Join Hands Together
Namo Sakyamuni Buddha
Dear Venerable Monks, Nuns and Fellow Buddhists,
We would like to bow down and show gratitude to the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and the elder Venerable Monks and Nuns, respected people and our spiritual masters from past to present.
Here, we thank the Senior Venerable Bhikkhunīs, the young nuns, whom we often call our respected predecessors who kindly guide us on the path of cultivation.
One of the blessings on the path of nun propagation is Venerable Bhikkhunī Giới Hương, the Abbess of Hương Sen Temple and a teacher of our young nuns. We also know that there are many famous senior nuns joining hands in maintaining and developing the nuns’ community in various US states:
- The Most Venerable Nguyên Thanh – Abbess of An Lạc Temple, San Jose, California
- The Most Venerable Như Hòa – Abbess of Dược Sư Temple, Westminster, California
- The Most Venerable Giác Hương – Abbess of Vạn Hạnh Temple, Seattle, Washington
- Venerable Bhikkhunī Giới Châu – Abbess of Quang Minh Temple. Northglenn, Colorado
- Venerable Bhikkhunī Giới Hương – Abbess of Hương Sen Temple, Perris, California
- Venerable Bhikkhunī Nguyên Bổn – Abbess of Kiều Đàm Di Temple, Santa Ana, California
- Venerable Bhikkhunī Nguyên Thiện – Abbess of Huyền Không Pagoda. San Jose, California
- Venerable Bhikkhunī Tiến Liên – Abbess of Ngọc Hòa Pagoda, San Jose, California
- Venerable Bhikkhunī Như Phước – Abbess of Đức Viên Pagoda, San Jose, California
- Venerable Bhikkhunī Như Nghiêm, Venerable Bhikkhunī Tiến Liên – Abbess of Ngọc Minh Pagoda, San Diego, California
- Venerable Bhikkhunī Như Quang – Abbess of Phước Quang Temple, Santa Ana, California
- Venerable Bhikkhunī Minh Nghiêm – Abbess of Phước Hải Pagoda, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Venerable Bhikkhunī Như Bảo, Venerable Bhikkhunī Như Chánh – Abbess of Huê Lâm Temple, Boston, Massachusetts
- Venerable Bhikkhunī Thanh Lương và Venerable Bhikkhunī Minh Liên –Abbess of Viên Thông Nunnery, Houston, Texas
- Venerable Bhikkhunī Tịnh Quang – Abbess of Quan Âm Temple, Redlands, California
- Venerable Bhikkhunī Tâm Vân – Abbess of Như Ý Nunnery, Las Vegas, California
In the ceremonies, retreats or activities, Venerable Bhikkhunī Giới Hương often offers help. She creates conditions for nuns to have gatherings, teas and seminars to have the opportunities to contribute our ideas, present opinions, participate in the composing, lecturing and cultur program in some places like Phật Học Viện Quốc Tế Monastery, Bảo Quang Temple, Điều Ngự Temple, Huệ Quang Pagoda, Viêt Nam Temple and especially at the Commemoration of the Nun Patriarch Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī held for the first time on August 30–31, 2018 at An Lạc Pagoda in San Jose, California. Although Venerable Bhikkhunī Giới Hương is busy with many Buddhist works, she continues to join the summer retreats to cultivate and share Buddhism with the nuns for many years.
In the United States, many nunneries have tried to open two-week summer retreats for nuns, such as Đức Viên Temple in San Jose, California, Huệ Lâm Temple in Boston, Viên Thông Temple in Houston, Texas) and An Lạc Pagoda in San Jose, California.
In regard to the active nuns, we have another young nun teacher, Venerable Bhikkhunī Như Bảo, a member of Huê Lâm Pagoda, who is compassionate and capable in organizing the nuns' meetings. She follows the Buddha's teaching, “Know the place of water to wade through,” that is, know how to ask the monks or nuns who are knowledgeable about the Tripiṭaka (the Sūtras, Vinaya and Abhidhamma) to teach Dharma. She and other venerables invited the elder nuns from Huê Lâm Temple, such as Ven. Bhikkhunī Như Nguyên, Ven. Bhikkhunī Như Thủy, Ven. Bhikkhunī Như Hạnh, Ven. Bhikkhunī Như Ngọc, Ven. Bhikkhunī Như Nguyệt and others. Venerable Bhikkhunī Như Bảo also invited the elder nuns at Viên Chiếu Monastery, such as Ven. Bhikkhunī Như Đức, and Ven. Bhikkhunī Hạnh Huệ.
