Regular Repentant Ceremony on Oct 03, 2017

On Oct 03, 2017 (Aug 14, lunar calendar), thousands of devout Buddhists from HCMC and other provinces came to Hoang Phap Pagoda to attend regular repentant ceremony.

This time, Venerable Thich Tam Nhuan, monk from Hoang Phap Sangha delivered the Dharma talk with topic "Sea and Buddha Dharma"

1. Sea has gentle-sloped beaches for everyone reaching water easily, so does Dhamma, in which practitioners can go from basic to high level, easy to advanced theme. Dharma is open to kinds of people regardless their intelligence, class, race or age ... all can find proper practicing method for themselves.

2. Sea is constant out there to serve people. It does not ruin villages and towns, so does Dharma. Principles of Dharma remain unchanged, and precepts for practitioners are clear.

3. Sea does not conceal death body or dirtiness but washes them ashore, neither does Dharma that rejects ignorance, laziness and evil.

4. Sea receives water from all rivers without any discrimination, so does Dhamma. In Dharma, everyone is welcomed without any differentiation. Just as the water flowing to sea, leaving behind the name of its original river, and beginning a new life as sea water, Buddhists coming to Dharma leave behind their background, race and social status.

5. Sea does not get less or more despite water from rivers keeps on flowing in day and night. Neither does Dhamma; that does not change through ups and downs situation.

6. Sea water has only one salty taste, so does Dharma that are skillfully presented in many ways. Despite thousands of practicing methods it bears, Dharma has only one taste of liberation.

7. There are innumerable types of treasure deep in the sea as coral, mother-of-pearl, gem…, so does Dharma with many wonderful and precious themes as Four Noble Truth, Four Correct Endeavors (Catvāri Prahāṇāni), Four bases of Spiritual Power (Cattāro Iddhipādā), five senses and five kinds of spiritual strength (Pañcindriya), seven factors of Enlightenment (Satta sambojjhanga), and Noble Eightfold Path (Dharmacakraeight).

8. Sea is the friendly house for millions of beings while Dhamma is the tool for everyone from kid, uneducated person to great master getting liberation. Countless practitioners have attained sage-hood including stream-winner (sotāpanna)", once-returner (Sakadāgāmin), non-returner (Anāgāmī), and perfected person (Arahant).

After Dharma talk, the mass joined penitent course as usual.

Following are recorded photographs:

BBT Website