Namo Lord Sakyamuni Buddha – our original Master
Respectful to the Most Venerable Thích Như Tịnh, the Head of Linh Nghĩa Temple, our venerably original Master,
Respectful to the Venerable and Honorable Monks and Nuns,
Dear to near and far Buddhists!
Today is on August 15, 2011, Buddhist Calendar 2555, lay and Monastic Buddhists – we have good conditions to pay homage to you all.
Respectful to the Most Venerably original Master, along with the honorable Monks and Nuns in the present!
We have respectfully heard a revered One teach:
“Meditation fragrance pervades nearness and farness
The heart garden of the Dharma blossoms four seasons.”
According to the long standing tradition of Buddhism, every coming year, Monks and Nuns gather Summer Retreat (Vassa) once together in different residences and localities. As usual every year, Summer Retreat (Vassa) held at Linh Nghia Temple within three months from lunar April 16 to lunar July 16, in the Cat Year, namely, May 18 to August 15, 2011, approved and permitted by the Most Venerable Master, we gather Monastic assemblies who train the body and mind together, improve precepts and virtue, make blessing fields for lay Buddhists cultivate. Besides Monastic assemblies, taking refuge in the golden robes of liberation, peaceful and joyful figures of the Sangha, lay Buddhist assemblies that are the external guards of intellectuals protect the three Jewels (The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha) have their duties to offer one, two, three, or four of four things such as clothing - robes, eatables - drinkables, resting - sleeping things, and medication.
Indeed, Monastics have a responsibility to learn the Dharma, understand it, practice it, and preach it, lay Buddhists also have a responsibility to learn the peaceful Path, understand it, practice it, spread it, and protect it. But both that enjoy and taste the joyful flavor of the Dharma advance on the way of life, go happily on the way of the Dharma, bring the Dharma to life in order to help life add joy and lessen suffering together.
Lay and Monastic Buddhists understand and practice like this, the garden of the Dharma heart blossoms four seasons. From here, we have the ability to reap flowers and fruits of joy and happiness right here and now in the present life, and have the capability to bring the gift of cultivation, training, joy and liberation to our relatives and beloved ones if we each try to apply and practice the Buddhadharma into daily life mindfully and awakeningly, solidly and carefreely.
Through the above-mentioned good results, we do not forget gratitude and protection of the Most Venerable Thích Như Tịnh - our venerably grateful Preceptor.
His gratitude teaches us to become good people in our lifetime,
His debt of gratitude we owe and try to do something good and meaningful in order to repay.
Today is the expiry day of the Sangha's Summer Retreat (Vassa) at Linh Nghia Temple in Dien Thanh Commune, Dien Khanh District, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. Harmonizing together happily with ceremony day of the expiry Summer Retreat (Vassa) in here, lay and monastic Buddhists, we beg to establish longevity wishing Ceremony of the Most Venerable Master, whose 86th Birthday adds an age of senior cultivation, a merit age, abundant health, peaceful and joyful body and mind to make the branch of old tree shade us who together go on the happy path, the cultivation of liberation to make peace for life.
To avoid reciprocating the Most Venerable Master's teachings and protection, we vow to light up the torch of the Dharma, vow to light up that of love, and vow to light up that of teacher's and students' affections, affections of brother/sisterhood, those of fellow monk, those of Dharma protection and Dharma propagation to contribute to bringing Buddhism to the future brightly and steadily in the world together.
In the formal and solemn atmosphere, we who beg to pay homage to longevity wishing Ceremony of the Most Venerable Master Thích Như Tịnh, along with venerable and honorable Monks and Nuns, and near – far Buddhists at Linh Nghia Temple, long-standing Dharma age, eternally worldly age, are forever joyful and cultivated practitioners permeating the light of the Buddha's loving-kindness, compassion and wisdom.
Namo Lord Sakyamuni Buddha – our original Master
Through the above-mentioned things, the Most Venerable Master demonstrated and declared for us his golden Dharma milk, we vow to be deeply embedded in his teachings and pay homage to offering to prostrate ourselves thrice time.
Respectfully pay homage to the Most Venerable Master whose gratefulness of protection and teachings, along with the venerable and honorable Monks and nuns in the present by prostrating ourselves thrice time.
