Traditional Festival and Candle Lighting Night of Co Tan Pagoda - Hai Duong

Co Tan Pagoda in Kinh Mon town, Hai Duong province held a Traditional Festival and Candle Lighting Night to pray for world peace and happiness for all living beings on March 25th, 2025.

Co Tan Pagoda in Kinh Mon town, Hai Duong province held a Traditional Festival and Candle Lighting Night to pray for world peace and happiness for all living beings on March 25th, 2025.

 

 Spring festivals with Vietnamese people are held vibrantly in all regions of the country. Thanks to this, people will find their roots, remember their ancestors, and talk about the nation's heroic history through festivals and folk cultural activities. Festivals are often associated with religious activities in communal houses and pagodas worshiping Buddhas, national heroes that are honored by the people. Festivals and ceremonies with many traditional features of Vietnamese cultural activities are increasingly being innovated and transformed in content and form to suit the psychology and aspirations of the people in today's modern life.

 

The opening ceremony of Co Tan Pagoda Spring Festival was witnessed by Senior Thich Thanh Chu - Abbot of Quang Khanh Pagoda;

Senior Thich Thanh Tuan - Member of Central Cultural Board of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha/ VBS, Chief Secretary, Head of Buddhist Cultural Board of Hai Duong Province, Head of Director Board/DB Buddhist Sangha/BS Kinh Mon Town; Junior Thich Thanh Chi - Deputy of DB Kinh Mon Town, Abbot of Quang Nghiem Pagoda (Hai Duong); Junior Thich Thanh Quang, Chief of Office of DB of Kinh Mon BS, Abbot of Bao Minh Pagoda, Nun Thich Dam Thao - Abbot of Tuong Van Pagoda (Hai Duong); Junior Thich Tam Trieu, guide of Co Tan Pagoda.

 

On the government side, there was the presence of Mr. Phung Van Kham - Party Secretary, Chairman of An Phu Ward People's Council (PC); Mr. Mac Duy Xue - Standing Deputy Secretary of Party Committee; Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Duc - Deputy Secretary, Chairman of An Phu Ward People's Committee; Mr. Vu Ba Tuyen - Secretary of the Co Tan Ward Party Cell; Mr. Le Van Manh - Head of the residential area of Co Tan town, Head of Festival organizer together with representatives of all levels of government, companies, enterprises, teachers, students, people and Buddhists inside and outside the locality attended the ceremony.

 

At 7:30 p.m., the candle lighting program was officially held. Junior Thich Tam Trieu struck the bell and read the opening speech.

 

After that, the monks had the incense offering ceremony and lit candles from the Buddha altar. The pure space in the chanting of Buddha's name was witnessed by the Three Jewels. The candles symbolize compassion, wisdom, understanding and love, continued from the Patriarchs, now passed on by the monks to future generations. All reside in the Buddha's name with a pure and quiet mind. "Candle passes candle, mind passes mind", the candles symbolize wisdom to dispel ignorance and greed, the candles of understanding and love shine into life, dispel ignorance and darkness, light up faith and hope. Also from that first candle, the light is passed on, the bright area gradually spreads. Thousands of flickering candles lit up a corner of the Dinh - Chua Co Tan sky, blending with the spreading incense smoke, creating a peaceful, pure and serene sky in the human world. Under the guidance of the monks, the mass wholeheartedly vowed to recite Buddha's name to build the Pure Land in this life.

 

Nun Thich Dam Thao, Abbot of Tuong Van pagoda, read 20 things for the gratitude of a Buddhist. Those are the Three Refuges and Five Precepts, the basic teachings to perfect the personality of a true Buddhist follower.

 

On behalf of the monks present, the monks of Hoang Phap pagoda, Junior Thich Tam Sy encouraged the mass to take advantage of the traditional festival and candle lighting night to pray for national peace, world peace, and happiness for all living beings.

 

The ceremony ended in the joy of the whole attendees.

 

 

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