Going on a pilgrimage to the Buddha and pagoda lands, as well as to Buddhist countries, is a dream of many Buddhist followers. Under the guidance of Venerable Abbess Thích Nữ Giới Hương, the Buddhists of Hương Sen Buddhist Temple went on a pilgrimage to five incredible countries from September 2 to October 6, 2019.
- CHINA WITH FAMOUS BUDDHIST MOUNTS
China is one of the countries with the oldest civilization in the world, more than 5000 years, of which the unity of the three teachings (Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism) is salient. It has many temples, stupas and monuments from ancient to medieval and modern time. The Huong Sen’s pilgrimage delegation consisted of twenty-one lay devotees. Among the holy places they visited were the Great Buddha Statue at Luoshan, Chengdu, Mounts of Emei and Wutai among the Four Great Mountains (1. Mount Wutai – Mansjuri Bodhisattva, 2. Mount Emei – Samantabha Bodhisattva, 3. Mount Jiuhua – Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and 4. Mount Futuo – Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva). At mount Emei, the delegation visited Huazang Temple and Wannian Buddhist Nunnery, which are amongst the clouds and mountains. At Mount Putuo, the Fuji Temple, Baoguo Temple and Fayun Temple are majestic and ancient monasteries among the magnificent rustling trees.
The Buddha is meditating in Mount Lengyun
His halo shines over beautiful hills
His posture is superb, impressive with great brightness
Rose-pink shadow is reflecting on the water surface . . .
(Praising the Great Buddha of Luoshan – Chánh Đức & Như Đức)
The Nanhai Kuanyin of Mount Putuo
and the Great Buddha of Luoshan, Chengdu
- SACRED TIBET
Tibet is located in the highest mountains of the world (4.900 m) and is famous for its religious practice and the mystical reincarnations of the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan people are generous and kind. In the capital of Lhasa, the delegation visited the Drepunggonpa, Jokhang (the heart of Tibetan Buddhism where the Dalai Lamas learn and practice Buddhism), Sera (where thousands of monks are studying and debating the Buddhist teachings every day), the Summer Palace, Norbulinka, Potala Palace and the busy Barkhor Market Neighborhood.
In Shigatse city (the second biggest city of Tibet, which is an eight-hour drive from Lhasa and is 5,000 m above sea level), the delegation visited Tashihunpo Monastery, Gelug, Pelcho, Yamdro Lake, the towering snow mountain of Karola Glacier where we saw sheep and yaks (Tibetan buffaloes) and visited the traditional incense and silver utensil village.
Potala Palace and Drepunggonpa Monastery, Lhasa
- BUDDHIST HOLY PLACES IN INDIA
India is a country having an old civilization and is a society of diversity, multi-ethnicity with many religions. It is a cradle of religion and philosophers with many sages of the East from Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism. During the 2000s, Buddhism began to flourish and the Indian and international governments renovated and expanded the Buddhist holy places to become religious pilgrimage sites, which have attracted thounsands of international tourists every year.
Before going to worship at these sacred places, the Huong Sen pilgrimage delegation stopped by the International Student House of the University of Delhi, New Delhi, in order to visit and make donations to Venerable Thich Hanh Chanh (the leader of the Vietnamese student association of the Department of Buddhist Studies, DU) and twenty-seven Vietnamese monks and nuns who are studying there. Venerable Thich Nu Gioi Huong (the leaders of the three tours) studied in DU for ten years (1995–2005) and graduated from the doctoral program in Buddhist Studies. It was a touching moment when the senior nun and the delegation visited her old school and sweet memories of her student life traveled back to that time.
There is a saying: “It is simple to build a big monastery, yet difficult to train the talented monks and nuns.” Therefore, with the love in Dharma, in brotherhood, the delegation visited the monks and nuns who are studying there, in order to dignify themselves and others. Lay devotees Tinh Binh and Quang Tri expressed their joy on behalf of the delegation:
For the predestined wholesome karma, we have an opportunity to meet the venerables who have studied abroad in Delhi. There are six noble things that come to us: the noble hearing, the noble seeing, noble receiving, noble learning, noble offering and noble remembering. We sincerely thank you for this meeting. With a wholehearted and respectful mind, we would like to make an offering to the Honorable Sangha.
The International Student House Gate, University of Delhi
Visiting the student monks and nuns at Delhi
After saying goodbye to the beloved Delhi University, the delegation of Hương Sen Buddhist Temple continued the wish of visiting the homeland of the Compassionate Honorable Bhagavan, the Buddha – the place where he was born, achieved enlightenment, propagated the Dharma and entered Nirvana. The delegation was able to pay homage, chant and pray.
