One-day retreat course at Dong Cao – Thanh Hoa province

On August 5th, 2018 (June 24th, Dog Year), hundreds of Buddhists around the district gathered at Dong Cao pagoda, Nga Uyen commune, Nga Son ward, Thanh Hoa province in order to attend the monthly one-day retreat course.

At the beginning of the course, Bhadanta Thich Tam Hung (leader of the organizers board) instructed the Buddhists walk and pray to the Buddha before getting into the course “Repentance of six senses” and revised “Five precepts” of the Buddhist laypeople. After that, the Bhadanta instructed them to release creatures to the nature.

At 9 a.m., as invited by Bhadanta and also the abbot of the pagoda, Bhadanta Thich Tam Dao from Hoang Phap pagoda came to the hall and shared the topic “The meaning of Ullambana”.

After more than an hour by simple speeches for Buddha’s dharma via the stories from the Abbot of Hoang Phap pagoda, everyone understood more about the word “Ullumbana”. By that means, the Bhadanta sent the message that as the Buddhists, followers of Buddha, we should hold ceremonies to show the love of our parents and families by realistic actions such as charity work and releasing the animals. We shouldn’t do the wasteful things like burning the money to the deaths…

After that, everyone started the course with the instruction by Bhadanta Thich Tam Dao. Especially this time, everyone attended cooking courses by Bhandata, in order to cook vegetarian meals for the up-coming Ullambana.

 Below are the photos from the day:

Translated into English by Nguyen Thi Mai Thao