Inaugural Ceremony of the Second Filial Piety Retreat

Second Monastic Retreat for Children and Adolescents at Giac Ngo Temple

On the morning of June 15, 2023, following the success of the first monastic retreat for young children at Quan Am Dong Hai Temple in Soc Trang, the monastic community at Giac Ngo Temple organized the second “Grateful Ordination Retreat” from June 15 to 18, 2023. The opening ceremony was solemnly held at the main hall of Giac Ngo Temple in Lang Dai, Dat Do, Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

In attendance were Venerable Thich Nhat Tu, a member of the Permanent Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and Abbot of Giac Ngo Temple, along with monks from Giac Ngo Temple in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Giac Ngo Temple in Cu Chi, Giac Ngo Temple in Soc Trang, and Giac Ngo Temple in Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Also present were leaders of the “Buddhism Today Foundation” from Giac Ngo Temple, 360 young participants, their parents, and numerous local Buddhist followers.

During the opening ceremony, Venerable Thich Nhat Tu shared five key messages with the 360 young participants, which included:

The importance of ordination as a way of expressing gratitude and reverence towards one’s parents and grandparents. He encouraged the youth to bravely participate in such retreats one to two times a year to strengthen family bonds through gratitude.

He highlighted the act of attending the four-day retreat as a concrete way of repaying the kindness of one’s parents.

Ordination, even for a short period, follows the moral virtues of monastic life and brings valuable spiritual benefits.

He urged the 360 participants to engage fully and with determination in the retreat’s schedule.

Lastly, he explained the significance of shaving one’s head, a symbol of a Buddhist disciple’s commitment to monastic life.

Under the guidance of Venerable Thich Nhat Tu, the 360 participants collectively took vows. Among them, 180 young participants took temporary ordination vows, while the others received the eight precepts. Before the ceremony concluded, the monastic community facilitated the ordination process for these devoted young participants and presented them with robes and transmitted precepts, allowing them to complete their intention of showing filial piety through temporary ordination and short-term monastic training.

Photos of the event are available for viewing at the following links provided by Chua Giac Ngo:

For more information, visit Chua Giac Ngo.

Conclusion

The retreat, conducted at Giac Ngo Temple, was an opportunity for young individuals to learn and experience the values of Buddhism and the monastic life, fostering a sense of gratitude and spiritual growth. This event marked an important step in their spiritual journey and contributed to the spread of Buddhist values among the younger generation.

(Source: Chua Giac Ngo)