Going to the temple at the beginning of the year to ask for 'luck' words

(Baonghean.vn) - In addition to the custom of going to pagodas, people in Yen Thanh district (Nghe An) also have another habit of asking for the first words of the year. This custom has become a beautiful spiritual culture in the life of people in the rice fields.

In the bustling atmosphere of tens of thousands of tourists visiting Gam Pagoda (Xuan Thanh - Yen Thanh) on the first day of the year, the image of monk Thich Chuc Kha giving calligraphy in front of the Zen Monastery brought a special vitality, a beautiful spiritual culture dotted in the panoramic picture of Tet in the rice land of Yen Thanh.

Monk Thich Chuc Kha writes calligraphy at Gam Pagoda.

There were a lot of people coming to ask for calligraphy, but this was a good custom, and it had great spiritual significance, so people did not hesitate to wait in line to receive the calligraphy from the monk. After the person asking for calligraphy chose the content, in just 30 seconds to 1 minute, the monk's graceful hands wrote each word like a dancing phoenix or flying dragon.

Mr. Nguyen Can - a retired teacher said: "Previously, Yen Thanh had Mr. Nguyen Duy Doi - the most talented calligrapher in Nghe An. Every year when Tet and Spring came, many people came to ask for calligraphy, but he passed away in 2014. This is truly a great loss for the homeland. But the good news is that this year, monk Thich Chuc Kha at Gam Pagoda has revived and continued that traditional cultural value."

Many people come to ask for calligraphy, but this is a good custom with great spiritual meaning so people do not hesitate to wait in line to receive calligraphy from the monk.

It is known that monk Thich Chuc Kha can write many types of calligraphy, but he mainly writes in Vietnamese calligraphy. According to him, Vietnamese calligraphy is close, easy to feel, easy to understand. Vietnamese calligraphy is an art and a cultural value that needs to be preserved and promoted. It is also a beautiful feature in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people.

People who come to ask for calligraphy come from all walks of life, all ages, and all professions. The calligraphy is written according to the wishes of the person asking, expressing their wishes for wealth, health, fame... in the new year. In addition, many people also say that: At this sacred place of the Zen Monastery, asking for calligraphy from the monk is a lucky thing.

Mother and child go to temple together to ask for calligraphy.

Each person has their own wishes and entrusts those things to the words of the saints that they ask for as a wish. But above all, asking for and giving calligraphy at the beginning of Spring are good things, carrying humanistic values, not only valuable to the individual but also meaningful, having a good influence on society, creating cultural exchanges in the community, together moving towards Truth - Goodness - Beauty.

It is also a testament to the tradition of studiousness and respect for knowledge of the people of Yen Thanh rice fields in particular and the Vietnamese people in general.

Tien Dung