Buddhism in Nghe An - Shining Brightly with the Homeland - Part 2
With the spirit of "protecting the nation and ensuring the people's well-being," and with Buddhism accompanying the nation throughout history, Nghe An Buddhism has made many contributions to the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, to the homeland, and to the country. The tradition of "serving the religion and loving the country, dedicating oneself to practicing the religion" has been and continues to be upheld by monks, nuns, and Buddhists, uniting with other faiths and religions, spreading beautiful and humane values for the peace and happiness of the people and the prosperity of Nghe An province...
Lesson 2:
Creating a peaceful environment.
serving all beings
Promoting the spirit of compassionIn order to alleviate suffering through Buddhism, over the years, the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Association has been actively involved.Southern ProvinceNghe An province and its temples have mobilized monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers to actively support and participate in charitable activities.modelsSocial welfare programs have a significant social impact. Through this, they contribute to bringing the image of Buddhism in Nghe An province closer to the public in a friendly and approachable way.Closely connected to profound humanistic values.
Spreading moral values to young people.
Gam Pagoda is a religious architectural work belonging to the Truc Lam Zen sect, located in Ke Gam village (Xuan Thanh commune) and within the Song Dinh - Ru Gam spiritual and ecological tourism complex. It is one of the religious and artistic structures showcasing the unique ancient cultural beauty of Yen Thanh district.
In Nghe An province, only in Yen Thanh district are temples and pagodas located within a single spacious compound. For many years, this religious and spiritual site has been a place of spiritual activity and practice for over 30,000 Buddhists in the district.
Besides carrying out Buddhist activities, this place also does a good job of social welfare work, helping many people overcome difficulties and hardships.
Visiting Gam Pagoda (also known as Chi Linh Tu) on a late autumn afternoon, we were captivated by a young boy in a gray outfit, with a bright face and three tufts of hair, leisurely reading Buddhist precepts inscribed on stones within the tranquil grounds of the pagoda.
Upon inquiring with Venerable Thich Tue Minh, the representative of the Abbot of Gam Pagoda, we learned that the boy, whose Buddhist name is Thanh Chau, was adopted by the pagoda and has been attending the second grade at a primary school in Xuan Thanh commune for the past two years.
Thanh Chau comes from a disadvantaged background; her mother sells fruit alone near Vinh Stadium to support three children. Due to their difficult circumstances, Thanh Chau, at the age of 7, had not yet started first grade. Later, someone took pity on their situation and guided Thanh Chau's mother to Gam Pagoda to meet Venerable Thich Tue Minh and ask for his care.
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With a compassionate heart, Venerable Thich Tue Minh welcomed the boy into the temple and provided him with the opportunity to attend school. “His arrival at the temple is a matter of fate. The temple will be responsible for raising him until he turns 18. After that, depending on circumstances, if he wishes to pursue a monastic life, I will guide him in his practice. If he wants to enter society, the temple will provide him with the opportunity to learn a trade to earn a living,” said Venerable Thich Tue Minh.
According to the representative of the Abbot of Gam Pagoda, for the past 10 years, the biggest welfare concern of the pagoda has been spreading spiritual and moral values to young people through summer retreats such as "Nurturing Lotus Seeds; Nurturing Morality; Returning to the Buddha; Preparing for Life," along with martial arts clubs and life skills classes, with the participation of thousands of young people aged 6 to 18. The summer retreats alone are organized in batches of 3-4 courses, each attracting 500-560 participants for 7 days, with accommodation and meals provided completely free of charge at the pagoda.
“The retreats all focus on educating and uplifting the spirits of young people according to four principles (respect for the law, reverence for the country, filial piety towards grandparents and parents; respect for teachers and elders, and living kindly with everyone around them). Depending on the age group, the temple will have different forms and content, focusing on Buddhist meditation methods, healing from within, and helping the children reflect on themselves,” said Venerable Thich Tue Minh.
