The third day of summer retreat at Dong Cao pagoda

One-day cultivation has finished, but that gave attendees precious lessons. It was the moment of thinking about themselves, their regretful tears towards their parents, their vows for changing and renewing themselves.

On the 3rd day of the retreat, all of them listened to a dharma talk by Junior Ven. Thich Tam Tien. By witty and joyful preaching, he created a new wind to warm up the spring as a shower humid summer helping them with dharma speech. After the sound of their hands’clapping and laughters is the quiet moment to return their mind. Belief in yourself will help you arrive to any paths that you chose. When you have not yet believed in your ability, you should do it with the ones who have their belief in you. Because you have good qualities, but you have not yet rzzzzecognized this and the believers will help you receive confidence. Happiness is not only a smile, but also tears on your believers' shoulders.

Believing in the causes and effects makes your mind stable. Your current living displays the results of bad or good causes in the past. Therefore, you sow and plant good seeds at present   immediately for advance and development in the future. We should not blame on situations, Gods, or others. You have sowed, you will surely harvest. What fruits you want to receive depends on your sowing seeds. The optimiscism, love of life, or respect of time is due to cause-and-effect law. Future is not an unreal dream, which belongs to your deeds in current moment (bad or good actions and karmas).

Looking at yourself, you should live slower. Living slowly is not ignorance way, which is the one of right mind and awareness. Do not aspire in short pleasure that is temporary on earth because it can be the cause of sufferings later.

In the last section, the Junior Lecturer talked about the theme of “Sharing”. Sharing is all of joyfulness, sorrow, and work from material to spirit; from understanding to affection. Then, people who are shared by you will feel cosy. You feel yourself happier when your heart is opened widely.

 In the afternoon of same day, all participants had a dharma test and learnt Dharmapada sutra by heart. Because at the beginning time of the retreat, having made attempt and had been instructed, they gained good marks in the tests.

In the evening, by the witness of venerable Sangha as followed: Junior   Ven. Thich Tam Dao – Vice Abbot of Hoang Phap Pagoda in HCMC; Junior Ven. Thich Tam Dai – Abbot of Lam Phap Pagoda in Lam Dong Province accompanying with Junior Ven. Thich Tam Hung – Abbot of Dong Cao Pagoda and the monks of Hoang Phap Pagoda, who organized the rite of “Burning candles of gratitude”, which helps attendees understand four grace gratitudes. The first is gratitude to parents, the second is to Triratna and Master, the third is to the country, the four is to sentient beings.

The gratitude rite brought feelings’ levels that ought to be thought about: travelling workers leaving their home for earning; or people who make their parents’ heart sad, exhausted many times; to people who lost their parents forever. We could not pay enough all the silent sacrifice and love to our parents for today, tomorrow until forever. Although we will try our best to pay attention and serving, our parents’ merits still maintain highly as mountain and exist long.

 Let love parents when they are still alive

Do not wait for until they passed away

Then write loving words on their gravestones

It can not understand any things!

 Following are some recorded photographs

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