Repentance ceremony on Jan. 29th, Year of the Dragon at Suoi Phap Pagoda, Tay Ninh

On March 09th, 2024 (Jan. 29th, Year of the Dragon), good men and believing women returned to Suoi Phap pagoda in Tay Ninh province (belonging to Hoang Phap pagoda ‘s sect) to attend the periodic penance rite.

Before the rite, Junior Thich Tam Huong, Abbot of Suoi Phap Pagoda had a dharma talk titled: "Benefits of meditation in daily life".

People's living needs today are more perfect with more science and technology developed than before, but we still feel insecure, worried, and suffering more, such as: the living environment is polluted, natural disasters, epidemics, climate change; along with disasters caused by humans such as: stealing, killing...all of these things are largely due to our mind looking outward, pursuing outside, leaving behind the purity and peace from the inside.

To have balance and create positive energy in daily life, the Buddha taught a very important cultivation method: practicing meditation or sitting quietly. What does meditation mean? Meditation is the Sanskrit transliteration called contemplating, or unperturbed state, in other words, meditation is the purity and quietness of all afflictions and delusions.

Concentration: Sanskrit transliteration Samadhi, also means dwelling, steadfastness, focusing the will on one object, the mind is not distracted. Meditation means the mind is at peace, not disturbed, not bound, the mind is calm and controlled.

Practitioners who practice meditation will reap many benefits in life:

  - The body is peaceful

  - Speech is pure

  - The mind is pure

The ancients said, "If the mind is at peace, it will be wise." Those who keep a pure mind will have a clear mind and have peace in life. For example, if a deep lake is not disturbed, the water in the lake will be clear and we can see through to the bottom. Likewise, when people often practice meditation, or meditate to recite the Buddha's name, their body and mind are pure and peaceful, thereby giving birth to merits and good dharma.

Those who meditate and sit quietly should concentrate, not remember or pursue worldly desires, not be attracted and bound by worldly things and delusions. That is the beginning of peace, enlightenment and liberation.

The meditator should contemplate his in-and-out breath: breathing out knowing he is breathing out, breathing in knowing he is breathing in, that is mindfulness. Or when meditating with Buddha's name: our ears clearly hear each sentence and each word; When the mind starts reciting Buddha's name, it hears every sentence and every word, such a mind is in the mindfulness. For a long time when practicing deeply, the mind will be in a state of purity and peace.

We should practice meditation and reciting Buddha's name every day, our three-karma body, speech and mind will be pure and peaceful, thus we ourselves have created positive energy for life.

After the Dharma session, the assembly entered the Repentance Ceremony.

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