Penitent Course on May 25, 2017

In the evening of May 25, 2017 (April 30, lunar calendar), Buddhists from HCMC and other regions returned to Hoang Phap Pagoda to attend the penitent course.

This time, Venerable Thich Tam Luyen from Hoang Phap Pagoda had a Dharma talk with the topic "Lack of Knowledge".

" Lack of Knowledge " is the reasonable beginning for the journey searching for wisdom and morality. It will be better and easier for us to study things and experience from the predecessors and senior ones with humble manner. If we assume that we were “Mr. Know All”, i.e. we have closed the door of knowledge and cannot go any further. Great scientist Isaac Newton said, "What we know is just a drop of water in the vast ocean of knowledge that we do not know yet." This is a big problem that each of us needs to acknowledge. Buddhists need to study a lot about Buddhism as Dharma, practice and so on. Rites, praying, and donation themselves are not enough for our luggage to liberation.

It is necessary for true Buddhists to master 4 items as following:

1. Dharma: Buddhist can neither go far nor preaching Dharma without mastering it. Nowadays, media is often used to post anti-Buddhism contents. Without Dharmic knowledge and right view, we may easily agree with pagan thoughts, and accidentally advocate the ones destroying Buddhism.

2. Science: The practice has not many things to do with secular knowledge. Nevertheless, if we have good scientific knowledge, we will find that Buddha's teachings are logical, truly and meet the needs of people in all time. Dharma does not go against the development of science. Instead, science can prove that Buddha's teachings are real. From that point of view, we strongly believe in Triratna and be more diligent on the path to the Enlightenment.

3. Compassion: Buddhism is very practical. It is for us to come and experience. Therefore, if we would like to preach Dharma to sentient beings, it is necessary for us to nurture compassion and compassionate energy, to open our mind to the miserable ones. Compassion can drive away hatred.

4. Listening: Listening can help us understand and have deep empathy to others’ situations, share with them pains and suffering, help them release the suffering and miseries in life. Listening is one of the main duties of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. When listening to others with compassion, we become the representatives of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in this world.

After the Dharma talk, the mass started the penitent session as usual.

Following are the recorded photographs:

BBT Website