Repentant Ceremony on Lunar Feb. 29th, Monkey Year

This was a yearly cultivating program in the monastery. Before the repentant retreat happened, the mass listened to Dharma talk preached by Junior Venerable Thich Tam Dac, abbot of Vinh Phap pagoda.

Today, presenting at Bodhi-mandala and together having repentance with the mass were of a spirit of joy, great happiness to buddhists. It was not only this but also kept happy contact when attaining uncertainties or obstacles in life, which was a greater joy. In order to have this one, it was so lucky because we had the Dharma treasure of Tathagata in guiding the road and showing the path. For seeing the causes and conditions, transcendental blessings; we needed to make sense clearer of a lay believer's duty and responsibility in the whole interrelations. This also was content the Junior Venerable lecturer shared with masses.

In order to have what we wanted in practice, relying on Dharma under the guidance from monks was an extreme importance. Because of this background, it would help us know where he main road was , where  the path we needed to go was. This achievement partially was harvested from the pagodas we relied on practice. Here, the pagoda must be the buddhist factor where, following the spirit of Buddha's teaching, played the role as a school for buddhists to come to learn Buddhism, propagating Dharma and enlighten living beings.

Besides, as a buddhist we needed to form the legitimate faith, not being in partial inclination, no false views so as not to fall on unreasoning belief and fanaticism. The strength of faith was mentioned the first in five strengths the Buddha had taught, through this we could see the importance of faith. It is this faiththat would be a firm motive to help us with progressive practice on the liberated way.

After the Dharma talk, the mass together came to the repentant retreat of Buddha's name as usual.

These are some specific images: