"Buddhism originated in India. 2631 years ago, in the Lumbini Garden, where Siddhartha Gautama was born. Prince Siddhartha renounced the world to become Thich Quan The, and after 30 years, he became the Buddha, Thich Ca Mau Ni. After 49 years of preaching, the Buddha left the Tripitaka for the Buddhist scriptures. At the age of 80, he entered Nirvana, and from then on, his disciples spread his teachings everywhere.

As we know, from the 1st to the 2nd century AD, following the footsteps of Indian monks and merchants, the first seeds of Buddhism were planted and flourished in the land of Jiaozhou. Luy Lau quickly became the center of Buddhism in the Jiaozhou region.

In 43 AD, our country fell into the hands of the Han dynasty, entering a thousand years of Northern domination and resistance. In the context of a lost country, cultural and lifestyle thoughts of Buddhism blended with the traditional culture and ethics of the ancient Vietnamese. The Four Noble Truths legend (in Dau - Keo - Thuan Thanh - Bac Ninh) is a beautiful illustration of the natural and profound integration between Buddhism and the people from the very beginning.

Located in Thinh Long town - Hai Hau district - Nam Dinh province is the Linh Ung Pagoda. The original land of the pagoda is a raised sandbank formed by sedimentation over the past 100 years. The temple land emerged as a very high sandbank, and people from all over came here to build embankments and cultivate the land. One night, during a heavy rain and strong wind, someone dreamed of Guan Yin descending and lighting three incense sticks here. The next morning, people went to that land and established a shrine (in 1920).

In 1936, Venerable Thich Thanh Quang (originating from Hai Chau commune, practicing monastic life in Thai Binh province) arrived here. Seeing a sacred shrine next to the Ninh Co River, he requested to transform it into a temple, naming it Linh Ung (Linh means sacred, Ung means manifestation). Venerable Thich Chinh Lien became the abbot until his passing on May 10, 1955. In 1956, Master Thich Dam Khoi from Cau Thong Pagoda, Hai Anh commune, came to light incense and recite Buddhist scriptures, and on August 24, 1968, he passed away.

Venerable Thich Chinh Lien (real name Tran Thanh Tue) from Hai Anh commune, Hai Hau district, came to Cau Pagoda at the age of 13, becoming a disciple of Venerable Thich Tam Thi. In 1968, he moved from Cau Pagoda to Linh Ung Pagoda (on November 19, Mau Than). By chance, there was a 13-year-old girl named Le Thi Hong, an orphan wandering from Hai Duong City, who wanted to become a disciple of Venerable Thich Chinh Lien and enter the Buddhist path. The abbot joyfully said, 'A month ago, I dreamed of a radiant halo and a red flower in the sky with the words: Thị thế kim tu, hiện tại nhất Thiên thân; which means you are a celestial being, born in this world.' The abbot believed her name was Hong, corresponding to his dream. The abbot happily allowed the girl to enter monastic life, giving her the Dharma name Thich Dam Bich, saying, 'After 30 years, this land will bear fruit!' At that time, the temple land was a desolate area surrounded by rivers, and the teacher and disciples supported each other, practicing Buddhism and enduring bombings and attacks by the U.S. Imperialists.

'An inchworm must undergo pain to crawl out of the cocoon and become a butterfly that can fly.
A seed buried deep in the earth must sprout and grow straight up, penetrating thick layers of soil to become a sturdy tree.
An inchworm whose cocoon is cut open and keeps crawling around the cocoon without ever becoming a flying butterfly.
A seed on the surface easily sprouts but will be uprooted when a storm comes.'

Indeed, geographical conditions create talents, and the ability to endure and the determination to overcome challenges and difficulties. Similarly, Nun Thich Dam Bich, with her auspicious destiny, expressed her aspirations from a young age, seeking the path of Buddhism in the Non-Sectarian environment, upholding noble ideals, lightly walking on the path to liberation, leaving behind worldly desires, letting the mystical truth linger in her heart, amidst the mundane world without contamination. She earnestly sought the path, yearning for the Buddha's teachings, aspiring to help sentient beings enter the path, save them from suffering, and awaken them.

In this geographical location, the seed continued to sprout. In 1982, a young man named Chu Van Quang from Truc Thang commune, Truc Ninh district, came to request to enter monastic life under Venerable Thich Chinh Lien. The abbot was delighted and gave him the Dharma name Thich Thanh Huynh. The master and disciples, brothers and sisters, were having a warm gathering when... at 11 p.m. on the night of March 13, 1990 (Year of Canh Ngo), Venerable Thich Chinh Lien - his teacher - called all disciples for advice: 'You must unite, live and practice in accordance with the spirit of Buddhist harmony, aiming to bring benefits to yourselves and others, propagate the Buddha's teachings, transform sentient beings...'; and said: 'My children, chant the Buddha, I am leaving.' With these words, Venerable Thich Chinh Lien and the disciples chanted three sentences of Namo Amitabha Buddha, then Namo Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. He slowly closed his eyes, peacefully left his body, transformed into Nirvana, and attained final tranquility."

"Remembering the teachings of the Master before He renounced the worldly life, responding to the heartfelt aspirations of the Dharma and the earnest requests of the Buddhist followers from Hai Van Pagoda (Hai Ninh commune), Phuc Son Pagoda (Hai Trung commune), with gratitude for the ancestral place where there was an early presence of a Nun serving and caring for the transmission of the Buddha's teachings, Ven. Thich Thanh Huynh promptly set out to places in need, not only guiding successive generations of monks and transforming Buddhist disciples throughout the district but also bringing salvation to Buddhists far and near. Currently, Ven. Thich Thanh Huynh is the Head of the Buddhist Association in Hai Hau district and the Executive Committee of Buddhism in Nam Dinh province.

With a solemn demeanor and years of determined study and practice, disciplined conduct, elevated spiritual aspirations, and profound wisdom, the Nun wholeheartedly manages the ongoing legacy, repaying the kindness of the Master in countless ways. Always striving in every task, overcoming difficulties and challenges, standing firm on her own two feet.

In 1998, marking 30 years, in accordance with the Master's instructions and with the permission of the Buddhist community and the authorities at various levels, along with the support and contributions of virtuous men and devout women from different regions, the construction of Linh Ung Pagoda was rebuilt. With the sincerity of the Nun, the Buddhist community responded positively, receiving blessings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in all directions, and the Nun achieved the wish to complete Linh Ung Pagoda in 2001. Blessed moments came to the Master and the disciples of Linh Ung Pagoda on April 15, 2001, when Most Venerable Thich Huyen Dieu, the abbot of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and the representative of Vietnamese Buddhism in India, conferred the Dharma Flower scripture, bestowing it upon all Buddhists and people far and near.

By 2004, the Nun completed the construction of the ancestral hall and monk's quarters, earning the honor of being selected as the Third Foundation School by the Buddhism Executive Committee of Nam Dinh province. The pagoda became a gathering place for monks from three districts: Xuan Truong, Giao Thuy, and Hai Hau, to observe the summer retreat, engage in religious activities, and perform rituals. On June 24, 2004, Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Head of the Central Propagation Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, visited the Foundation School, bringing auspicious signs: a radiant five-colored halo in the shape of a coiled dragon appeared in the sky, disappearing three hours later.

Not only guiding and nurturing novice monks, with a broad compassionate heart, every month the Nun organizes the Eight Precepts meditation retreat to provide an opportunity for Buddhist practitioners at home to engage in focused practice, laying the foundation for the development of Linh Ung Pagoda as a specialized center for meditation, propagating the Dharma in a predominantly Catholic region (Thinh Long town with eight churches, including a Linh Ung Pagoda). In recent years, as infrastructure has improved, the Nun, along with devout Buddhists and local authorities, annually invites Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Most Venerable Thich Bao Nghiem, and the Central Propagation Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to present the Dharma Flower scripture and conduct the Eight Precepts meditation retreat, imparting teachings to the congregation of Dharma Flower Pagoda and all Buddhist followers and people near and far. Wholeheartedly devoted to the Dharma, in recent years, Linh Ung Pagoda has achieved the title of Progressive Pagoda, continually advancing on the path of Dharma service, serving beings, and practicing beautiful Dharma.

