“Student & Dharma” One-Day Retreat

On Jan 08, 2017 (Dec 11, lunar calendar) Hoang Phap Pagoda held the “Student and Dharma” One-Day Retreat. Nearly 900 students from Colleges and Universities in Ho Chi Minh City attended the course.

In the morning session, Senior Venerable Thich Vien Tri - Deputy Head of the central board of clergy education, Deputy Head of the Vietnam Buddhist Academy, had a Dharma Talk with the topic: “To Become an Extraordinary Person”.

In more than an hour, the Venerable shared historic aspects of Buddha’s life, a real person born nearly 2.500 years ago. Different from Gods in other religions that mysteriously appeared in this world, Buddha is born as an ordinary and unenlightened person, thanks to practicing that he gets the ultimate attainment. This is an important factor because his efforts can be the lessons for us, as the normal people, to follow and attain the Enlightenment. Otherwise, we might get stuck in the cycle of Samsara forever.

Initially, Buddha appeared in the world as a prince. With ideals, ambition and will, he became an extraordinary person. He lived to be the example for sentient beings to follow during 45 years teaching Dharma via his speech and examples and became the greatest one in the world.

Based on that, the Venerable would like to send the message to the Youths that:

everyone should have the ideal for life and we need will and courage to fulfill that. We should not be pessimistically thinking that we are inferior, incompetent, or talentless while others are quite well and strong. This mindset is more likely the trap of herd syndrome making people easily accept the mediocre targets that are much lower than their real ability.

Via the talk, the Venerable help students approach Dharma with the scientific and intellectual view.

In the afternoon, after the meditation course, it was the talk of Mr. Luong Dung Nhan, training expert of Comprehensive Development - Training Centre for young talents in Asia Pacific, with the topic "Living with gratitude and saying thank you". Each day we live, talk, work, see our beloved ones. All are favors and we should express our gratitude for those. Say “Thank You” whenever it is possible. If "thank you" is the only prayer you repeat in life then it will be enough" ... That is the conclusion of Trainer Luong Dung during his talk-show in the retreat. Hope that his sharing can motivate and generate better soft-skills in participants’ life.

The Retreat ended in the joys of all. Before leaving, each participant received a Dharma gift including the booklet “Looking Back”, booklet “Vietnam Tet”, VCD “Exchanges confidence to Students”.

Following are the recorded photographs:

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