The first Ordination in 2019

Gathering enough good karma and passing all the test, on the morning of April 14th, 2019 (March 10th, LC), the five devote men joined the sangha. The ordination ceremony was taken place in Huong Phap temple, Cu Chi, by Ven. Thich Chan Tinh himself.

“For higher seeking, form-abandoning

From now we leave our family

To join the Buddha’s house

To save all living beings”

It’s not easy to be born as a human being, it’s harder to see Dharma, the hardest is to become a Sramana (a monk or a nun). By the good karma from the past, now the five men joined the sangha for the sake of all living beings.

Having entered the chanting hall, the ceremony was officially taken. One of the five has some words about the reason they become the monk and Ven. Thich Chan Tinh accepted. He also sent back to them some advice before shaving hair.

“Taking ordination you get out of the family, out of defilements and out of the three worlds (karma world, form world, formless world). Leaving family you cut off all attachment from a parent, sibling, relatives and grow a wider love to all living beings. Get out of the house of defilement you need to abandon all greed, hatred, and ignorance by cultivating the rules, concentration, and wisdom. By these poison roots, we roam here and there in the six realms of samsara. Today, good karma enough to become a monk one has to put the most effort to eliminate all defilements. The third, you all need to get out of the three worlds of karma, form and formless because the three worlds are nothing but samsara”.

“By this, you all need to try your best to escape the “firehouse” according to the Lotus Sutra. The means support us is Sila, Samadhi, Prajna. Sila is the rules, the precepts, the foundation that protects us from creating bad karma and lead to concentration. With concentration, we can see everything clearly, no more confusing. It’s prajna, wisdom. To take this way firmly, you need to practice three factors. Today is an important day to all of you, it remarks the moment you decide to live another life, the life of a saint, the life of the benefit of others”.

Having shaved, Ven. Abbot explained the meaning of the verse had uttered at the beginning of the ceremony.

The ceremony was closed with the joy of all participants.

Photos recorded: