Penitent Ceremony on Aug 21, 2017

In the evening of Aug 21, 2017 (Jun 30, leap month, lunar calendar), devout Buddhists from Ho Chi Minh City and other regions came to Hoang Phap Pagoda to attend the regular penitent ceremony.

This time, Venerable Thich Tam Manh, monk from Hoang Phap Sangha, delivered the Dharma talk with the topic "Offering Joy".

Buddhism is the Path of compassion, wisdom, happiness and saving, showing people the truth of sufferings and how to overcome those, leading people to the life of bliss and ease.

In the six perfections (paramitas) for Bodhisattva practitioner, offering/giving is the first and foremost theme. When saying about offering, people often think of giving money. This thought is not always right for beside money, we can offer dhamma and fearlessness to sentient beings.

1. Offering items: including interior/exterior items.

+ Interior items include part(s) of our body.

+ Exterior items include gifts, money, property, materials, treasure...

2. Offering Dharma: We share Buddha's teachings, sutras, tapes/discs of Dharma talk… with others so that they can understand, practice and gain benefits/ happiness in life.

3. Offering fearlessness: means encouraging or helping others overcoming crisis in life/mind.

Besides, there are seven kinds of giving that we all can do:

1. Facial Expression: giving the fresh, happy, nice face.

2. Eye contact: giving kind, sympathetic and tolerant eye-contact.

3. Kindness: giving open heart and mind in behavior.

4. Speech: using loving/sweet/humble, warm speech and voice to encourage, comfort, and praise others.

5. Activities: ready to help others when they are in needs.

6. Sharing/giving seat: on bus, boat, in public places or in the ashram.

7. Sharing/giving accommodation and foods: to people in need as the homeless ones, disaster victims or benighted travelers.

Whoever practices these offerings will get happiness in present and future.

Following are the recorded photographs:

BBT Website