Visiting the Headquarters of Compassionate Service Society (CSS) and Dharma Talk At Minh Dang Quang Ancestral Hall in South California - United States

In the morning of Oct 14, 2016, the Venerable Thich Chan Tinh visited CSS (Compassionate Service Society) founded by Master Ce Thich Hang Truong.

Compassionate Service Society (CSS) is a non-profit organization with its mission and vision combining the elite of bodhisattva path and the intellectualness of the 21st century in areas as reflection, practice, philosophy, culture, to help the human being reach the ease and liberation. CSS currently holds programs and classes as following:

- Fitness classes of Integral Taichi with formal form and light form, as well as qigong classes,

- Monthly and quarterly meditation classes,

- Dharma talk,

- Khai Tam radio shows,

- Khai Tam TV shows,

- Vegan cooking classes,

- Outdoor activities as camping,

- Religious activities as Luong Hoang Sám Repentance, Vesak ceremony, Train the Trainer Courses and training courses for members.

The above mentioned activities are carried out with the aim creating the environment and opportunities for the sake of physical, spiritual, psychological, social and intellectual promotion of the participants, especially the members.

The evening, the Venerable Thich Chan Tinh had a Dharma talk at Minh Dang Quang Ancestral Hall(pagoda) with the warm welcome from Master Abbot Thich Minh Tuyen.

During the session, the Venerable shared about his respect and close brethrenhood with mendicant sect and summarized its unique traditional characters. Mendicant sect, founded by Master Monk Minh Dang Quang, has strongly developed in provinces throughout Southern Vietnam and spread to other countries around the world. The Founder of Vietnamese Mendicant Sect have distilled and consolidated main theories from Buddhism Theravada and Mahayana in its regulation as following:

- Clothing: three suits and one alms-bowl/monk,

- Foods and consumption: they use vegan foods (Mahayana) before afternoon (Theravada),

- Sangha: both male and female are qualified for ordainment (Mahayana). The genuine, sincere, pure and noble characteristic in mission and vision of this sect has attracted lots of disciples, making it grow strongly and rapidly since then.

Closing the Dharma talk, the Venerable Thich Chan Tinh expressed his gratitude to the Master Monk Thich Minh Tuyen for his facilitation to the delegation during its trip in South California. The Venerable presented the DVD film:” Searching for the Enlightenment” published by Hoang Phap Pagoda, to the participants as the Dharma gift.

Following are the recorded photographs: