The ceremony of taking refuge to Trinity and the night festival with flower garlands and coloured lanterns on the commemorative day of Amirabha Buddha held at Tay Khanh Pagoda in Thai Binh province.

In such a sublime meaning and after the end of the 78th\r\nretreat as well as the night festival with flower garlands and coloured\r\nlanterns commemorating the birthday of Amitabha at Hoang Phap Pagoda in\r\nHoChiMinh City, Senior Venerable Thich Chan Tinh, Abbot of Hoang Phap Pagoda,\r\nmade a Buddha‘s work trip to the northern provinces so as to visit, preach and\r\norganise the night festival with flower garlands on the commemorative day on\r\nthe birthday of Amitabha Buddha at some wayplaces there.

After sharing the preaching of the Dharma with the Buddhists\r\nat the wayplace of Hoa Phuc Pagoda in Hanoi city on 09 January, 2015 (19\r\nNovember of the lunar Horse year), Senior Ven. Thich Chan Tinh returned to the\r\nwayplace of Tay Khanh Pagoda located in Cao Mai rural village of Quang Hung\r\nCommune of Kien Xuong rural district in Thai Binh province to perform and\r\nwitness the above-mentioned ceremony at the invitation of Junior Venerable\r\nThich Tam Kinh, Abbot of the pagoda. In spite of the frosty weather of the\r\nNorth, there were so many Buddhists who came to the pagoda to participate in\r\nthe ceremony thanks to their warm and enthusiastic faith to Tathagata . 

On the same evening, the Senior Ven. and his entourage came\r\nto the auditorium of the pagoda to preach the Dharma to the Buddhists. 

At 18h30 sharp, the ceremony of Flower garlands and\r\ncoloured lanterns officially started among the voice praying to Buddha from the\r\nwayplace to respectfully invite the Buddhist monks to the rostrum. At the\r\nbeginning of the ceremony, the masses heard several rounds of Pratja wooden\r\nbell and bell in right mindfulness so as to purify their soul for such a solemn\r\nceremony. Next, on behalf of the organisation board, Junior Venerable Thich Tam\r\nKinh, Abbot of Tay Khanh pagoda, loudly read the opening speech. Next after\r\nthat, the monks and the masses with all their respectful heart performed the\r\nrite of insence presentation. The ceremony went on with the rite called\r\n‘Transmission of the light’. This is the most important part of the night\r\nfestival. Candles were lighted up by the monks and then transmitted to the\r\nBuddhists from the altar. The frosty weather accompanied by a drizlzing rain\r\nmade the atmosphere frostier. But right here the candles made the Buddhists’\r\nsoul warmer, dispelling the frost in the Buddhists’ gloomy memory to wlden\r\ntheir heart so as to feel the Buddha’s bounless love that has been reserved for\r\nliving beings. The lighted candles represented the arisen wisdom always\r\nmaintained and present, for only the light of wisdom can destroy the veil of\r\nignorance that has ever covered human beings’ mind since indefinite time. 

On behalf of the witnessing monks, Senior Ven. Thich Chan\r\nTinh gave a Buddhist speech to the masses at the ceremony. First, the Sen. Ven.\r\naddressed some glorifications to the Junior, abbot of Tay Khanh pagoda, and the\r\nBuddhists of this temple who together held such a solemn and stately ceremony.\r\nWith the meaning of representing the candles for human wisdom, Senior Ven.\r\nThich Chan Tinh shared with the masses the importance of the cause of wisdom.\r\nAccording to him, this cause on the earth or wordly affairs is just something\r\ntemporary and deceiving. Only that of wisdom can be true and have the use of\r\nliberating man from suffering his great misery and the use of sublimating his\r\nhuman life. As such, today we are lighting up this torch to speak up the light\r\nof wisdom. All of us should always direct ourselves to wisdom so as to gain\r\neternal happiness right in this life of ours. Finally, the Sen. Ven. wished\r\nthat the masses would always be joyful and diligent in the practising of their\r\nway. 

Contributing their part to the ceremony, there were singer\r\nQuang Huy and singer The Duyen who sang the songs praising the merits and\r\nvirtues of the Buddha. 

Towards late of the night, the weather became colder and\r\ncolder. But the warm atmosphere of the ceremony remained incessantly here in\r\nthe joyfulness of all the participants. 

Included herewith are some recorded pictures:

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