Although there were many difficulties, Ven Như Bảo did not hesitate when she proposed to Ven. Bhikkhunī Minh Liên and Ven. Bhikkhunī Thanh Lương, the Abbess of the Viên Thông Pagoda (Houston, Texas) to organize the two-week autumn retreat course from October 3r –17, October 2019. In this retreat, the Huê Lâm Organizing Committee cleverly combined with the nuns of Viên Thông Pagoda to give us a complete successful retreat, from meals to resting places. We learned and practiced in the solemn, peaceful and happy scene under the immense love of the senior nuns.
Thanks to the activities, the study of the Vinaya and the Dharma quizzes and discussions, we have the opportunity to develop talents such as understanding and reviewing knowledge about the Dharma. And during the retreats, we reviewed the memories, aspirations and practices of our nun predecessors and teachers, who took the vow to come to this samsaric realm to help people with the spirit of self-discipline and enlightenment. The predecessors not only helped themselves liberate, but also left books, literature and poems to help us reach the high level of Buddhism and to know how to practice applications in everyday life.
These great nuns kindly direct our body, speech, and mind must to be pure for the sake of many. Thanks to their energy and guidance, we overcome the obstacles. Nowadays, communities of nuns have contributed in the following ways:
- Nuns have the conditions and have found places to display and actualize their talents and abilities.
- The nuns in the organizing committee faced many financial difficulties but still maintained the establishment of a retreat in order to gather many nuns, although the number in each retreat is still limited.
- According to each circumstance, nuns are still scattered in many corners, but if there is an opportunity, we will gather to meet together each year.
In general, the nuns in the USA and overseas are progressing well with a stronger path than in past decades. We are so happy that we can enjoy the “nunhood,” the Dharma lessons, conversations and meditation.
Even during the coronavirus season, when we can’t meet physically, Venerable Bhikkhunī Như Bảo organized meetings online to teach the Majjhima Nikāya. She also invited the venerable learned monks and nuns to help us answer questions and discuss so that we can better understand. We have had meaningful and happy sessions that help dispel the fears of this worldwide coronavirus epidemic.
We have been cultivating and practicing right in our own places. In the monasteries and pagodas, with mindfulness we have learned the teachings the Blessed One transmitted 2,600 ago. Although the environment right now is agitated, we are tranquil as we reflect on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and the blessings of Dharma water from the Majjhima Nikāya.
Such practices have planted the seeds of compassion, wisdom and purity, so our bodhicitta becomes stronger in helping human beings out of suffering and the cycle of birth and death. Moreover, we have more solid powers for self-enlightenment and other-enlightenment.
Today, nuns have made important contribution in helping the disadvantaged, those who are still suffering on the path of cultivation. They skillfully teach and help the younger generation to know the direction of Dharma.
We respectfully send this simple poem to our great nuns to express our deep thanks in this retreat season:
Nuns Today
Nuns today are brilliant,
Living in a foreign land is bright,
Radiant with the Sakyamuni lineage,
Propagating the Dharma, east-west everywhere.
Old roots are the elder nuns,
Đức Viên, Diệu Quang, and A Di Đà,
An Lạc, Dược Sư, and Vạn Hạnh,
Lead us to a peaceful life.
In Texas there are nun communities,
Majesty Hương Nghiêm, Viên Thông Temples,
Recently, there was a nun retreat,
At Viên Thông Pagoda.
Two-week short-term retreat,
But it nourishes our body and mind,
So happy with the Eightfold Path,
In the effort of spiritual peace.
In Boston, there is the Huê Lâm nun group,
Helps us grow the Bodhi mind,
The fall retreat is full of grace,
Repaying the debt to masters and parents.
Venerable Như Chánh is the Abbess,
Venerable Như Bảo is compassionate,
Helping the nuns for many years,
Everywhere in the United States,
We offer gratitude to the Buddha.
Recently there are online classes,
Nuns would like to contribute tomorrow,
Efforts to diligently learn the Majjhima Nikāya,
Apply Dharma with gratitude to the Buddha.
Especially, we have Venerable Giới Hương,
Assists everyone in nurturing compasion,
To save the fragments of life, full of suffering
She still helps fellow countrymen.
She studied well and has talent,
Buddhist studies she achieved many degrees:
Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate
Eargerly shares experiences with young nuns.
She is still young and happy,
Dharma propagation is not regressive
Not only the work at Hương Sen, Perris City
Her hands still reach everywhere.
Pháp Nhãn Temple, Texas, April 15 2020
With metta,
Bhikkhunī Thích Nữ Hạnh Minh
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