Peace praying ceremony in the New Year at Tay Khanh Pagoda, Thai Binh

This lunar new year, more than 500 Buddhists returned to Tay Khanh pagoda (belonging to the Hoang Phap Pagoda's sect) in Thai Binh to attend the Peaceful Praying ceremony on Feb. 14h, 2024 (Jan. 5th, year of the Dragon). Praying for peace is the wish for ourselves and our loved ones to have peace, happiness, and good - smooth things in the New year.

The Abbot of Tay Khanh Pagoda, Junior Thich Tam Kinh taught about the meaning of praying for peace, and how to be at safety.

In the dharma talk, the Junior preached about the practice of going out at the beginning of the year in Vietnamese folk culture. With the desire to have a lucky start when Tet comes, Vietnamese people often choose the age of the husband to find the direction of departure in the East, West, South, and North directions. This is usually done by the men in the family and chooses the direction of departure for the new year. Accordingly, if the time and direction of departure at the beginning of the year are suitable for the age and family, the whole year will be lucky in work, money or love...

This is a good culture and custom, expressing a legitimate desire for a peaceful life in the new year. To make that wish come true, Buddhists need to choose the right direction for themselves which is the direction of goodness. If at the beginning of the year, Buddhists do good deeds (benefit themselves and others), speak good words, and think not to harm anyone, then there we are realizing the above wish.

Buddha taught: good actions bring good results, bad actions bring bad results; Don't expect gods, devas, or deceased people to protect us. Don't believe in good days or bad days, because those are uncertain things. We often always look forward to a good day, a good hour, a good month, a good year, this god, that saint... Believing in those things only brings suffering to ourselves; Look at our actions and words and karma: Doing good will bring us joy, doing evil will bring us suffering.

From the lecture, it helped the mass have a correct view of Buddha's teachings on the method of praying for safety, and the way to pray for peace...

After that, the mass performed the ritual of burning incense to the Buddha and chanting prayers for peace. The ceremony to pray for peace took place solemnly and respectfully, and was accomplished in the joy of the mass.

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