Proactively and resolutely correct the distorted activities of offering stars to dispel bad luck

Affirming the non-interference in people's religious activities for the sake of peace during the New Year, Dr. Vu Chien Thang (Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs - photo) said that, in the face of many offensive and deviant phenomena, there must be orientations for people's religious activities to return to their original good meaning.

Reporter: What is the Government Committee for Religious Affairs' assessment of the widespread practice of offering prayers to dispel bad luck with many manifestations of distortion and profiteering that have been taking place at places of worship, sir?

Dr. Vu Chien Thang:The press and public opinion have recently reported many phenomena of offering stars to ward off bad luck with excessive and deviant manifestations. The Government Committee for Religious Affairs believes that this phenomenon should be viewed calmly, analyzed objectively and from many perspectives. First of all, it must be seen that this is not a new phenomenon. Offering stars to ward off bad luck at the beginning of the year is familiar to the Vietnamese people. However, researchers and Buddhist dignitaries have also clearly explained that in Buddhism there is no offering stars to ward off bad luck. The Buddha, with his compassion and love, always directs the masses to good things, accumulating virtue and doing good deeds, then life will be peaceful. The Buddha does not give anyone good or bad things to ward off.
Offering stars to dispel bad luck is essentially a philosophical thought of Taoism that has been integrated into Buddhism in the tradition of the Three Teachings of the Same Origin. The concept that each person corresponds to a star in the universe, when heaven and earth move, each year each person corresponds to a star, good means peace and bad means misfortune, needing to be dispelled. At the beginning of the year, people go to temples, communal houses, pagodas to pray, seek peace and luck, and to be dispelled by the "illusory compensation" of religion and belief, that is a legitimate need. However, recently, the activities of organizing star offering to dispel bad luck have been distorted and excessive. Many religious establishments have grasped the needs of the people and organized this activity on a large scale, in a disciplined manner. Many star offering ceremonies have attracted thousands of people, and large budgets have been organized. Many pagodas have even become overloaded with each star offering ceremony. This activity gradually became uncontrolled, "crossing the line" beyond the regulations of the State and the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, and became offensive and contrary to Buddhist teachings.

Faced with that reality, what actions has the Government Committee for Religious Affairs taken to rectify it, sir?

Dr. Vu Chien Thang:The Government Committee for Religious Affairs, through its grasp of reality, has clearly recognized this situation. We do not interfere or prohibit it, but we clearly need to orient it properly so that this activity returns to its original good meaning, proactively and decisively so that there will be no further occurrence of negative, deviant, and uncontrolled acts of religious activity of the people.

The Government Committee for Religious Affairs' viewpoint is very clear. We have the Law on Religious Beliefs and Decree 162 of the Government detailing this issue. In addition, there are many other legal regulations on culture, beliefs, public order, etc. Implementing the Prime Minister's direction, the Committee for Religious Affairs has worked with relevant Committees, Ministries and branches to have many forms of information, exchange, and coordination with authorities at all levels to mobilize and propagate to the people and Buddhist followers, and guide the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha at all levels to direct the abbots of Buddhist worship establishments to properly implement the provisions of the law in organizing festivals, limiting superstitious phenomena, contrary to good customs and traditions, and inconsistent with Buddhist teachings and traditions.

People flooded the streets during a star offering ceremony to ward off bad luck at Phuc Khanh Pagoda (Hanoi). Illustrative photo.

Now it is the end of the “season” of offering prayers to ward off bad luck. So from now until next year, what drastic instructions will the Government Committee for Religious Affairs continue to give to rectify this situation, sir?

With recent moves, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha have all clearly expressed their views and taken actions to help pagodas and the public raise awareness of this issue. In the future, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs will continue to proactively and resolutely coordinate with relevant agencies to seriously rectify this issue. Regarding state management, it is necessary to strictly comply with legal regulations. From the Party Committees and local authorities, where there are religious and worshiping establishments, all must be responsible for managing, guiding, inspecting and rectifying immediately after the Lunar New Year any deviations from the norm, from burning votive paper, practicing rituals outside of religious establishments to offering stars to ward off bad luck that are deviant and superstitious...

We will also coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in implementing the Law on Belief and Religion. The law includes two areas of belief and religion management. The two sides will coordinate to direct the competent authorities to develop clear decentralization regulations, to avoid loss of control or spontaneity.

In addition, the Committee will continue to request the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to rectify the Sangha's internal regulations, operating regulations, and especially in educating and managing monks and nuns to operate in accordance with the Buddhist program of the Central and local governments. Pagodas need to serve the religious needs of the people well but must be controlled and comply with the laws and teachings of Buddhism.

In addition, it is necessary to strengthen propaganda and education for Buddhists and the people. The current situation is partly due to the incorrect practice of religious activities by pagodas, and partly due to the lack of awareness among Buddhists, which has led to an explosion of improper religious practices. I believe that this activity will be rectified if the state management agencies, local authorities, the Church and relevant authorities are determined, proactive, systematic and closely coordinated.

According to you, what difficulties will there be in rectifying this activity when it is related to people's spiritual and religious factors?

Dr. Vu Chien Thang:The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has sent a document to the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in provinces and cities requesting that this situation be corrected. That is the highest direction of the Sangha.

In addition to propaganda solutions, we also have full solutions for rectifying places of worship. The Law on Religious Beliefs prohibits acts that are not allowed, such as performing superstitious and socially deviant acts... In addition, organizing religious ceremonies outside places of worship, especially on public transport routes, obstructing people's travel are also activities that violate the Traffic Law... All of these issues need to be rectified. From now until next year, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs has also made plans to proactively and resolutely rectify the above situation. In the working sessions at the beginning and end of the year with the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, we will request rectification, not to repeat the offensive and deviant phenomena in the activities of offering stars to dispel bad luck at pagodas as in the past.

Thank you very much!

Phuong Anh (Information Center, Government Committee for Religious Affairs)