Nghe An Buddhists accompany the nation

The Buddhist activities of Nghe An province in recent times have been highly appreciated by the Standing Committee of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. Under the management of the Provincial Buddhist Sangha Executive Committee, more than 50,000 Buddhists living in pagodas, monasteries, and Buddhist associations have accompanied the nation in building and developing their homeland.

To date, Nghe An province has 50 Buddhist worshiping establishments legally recognized by local authorities, including 9 pagodas as historical and cultural relics, 53 monks and nuns, 4 doctors, 4 masters, 10 bachelors, and 8 intermediate-level monks.

The ancient Am Dien Minh Pagoda (Dien Chau) was restored to meet the spiritual and cultural needs of the people and Buddhist followers inside and outside the province. Photo: Internet

In recent years, Nghe An has restored 37 pagodas of Buddhist origin. The Executive Committee has decided to appoint abbots to 17 pagodas, bringing the total number of pagodas with abbots to 27. The Buddhist activities of Nghe An province in recent times have been highly appreciated by the Standing Committee of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

Live a good life, good religion

It can be affirmed that throughout the history of the homeland, monks, nuns, and abbots of pagodas have actively carried out the work of propagating the Dharma, strictly complying with the State's laws and policies, and the Charter of the Buddhist Sangha.

Everywhere, at all times, Buddhists actively participate in the rainy season retreat to cultivate Precepts - Concentration - Wisdom, and restrain their body and mind. Many monks and nuns are elected as delegates to the provincial and district People's Councils, and actively participate in the activities of the Fatherland Front and the Red Cross.

View of the 2nd Congress of Buddhist Delegates of Nghe An province, term 2017-2022.

According to the local Executive Committee, monks, nuns, and Buddhists have actively responded to the program of joining hands to build a fund for the poor, a fund to encourage learning, encourage talents, a fund to repay kindness, and the national target program on "Building a new countryside". All Buddhist activities are oriented to operate well, so pagodas have proactively organized rituals to ensure solemnity, respect, safety, and economy, in accordance with regulations.

In particular, traditional festivals such as the Buddhist Cultural Festival "Scent of Lotus in Nghe An", the Gam Temple - Pagoda Festival, the Spring Writing Festival... are solemnly held. Contributing to promoting the historical and cultural values ​​of the relic, attracting a large number of believers and people to participate in cultural activities, folk games, sightseeing, worshiping Buddha and learning about Buddhist teachings.

In recent times, in order for monks, nuns and Buddhist followers to have a place to practice and study, to meet the needs of community cultural activities as well as to organize traditional festivals, many pagodas have been renovated and rebuilt.

The worshiping structures ensure solemnity, create spacious grounds, preserve the traditional cultural features of Vietnamese Buddhism and Nghe An Buddhism with a budget of tens of billions of dong such as: Lam Son Pagoda, Dong Yen Pagoda (Quynh Luu), Dai Tue Pagoda, Vien Quang Pagoda (Nam Dan), Can Linh Pagoda (Vinh City), Co Am Pagoda (Dien Chau), Chi Linh Pagoda (Yen Thanh),...

Comrade Le Xuan Dai - Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee delivered a congratulatory speech and presented a banner with the words "Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Nghe An province, Solidarity, harmony, patriotism, and accompanying the nation". Photo: Internet

Promoting the spirit of compassion and salvation of Buddhism and the tradition of "protecting the country and people, accompanying the nation", in recent years, the Executive Committee of Nghe An Buddhist Sangha and pagodas have mobilized philanthropists, monks, nuns, and Buddhists to actively support and participate in charity activities, from 2011 to present reaching over 25 billion VND, contributing to bringing the image of Nghe An Buddhism into the hearts of the masses in a friendly way, with profound humanistic values.

It can be affirmed that for hundreds of years, Nghe An Buddhism has always promoted the spirit of compassion, calling on monks, nuns and Buddhists to be active in social charity work. In addition to providing relief to people affected by natural disasters and poverty, in social charity work, Buddhists join hands to build welfare projects, charity houses, social health insurance, environmental protection, climate change response, traffic culture... and focus on the fields of education and health, building medical examination and treatment facilities, and preschool education facilities.

Accompanying the nation

Last year, the Nghe An Buddhist Sangha Executive Committee for the 2017-2022 term was elected by the 2nd Provincial Buddhist Congress with 25 members and the Standing Committee with 15 members. Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu was again elected as the Head of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Executive Committee for this term. It can be said that over the past 7 years, the work of building the Nghe An Buddhist system has been organized systematically, in accordance with regulations and has developed in both quality and quantity.

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu was re-elected as Head of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in the province for the 2017-2022 term. Photo: Internet

Appreciating the activities of the Nghe An Buddhist Sangha, at the 2nd Provincial Buddhist Congress, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee - Comrade Le Xuan Dai, on behalf of the Provincial Party Committee - People's Council - People's Committee - Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, presented a banner with the words "Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Nghe An Province, Solidarity, harmony, devotion to religion, patriotism, accompanying the nation". The Provincial Government hopes that the Executive Committee will continue to mobilize monks, nuns, and Buddhists to actively participate in patriotic emulation movements, building a great national unity bloc.

Buddhist monks and nuns offer incense before the statue of President Ho Chi Minh at the Square named after him. Photo: Internet

What particularly touched Buddhists was the support of the Nghe An provincial government and the hope that the Executive Committee would soon complete the procedures and start building the Provincial Buddhist Sangha Executive Committee Headquarters and related projects. Along with strengthening the Buddhist organization, the construction of spacious facilities will contribute to promoting the development of Buddhist activities in the coming time.