One Day Retreat

On April 02, 2017 (Mar 06, lunar calendar), thousands of Buddhists from HCM city and other provinces gathered at Hoang Phap Pagoda to attend the One-Day Retreat.

After breakfast, Buddhists came to lecture halls to listen to the Dharma talk from Senior Venerable Thich Chan Tinh, abbot of Hoang Phap Pagoda, head of the retreat organization department.

Everyone, regardless (s)he is king or citizen, the good or the bad, the rich or the poor, more or less commits errors in life. The important things are that error is small or large, and if the doer acknowledges and is ready to correct the mistakes.

From that point of view, the Senior Venerable explained clearly about “mistake”. Mistake means the bad deeds violating codes of ethics or breaking the law. Mistakes are done via three tools: body, speech and thought. Three kinds of evil may arise from body as killing, theft, and adultery. Four kinds of evil may arise from speech as lying, making up stories, triggering conflict, or saying cruel words. Three kinds of evil may arise from thought as greed, hatred and delusion. In fact, the trio, body – speech – mind, is the tool for us to make bad deeds or good deeds depending on the trend in our mind. If we practice the ten good virtues then the trio will be good tool for us to generate benefits and diligence for our cultivation. Otherwise, the trio can be the tool carrying out unforeseen consequences and sins. With practical examples, the Venerable pointed out that there were two kinds making mistake in life: with negligence and with intention.

Next, the Venerable mentioned about five kinds of people in this world:

* The one makes mistakes, acknowledges mistakes and tries the best to correct them.

* The one makes mistakes, acknowledges mistakes by listening to advices and tries the best to fix them.

* The one makes mistakes, listening to advices, then ignore them.

* The one makes mistakes and bickers with the ones giving advices.

* The one makes mistakes and bears hard feelings with the ones giving advices.

The Venerable analyzed clearly in details about these five of people so that the mass could have the right knowledge and self- assessment. We, Buddhists, should be the first and the second kind of people ready to correct the mistakes and going on the good trend toward the nobleness. We should not be the third, fourth and fifth people going on the bad trend toward the darkness and badness.

After the Dharma talk, the retreat kept on its course as usual. Especially, this time, besides Buddha’s name recitation, Buddhists were guided how to sit (meditation) and reminded the Five Precepts for lay members.

On this occasion, the organizer sent the audience the VCD "What is ours?" as the Dharma gift.

Following are the recorded photographs: