years. As a king,\r\nhe had finished his great responsibility for nation and as a monk he also\r\nserved wholeheartedly and effectively for spreading and developing Truc Lam\r\nBuddhism.

Tran Nhan Tong was born in 1258 in the form of bright body.\r\nHe was a proficient person in many fields as astronomy, maths, art of\r\nwar, medicine… and was conferred the Crown Prince at the age of sixteen.\r\nBecause he was imbrued with Buddhist idea, he abdicated the throne for\r\nbrother and came to Yen Tu Mountain to be a monk but his father did not approve\r\nand sent army to take him back. He then recognized his responsibility could not\r\nbe avoided and turned back to fulfill his duty. During the time in the palace\r\nhe did not only well fulfill duty but well practiced Buddhism under the\r\nguide of Superior Ven. Tue Si and attained somewhat tranquility in\r\nmind.

At the age of twenty, he received the throne from his father. \r\nDuring the second and third  Mongol Empire invasions of\r\nDai Viet (1285 and 1288), he led the army to fight and gained victory. Few\r\nyears ago, in 1293 he creding the throne to his son, Tran Anh Tong and became a\r\nmonk in 1295 at step-over place in Ninh Binh province. He moved to\r\nYen Tu Mountain in 1299 and took the dharma name as Truc Lam sage.

After becoming a monk he found Truc Lam Yen Tu zen sect, a\r\ntypical zen of Vietnamese. Besides, he introduced the idea of “Being mundane,\r\ngaining tranquility” to spread Buddhism according to the social way. All made a\r\ngreat image of a cloistered emperor Tran Nhan Tong in different roles of a\r\nwise king, a brilliant leader, a national hero and the founder of Vietnamese\r\nZen sect _ Truc Lam Yen Tu.

After having  completed his life for\r\nBuddhist education, he passed away in regret of people around Yen Tu\r\nMountain. He informed people for the exactness ofhis peaceful leave.\r\nThis is the result for the one who followed strictly what the Buddha taught and\r\nhe was a symbol and motivation for future generations on their Buddhist way.

Because of spending wholeheartedly for Buddhist practice; therefore. he\r\nbequeathed valuable verses and preach for Vietnamese Buddhism. Among them is\r\nthe verse “Being mundane, gaining tranquility” which manifested his whole\r\nBuddhist spirit in practice according with situation.

Being mundane gaining peace, just according with\r\ncircumstances

Feeling hungry, take food; tired, take a rest

Stop looking for outside when one’s nature is within inside.

Immovable mind in changing, it is zen.

This verse raises the idea of according with circumstances\r\nto get the peaceful mind. It shows the flexible way in applying Buddhism to\r\nsocial life then destroying ignorance, affliction and suffering… However, it\r\nis not easy to follow this way nowadays. It is a long process and we need to\r\nwork hard in order to realize our mindfulness in body, speech and mind,\r\ntie them in the teaching of the Buddha. Just like that then we can attain the\r\nstate of “immovable mind before changing”.

Finishing the Dharma Talk, people take the retreat as usual.

The VCD “The 53rd Dharma Light” is a present for all\r\npeople who joined the One Day Retreat.

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