Buddhist Church requests to rectify preaching 'ghost revenge'
The Quang Ninh Provincial Church was assigned to work with the abbot of Ba Vang Pagoda and strictly discipline individuals if there are violations in preaching.
On the afternoon of March 21, the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha sent a document to the Executive Board of the Quang Ninh Provincial Sangha requesting clarification of information reflecting that Ba Vang Pagoda spread the story of "ghosts taking revenge".
The Buddhist Sangha believes that this information "causes a stir in public opinion, causes many discussions in society, and affects Buddhism and the Sangha." Therefore, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha requests that the Quang Ninh Provincial Sangha immediately work with Venerable Thich Truc Thai Minh, abbot of Ba Vang Pagoda, to "clarify the matter and promptly report in writing."
The Quang Ninh Provincial Church must also rectify the preaching at Ba Vang Pagoda; strictly discipline individuals if there are violations in preaching that cause superstition and heresy.
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Buddhists listen to sermons at Ba Vang Pagoda. Photo:VT. |
On the same morning, a working delegation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism worked with Quang Ninh province to verify the information.
Sharing "sadness and heartache", Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, said that Buddhist Pham Thi Yen's statement about the reason why the chicken delivery girl in Dien Bien was murdered was "not in accordance with Buddhist teachings and against social ethics".
"We all feel pain for a person who was brutally murdered. Using the vagueness of a previous life to call it a grudge is an excuse for brutal actions in society. This is unacceptable," said Venerable Thien. When receiving a report from the locality, the Buddhist Sangha will have an appropriate form of handling.
Ba Vang Pagoda was reported to be an organization that "spreads vengeance and revenge", earning hundreds of billions of dong each year. In a video posted on social media, Ms. Pham Thi Yen, head of the Cuc Vang Club practicing the six harmonies of Ba Vang Pagoda, said in front of a crowd that there are many "ghost possession" phenomena, and people have to spend money or work for free to cure them. Ms. Yen explained that the reason the chicken delivery girl in Dien Bien was murdered was "the combination of her bad karma from her previous life and her current fate".
