Repentance ceremony on March 14th, Year of the Snake

On April 11th, 2025 (March 14th, LC) good men and believing women inside and outside HCMC returned to Hoang Phap pagoda to attend a periodical penitential ritual.

The participants listened to a Dharma talk by Junior Thich Tam Luan, Abbot of Bao Quang Pagoda, Dong Nai before the ritual. First, the monk led the mass to calm their body and mind, raise thoughts of compassion, and dedicate to the victims of the earthquake in the Mandalay area, Myanmar past March; May the deceased be reborn in the Pure Land, the injured recover quickly, and Myanmar soon return to peace.

 

The Junior preached that this world has no independent, separate existence, but is made up of countless causes and conditions, the thoughts on each of us initiates also have the power to influence the whole world. A single evil thought can cause the world to fall into war and riots, but sometimes just a peaceful breath, a pure thought can help reduce suffering in life. For Buddhists, we need to have an understanding of cause-effect and karma, diligently create merit, and build a good karma field for ourselves so that we have the opportunity to be reborn in a good realm when dying. Practitioners should always think of the grace of Three Jewels to take refuge, and often contemplate death to remember the impermanence and let go. With humanity and compassion, those good thoughts, intentions, merits and blessings can help and save sentient beings in the realm of suffering by the dedication of merits. Indeed, we can see how powerful each of our thoughts is. If we want life to be beautiful and peaceful, then in each person's mind there should always be love and awareness, giving to life kindness, sympathy and compassion.

 

After the Dharma talk, the mass entered the penitential ritual as usual.

 

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