In addition to students from schools within the province, there are also students from universities in Hanoi participating in experiential activities. Depending on the actual situation, the temple often develops self-reflection programs for students to exchange thoughts and aspirations, discuss social issues of concern, or issues that are trending on social media.
Through this, messages are conveyed that help students comprehensively understand the core values of happiness, love, and kindness. For example, a female student in Hanoi, after participating in the "Eyes of Compassion Looking at Life" meditation tea session at Gam Pagoda recently expressed her gratitude and appreciation to the Venerable monks for giving her and her friends such a meaningful retreat… helping them reset themselves and rediscover their true selves.
Along with youth-oriented activities, Gam Pagoda also implements many other social welfare programs such as coordinating with the Fatherland Front of the district to build solidarity houses for the poor, averaging 5 houses per year, with support ranging from 30-50 million VND per house; the "Rice Fragrance, Homeland Love" Club model; the "Soup of Love" program at Yen Thanh District General Hospital; and the "Fund to Help the Poor" which supports Buddhist families with interest-free loans… Through these activities, it spreads the humanistic values and the spirit of compassion, alleviating suffering, and helping those in need, as taught by Buddhism.
The sacred realm of revolutionary journalist martyrs
Da Pagoda (its official name is Au Lac), located in Hung Loc commune, Vinh City, is not only famous for its sacredness with the saying "The temple is sacred, the Buddha is at Da Pagoda," but it has also become a "red address" for traditional education; because it worships 512 revolutionary journalist martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the resistance against the French and Americans, in building and protecting the Fatherland, and in volunteering for noble international missions.
In a tranquil setting, over a fragrant cup of lotus tea, Venerable Thich Dong Tue, Abbot of Da Pagoda, shared with us: To compile the list and documents of 512 revolutionary journalist martyrs, including 8 from Nghe An province, we must first acknowledge the dedication and commitment of journalist Tran Van Hien, former Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Nghe An Newspaper. He spent over 15 years traveling back and forth across the North and South, through forests and seas, searching for and piecing together information about fallen journalist martyrs from battlefields across the country, from 1947 to the war to defend the southwestern and northern borders.
By 2019, journalist Tran Van Hien had completed the list of martyrs, and this list was deposited at the Museum of Revolutionary Journalism of Vietnam. However, the journalist from Nghe An province still felt uneasy, because most of the martyred journalists had no surviving relatives and no one to worship them.
“Through our conversations over tea, journalist Tran Van Hien expressed his concerns and raised the issue of honoring fallen journalists at Da Pagoda. Upon hearing this, I was delighted and immediately agreed. In 2020, on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of the War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27th), a grand ceremony to pray for the souls of the fallen revolutionary journalists from across the country and enshrine their remains in the pagoda, honoring them for generations to come, was solemnly held at this more than 400-year-old temple.”
According to Venerable Thich Dong Tue: Every year on June 21st and July 27th, the pagoda holds a memorial service for fallen journalists. In 2024, the Vietnam Journalists Association collaborated with the pagoda to organize a large-scale memorial service, with the participation of delegates from the central and local levels, to pay tribute to the fallen journalists who dedicated their youth to the cause of national liberation and the protection of the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.
In our conversation, journalist Nguyen Van Hien shared that while working at Nghe An Newspaper, he took advantage of business trips to gather information from colleagues and also requested the cooperation of the Journalists' Associations in various provinces and cities to provide information about journalists who had sacrificed their lives and their families. From this, he compiled hundreds of moving stories and valuable documents about journalist martyrs who fell on the battlefields.
And his book, "Standing Under Bombing," which was published, also records those moving stories. Along with artifacts such as pens, cameras, notebooks, etc., the book is a valuable source of information for tourists and Buddhists who want to learn about the portraits of revolutionary journalist martyrs when they visit Da Pagoda.
Journalist Tran Van Hien also expressed his relief that the revolutionary journalist martyrs were brought back to be worshipped in this sacred place, because "The land of abundance resounds with the sacred drums of the Soviet era / Au Lac Pagoda shines with the Buddha's heart, firmly guiding the path of practice."
