How does the Hang Thuan ceremony take place at the temple?

On the evening of October 8, a couple, both Buddhists of Duc Hau Pagoda, held a wedding ceremony in front of the Buddha altar with the blessings and witness of hundreds of Buddhists.

The bride Nguyen Thi Tu (born in 1997) took refuge at Duc Hau pagoda, the groom is Nguyen Dang Hoang (born in 1991), residing in Le Loi ward - Vinh city (Nghe An), whose parents are also Buddhists of the pagoda.

The young couple held their wedding at the Main Hall in front of hundreds of Buddhists. Photo: Duc Anh

The couple registered to hold a wedding ceremony at the temple with the hope of having a special wedding; hoping to be blessed by Buddha to have a peaceful, happy life, a hundred years of perfect love, and a life of husband and wife.

Under the witness of Venerable Thich Dinh Tue and many Buddhists and relatives of both families, the wedding ceremony was held according to a special ritual in the temple, called the Hang Thuan Ceremony.

The ceremony consists of three parts:

The wedding was held under the witness of Venerable Thich Dinh Tue - abbot of Duc Hau pagoda.

The first part includes: bowing (kneeling) to the Buddhas, taking refuge in the Three Jewels; the monks will stand up to witness the marriage in a sacred atmosphere right in the main hall; introducing the bride and groom to the Buddhists present at the ceremony.

Part two: The two main characters make a vow, usually prepared by both of them in advance, then listen to the abbot's lecture on ethics in marriage, family, and society.

The young couple had prepared carefully when performing the rituals in the Hang Thuan Ceremony. Photo: Duc Anh

Part three: The bride and groom bow (kneel) to express gratitude to their parents, paternal and maternal grandparents, and to each other. After signing the certificate, the couple exchange rings and listen to the presiding monk talk about the meaning of the ring exchange.

The monk performs a mindfulness ritual of the Buddha's teachings for the young couple. Photo: Duc Anh

When performing the ceremony, the Master wholeheartedly guides the couple's morality in married life as taught by the Buddha in the Thien Sanh Sutra or the Ca Thi La Viet Sutra...

Venerable Thich Dinh Tue, who presided over the wedding and is the abbot of Duc Hau Pagoda, said: The Hang Thuan ceremony is a relatively special ceremony reserved for weddings held solemnly at the pagoda. The Hang Thuan ceremony on the wedding day bears the imprint of the spiritual ethics and wisdom of Buddhism, along with very specific directions to help the couple have a bright, optimistic future in the spirit of enlightenment and liberation.

After listening to Buddha's teachings on the responsibilities of being a child, a husband and a wife, the young couple performed the ceremony of signing the certificate. Photo: Duc Anh

Up to now, the temple has organized weddings for nearly 200 young couples, most of whom have been ordained here or have parents who are Buddhists of the temple. When holding wedding ceremonies in the main hall of the temple, the young people were very sincere and mindful; many cried and expressed their most sincere feelings to their parents.

Holding a wedding ceremony in a temple not only gives young people the most sacred and precious moments on their big day, but also allows them to listen to teachings about the meaning of husband and wife; what to do and what to avoid when entering a new life in a new role. From there, the meaning of the wedding ceremony is multiplied, the young couple will be more aware when exchanging wedding rings, when returning to the same house.

After the ceremony, the young couple turned to face each other in mindfulness and said thank you to the Buddhists; bowed to Buddha, vowing to fulfill their promise to Buddha to have a hundred years of happiness.