Filial Piety is the
foundation of the Vietnamese Way of Life
Rev. Thich Nguyen Hanh
(TX. USA)
Namo Sakyamuni Buddha!
Venerable Sangha, Fellow Buddhists, Ladies and
Gentlemen:
Before concluding this memorable celebration of
Ullambana, a commemoration of "Filial Piety", on behalf of the Vietnam
Buddhist Center, we respectfully extend our sincere appreciation to the
Venerable Sangha who came to take refuge at this Center during this
traditional Buddhist summer retreat. You also bless us with your grace by
gathering here today to bear witness to this very extraordinary ceremony.
Your presence during this past retreat has indeed contributed to the
blossoming of the Buddhist faith at the Center. It proliferates the
development of a thriving Dhamma assembly. It brings faith and hope to the
Buddhist community, when contemplating the current and future state of the
Vietnamese Buddhism.
We would also like to thank all of you Buddhists
and fellow Vietnamese who have gathered here today, and for the past week,
to revere this very exceptional event. From our heart, we praise all of
you, especially those of the young generation, who, during this
celebration, do not only express your noble love and respect to your
ancestors and parents, but also help preserve a traditional Vietnamese
heritage during this unsettling era of religious conviction and family
values.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Filial Piety is the foundation of the Vietnamese
Way of Life, the infrastructure of the traditional Vietnamese culture.
Observing Ullambana is to preserve this foundation and infrastructure. For
that reason, this ceremony becomes a traditional celebration for the
Vietnamese. And also for that reason, we can confidently state that as
long as Ullambana is observed, our ancestral culture is preserved. And
when our ancestral culture is preserved, the future of our Vietnamese
heritage is perpetuated. In a broader appreciation, Ullambana could be
perceived as an opportunity for us to extend our compassion toward the
innumerable beings that are suffering from grief and misery, an
opportunity for us to pray for their deliverance and happiness. With these
notions, Ullambana forges our immeasurable spirit of compassion, so that
we can live in harmony with all beings in a world of peace and
tranquility. That is indeed "A Traditional Way of Living the Path" in its
most positive and divine logic that Buddhism has brought to our heritage
and to mankind.
In the spirit of piety and the sentiment of
nurturing a compassionate life, we all join here to pray for peace,
tranquility, and happiness to all the parents and all beings.
Once again, we would like to thank the Venerable
Sangha and all of you, Ladies and Gentlemen, who have been assembling here
to celebrate this divine religious event with us.
Source:
http://www.buddhistdoor.com
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Update : 01-08-2003