The Nun embodies legal virtue, the eternal life of the Dharma, and the solid foundation of the Tung Lam sanctuary. True to the spirit of Buddha's compassionate salvation, she practices compassion, joy, detachment, and enlightens all beings. Every word spoken by her is a soothing melody of liberation, every gesture, every step she takes, is the footprint of the Dharma flowing naturally, harmonizing with the truth. In her, love and assistance for orphaned children and lonely elderly people find nurturing. In October 2006, the Nun's dream became a reality as she obtained permission from the authorities to establish a charity home, providing care for 20 cases of lonely elderly individuals and orphaned children without support.

Not stopping there, during her travels and expanded global perspectives, the Nun recognized the country's progress in the global economic integration movement. She determined that practical attention to language education for the younger generation was essential, with the desire to help children overcome poverty. Consequently, the Nun established a charitable English class for 150 children (divided into two classes on Sunday mornings and afternoons) with teachers from Thinh Long High School responsible for teaching.

To encourage and support the children's spirit in overcoming challenges in education, every year during ceremonies and semester reviews, despite the diversity of religious beliefs, the Nun does not forget to reward the children with incentives.

For these achievements, the Nun has been honored with:

The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee award for the Great National Unity Cause.
The Vietnam Red Cross award for the Vietnam Red Cross Cause.
The Vietnam Study Encouragement Association Central Committee award for the Vietnam Study Encouragement Cause.
Not only that, the Nun always desires to engage in more charitable work to contribute to society and share the burdens of life with all sentient beings. She proposed to the Red Cross Society to establish a Linh Ung Pagoda Red Cross Assistance Association. This proposal was approved by the Nam Dinh Province Red Cross Society and the Hai Hau District Red Cross Society under Decision No. 14-QD/CTD on June 26, 2007, with the Nun as the Chairwoman. The term "Assistance" carries the full meaning of providing and assisting, with the grandiose aspiration to share the burden with society, alleviate hunger and poverty, and provide assistance to many less fortunate individuals. The Nun hopes that kind-hearted individuals will support and help her fulfill this noble intention.

Applying Buddhist precepts to maintain a disciplined demeanor and using the merit of Bodhisattva practice for personal merit, the Nun not only practices for herself but also cares for others, concerned about the survival of the Buddha's house in the world. In February 2007, the Nun purchased three plots of land west of the pagoda, covering an area of 2500m2, worth an equivalent of 120 taels of gold, intending to expand the pagoda grounds and establish a charity home in that area. Throughout her life of cultivation, the Nun has dedicated herself to caring for others, and anyone fortunate enough to meet her experiences the compassionate liberation and progresses on the path of Dharma. The Nun made a great vow in 2008 to lay the foundation for the construction of a 9-story Bao Thap Pagoda, 49 meters high, to express gratitude to the Buddhas, Ancestors, Bodhisattvas in all directions, and the Dharma Protectors who have blessed her family. The Bao Thap Pagoda is part of a project with a substantial budget. Simultaneously, the Nun continues to develop a 10,000m2 project in front of Linh Ung Pagoda, establishing a vocational training school, building homes for orphaned children and lonely elderly individuals, providing charitable education and medical care to collaborate with society in rescuing those unfortunate lives. Therefore, the Nun earnestly hopes that kind-hearted people, Buddhist followers, and people from all corners of the world, both inside and outside the country, will join hands with her to contribute to the early completion of this great vow, leaving a legacy for future generations, truly living by the principle of "Living is for giving."

Temple Sweeper: Dharma name Tam Duc
Source: http://chualinhung.com.vn/
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