The 5th "Wisdom Light Illuminating" Competition

On Oct. 22nd, 2023 the 5th "Wisdom Light Illuminating" Competition took place at Hoang Phap Pagoda to help Buddhists learn and understand the most concise meaningful teachings of the Buddha. At 7 a.m., the contestants gathered at the temple to complete the registration.

The Dhammapada is one of the 15 parts of Khuddakapatha Nikaya, "Dharma" which means the teachings of the Buddha; “sentence” includes deep meaningful words being combined into verses. The Dhammapada is a collection of 423 poems spoken by the Buddha on various occasions during his 45 years of teaching dharma. These stanzas are arranged in 26 chapters which were proclaimed and recited by the great disciples during the first time after the Buddha passed away.

The test took place in a dignified and pure atmosphere at 8 o'clock. After going through the exam and judging panel, the organizers found there are more than 20 candidates who are almost complete, of which 09 candidates have been selected and have excellently passed the examination.

The closing ritual took place after the exam’s ending in the afternoon. The pagoda‘s monks gladly came and witnessed the program. Junior Thich Tam Vuong read the contest meaning “Illuminating the Light of Wisdom”; Junior Thich Tam Cung announced its results. Next, the Abbot of Hoang Phap Pagoda, Head of the Organizers, Junior Thich Tam Truong had a few words to the mass.

Each verse in Dhammapada is a short teaching, easy-to-understand, but it is quite long to remember and memorize with 423 verses, which is not easy, so the participating candidates are also limited. Therefore, the Organizers plan for the next exams to divide the contest into 3 levels: Level 1 with 141 verses; Level 2 with 282 verses; Level 3 with 423 verses. Contestants who win at any level will receive a corresponding prize. Thanks to this, everyone can participate more easily. At the same time, the Junior reminds us we need to understand and apply Buddha's teachings in our living to transform our body-mind, reduce greed, anger, and ignorance, etc, to get the benefits of peace and happiness for ourselves, family and society. 

Before dedicating and closing the contest, the Organizers awarded prizes to the winners based on the contest standard. The prize includes: Certificate of Participation in the Program, souvenir trophy, a set of books named Collection and selection of Buddha's Teachings in the A Ham Sutra (2 books) compiled by Most Thich Chan Tinh. In particular, the Organizers also offer a free tour of some northern landscapes to the winners.

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