Felicitation of Venerable Bhikkhuni Thích Nữ Giới Hương on Completion of Forty Years of a Nunhood, Monastic Services, and Contributions to the Dharma
We are the Venerable Sangha of Indo-Sri Lanka International Buddhist Societies in Sarnath, Sacred Sites of the Buddhist Places in India, extending our heartfelt congratulations and felicitations to Venerable Dr. Thích Nữ Giới Hương. Her completion of forty years of nunhood, monastic services, and contributions to the sharing of Dharma, not only in USA, but around the whole world, is notable. She has extended innumerable contributions in Dharma through literary publications, music, and Mp3s, including some English books on Buddhist philosophy showing her strongpoints in both the traditional Theravada and Mahayana. Moreover, she also learned ancient and present-day languages such as English, Japanese, Chinese, Sanskrit, and Pali to help her in deep research. Her efforts in learning multiple languages is a good example for young nuns, Buddhist followers, and new generations around the world. Dr. Giới Hương has also organized many Buddhist pilgrimages to India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Tibet, Cambodia, and so forth to assist Buddhists have a chance to pay homage to Buddhist holy places, do acts of charity, and develop their faith in the Triple Gem. She also established Dharma sites, the Hương Sen Buddhist Temples in USA and Vietnam, as places for nuns and devotees to practice and learn Buddhism. This is her great achievement. The whole Buddhist world is indebted to her Dharma contributions and achievements.
It is noticeable that I personally met Venerable Giới Hương in 1996 during her first visit to Bodhgaya and Sarnath with twenty student monastics from Delhi University under the leadership of Ven. Hạnh Tấn and Ven. Bửu Chánh, and then in 2000 on pilgrimage with the most Venerable Thích Trí Quảng (president of the Dharma Dissemination Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha). Later, I met her in 2002 when she extended her helping hands for the marble stone inscription for Dhammachakka in the Vietnamese language under the bodhi tree at Sarnath, the place where Buddha preached his first sermon. In 2003, I met her at the International Buddhist Conference in New Delhi, which was organized by the Indian government. In 2008, as the abbess of Phước Hậu Temple, she invited me to attend the Buddha’s Birthday ceremony under the auspices of the Milwaukee Buddhist Council in Milwaukee City, Wisconsin and made the introduction for me to preach at a retreat at Quang Minh Temple, Chicago, under the abbot Venerable Thích Minh Hạnh, who had learned the Sanskrit language at Banaras Hindu University (the same city as us). Later, in 2015, at Hương Sen Temple, which she established in Perris, California, USA, she invited me to attend a retreat, and a week later, I attended and gave a lecture on Vesak Day at Quảng Đức Buddhist Center, San Bernadino, California. On September 14, 2019, she led a pilgrimage from the USA to visit Buddhist holy places in India and stopped at our temple to donate items such as sari dresses, rice, sugar, chapati powder, and money to 150 poor families in Sarnath village. We were much obliged and overwhelmed with joy and respect in participating as well as supporting her charity. In all of the meetings and interactions with Bhikkhuni Giới Hương, we have known that she is friendly, simple, open-minded, and kindly, willing to help and learn with anybody, regardless of skin, region, education, and so forth.
To appreciate her forty years of monastic life, on behalf of the venerable monks of Indo-Sri Lanka International Buddhist Association, we pray the Buddha to bless Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương and her nun disciples at Hương Sen Temple for good health and happiness. May her Dharma services guide mankind for a long time.
Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam.
Sarnath, January 4, 2020
Yours in the Dharma,
Ven. Dr. K. Siri Sumedha Thero
President of Indo-Sri Lanka International Buddhist Association
Incumbent Jambudvipa Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple
Sarnath, Varanasi, India
The Most Ven. Trí Quảng (center), Ven. Dr. K. Siri Sumedha Thero (next)
Bhikkhuni Giới Hương (third from left, in brown with glasses) in 2000
Ven. Dr. K. Siri Sumedha Thero standing to give a lecture on
Buddha’s Birthday at Quảng Đức Buddhist Center,
San Bernadino, California, June 7, 2015
Please read all articles and view all photos:2.18._A_devoted_Vietnamese_Bhikkhuni_-_Dr_Sumedha.pdf