Let's work togetherenvironmental protection, climate change response
Located in Minh Thanh hamlet, Quynh Long commune, Quynh Luu district, An Thai Pagoda has a long history and underwent major renovations during the reign of Tran Minh Tong (1324-1329). In terms of Yin-Yang theory, the pagoda is situated in the center of a "four mythical creatures" formation: the Green Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. Notably, the pagoda also preserves a sacred ancient well dug in 1024, during the reign of King Ly Thai To, under the Thien Thanh era.
Having endured countless wars, conflicts, and historical upheavals, An Thai Pagoda gradually fell into disrepair. In 2010, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued a decision approving the restoration of this pagoda.
From here, Buddhist activities and the propagation of the Dharma have been diligently built and developed by Abbot Thich Minh Hai and the monks, nuns, and lay Buddhists. From a temple on a barren hillside, it is now lush with greenery, fragrant flowers all year round, and a clean, beautiful green space that captivates anyone who visits.
Venerable Thich Thanh Minh, speaking on behalf of Abbot Thich Minh Hai, said: To achieve the current landscape, the temple has received the collective efforts and support of Buddhists and local people. Many Buddhists have volunteered their labor and contributed saplings to beautify the landscape and expand environmental protection models.
A typical example is Buddhist follower Pham Thi Mai Khoa, born in 1965, a female poet who once lived and worked in Ho Chi Minh City but is married to a man from Nghe An province. In a conversation with us, the petite woman with a kind face shared that she was born and raised in Hanoi, then moved to the South. She is a retired official from the Department of Transportation and is active in the Ho Chi Minh City Writers' Association. Her husband is from Quynh Long commune, Quynh Luu district (Nghe An province).
In 2020, fulfilling her mother-in-law's wish to spend her final days in her hometown, poet Mai Khoa and his wife brought her back to Quynh Long commune (Quynh Luu district) to care for her. Her connection with An Thai Pagoda, a place of "clear skies and crystal-clear water," began from there.
Being a lover of plants and knowledgeable about trees, when visiting the temple and seeing the women collecting and burning trash, poet Mai Khoa discussed with the monks and Buddhist followers the idea of shredding and composting the trash to fertilize the trees. In addition, she established a nursery at home with over 40 types of ornamental and fruit trees. Together with other Buddhists and the local people, she carried soil and planted hundreds of *Dinh Lang*, *Nhat Chi Mai*, and hibiscus plants from her family's nursery, creating a green landscape and vibrant flower-lined paths at An Thai Temple. She also encouraged Buddhists not to overuse or burn votive offerings to avoid waste and protect the environment.
Thanks to dedicated and active Buddhist followers like Mrs. Pham Thi Mai Khoa, the movement to green and beautify the grounds inside and outside of houses has spread throughout Quynh Long commune, where An Thai Pagoda is located.
In June 2024, An Thai Pagoda was selected by the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province, in coordination with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Association of Nghe An province, and the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Catholic Solidarity Committee of Nghe An province, as a model for "Religion protecting the environment and responding to climate change".
Immediately after the model project's launch ceremony, the organizing committee mobilized the people and Buddhist followers to clean up the environment, collect waste in the beach area, plant 2,700 mahogany trees and 5 Podocarpus trees around the temple area, spreading positive messages about environmental protection.
The above are just a few typical examples among many social welfare models implemented by Buddhist establishments, monks, and followers in Nghe An province, in conjunction with the development of their homeland. Through these initiatives, monks, nuns, and followers are educated about the profound cultural, ethical, and humanistic values of Buddhism, fostering unity and strengthening national solidarity.
These activities also demonstrate that Buddhism always emphasizes the harmony between spirituality and worldly life. This is also an intrinsic factor that encourages followers to voluntarily perform meritorious deeds, and for each monk and nun to become aware of their responsibilities and duties."Serving sentient beings is the most practical way to offer homage to the Buddhas., so that "giving is forever"...