Lumbini, Nepal – where Prince Siddhartha came out of the right hip of the queen and walked on the seven pink lotuses. Kapilavastu, Nepal – where Prince Siddhartha grew up, obtained an education, and left the Eastern Gate to cut his hair and begin a renunciate life. Uruvela, Bihar – where he spent six years as an ascetic in the forest. Sujata, Bihar – where Bodhisattva Gautama received a bowl of milk porridge from Sujata, and regained his health so he could meditate under the Bodhi Tree. Niranjara, Bihar – where the Boddhisatva’s bowl went against the stream for proving that the Enlightened Way is only obtained by the Middle Path, refraining from both the austere and the extremely comfortable life. Bodhgaya, Bihar – where the Buddha attained enlightenment with the title Shakyamuni. Sanarth, Varanasi – where the Buddha turned the Dharma wheel for the first time and established the Buddhist Sangha. Sravasti, Uttar Pradesh – where Anathapindika spread gold and bought the garden of Prince Jeta, then offered it to the Buddha and his Sangha. It is the place where the Buddha spent twenty-four vassa seasons. Venerable Ananda provined a branch of the Bodhi tree from Bodhgaya and planted it there so Buddhist followers could pay homage to the tree when they visited the Uruvela if the Buddha was out of town. Vaisali, Bihar – is one of the eight cities having the Buddha’s relics. It was the place where Mahapajapati asked for permission to become a Buddhist nun and form the Bhikshuni Sangha, which has developed until the present day. This is also the place where 700 Bhikshus gathered for the second Buddhist council, the Seven Hundred Assembly. Rajagaha, Bihar – where Prince Siddhartha turned down the invitation of King Bimbisara to share the power of ruling his country; where the Buddha spent several vassa seasons and taught many sutras at Veluvana Vihara. This was also the place the Buddha introduced the Amitabha sutra that helped King Bimbisara practice for liberation while he was imprisoned. Rajagaha was also the place Most Venerable Mahakassapa gathered 500 arhats at the Sattapanna stone cave in the Vebhara mountain of Rajagaha to review all the teachings of the Buddha. This is called the Five-Hundred-Assembly. Mount Gijjhakuta – where the Buddha spent seven years teaching important sutras for celestial and human beings. Kushnagar, Uttar Pradesh – where the Buddha gave up his material body and entered Mahaparinivarna.
In Jataka (tales of previous births of the Buddha), the Tathagata taught:
Ananda, there are four sacred places we need to respect and make pilgrimage to. What are the four? This is the place where the Tathagata was born . . . This is the place where the Tathagata realized the supreme Dharma of enlightenment . . . This is the place where the Tathagata gave the supreme Dharma . . . This is the place where the Tathagata passed away, entered Nirvana . . .
Ananda, those are the four holy places that faithful laypeople need to pilgrimage to and respect. Ananda, the devoted bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, male laity, female laity will come with the deep thought: 'This is where the Tathagata was born, this is where the Tathagata realized Supreme status Righteousness of awareness, this is the place where the Tathagata turned the first Dharma wheel, this is the place where the Tathagata passed away and entered the Immeasurable Great Nirvana.
Ananda, and those who, if while worshipping four holy places they die, they will have a deep joy, and in those days, after their lives end, they will be reborn in the good realms of human and heaven. (Kalingabodhi Jataka, No. 479, volume IV, page 228)
Returning to the history, following in the footsteps of four holy places of the saintly and honorable one during his forty-nine years of propagating the Dharma, reviewing the history, worshiping, meditating in his truthful and happy way, the Huong Sen Buddhist Temple’s delegation experienced wonderful and joyful moments. The pilgrims created good Buddhist root causes in the present life, as well as the better rebirth in the future, as the Buddha praised in the Jataka Suttas.
Before leaving India for South Korea, the delegation visited monastics of Jambudvipa Indo-Srilanka in Sarnath, Varanasi to give charity gifts to 150 poor families in the village. This was a donation from all members of the three pilgrimage tours and their friends. The gifts included saris (long dresses for Indian women), blankets, rice, chapati powder (wheat), sugar, and the lunch meal (rice, dal soup, chapati, potatoes and salted beans) and money. May the Buddha bless all donors and may all Buddhist followers (both the givers and the recievers) be bonded in Dharma and be relatives on the way to liberation, and may all beings be happy in Dharma.
Loving eyes for the miserable steps
Loving hands for making offerings
Loving mercy for all fellows
Loving heart for all the poor of the Buddha’s land.
(Love – Hồng Khương)
- SOUTH KOREA WITH RED LEAVES
Seoul (Chinese: Hancheng) is the capital city of South Korea, consisting of Incheon city, the neighboring city of Gyeonggi, where more than half of the South Korean population lives, with many religious temples, schools, supermarkets, entertainment activities, and modern industries. Seoul’s 605 km (smaller than New York) is the most crowded city in the world. There are approximately 25 million people living there plus 2.5 million people who commute to work from neighboring cities. The four sides of Seoul has four gates, the Victory Gate: Dongdaemun, Namdaemun, Sundaemun and Tongemun which are as solid as the palace. In regard to religions, 42 percent of the population are Buddhists. South Korea (about 1,002 km) has around 1,000 Buddhist Temples. There are 824 Buddhist Temples in Seoul. The Huong Sen Buddhist temple’s delegation was lucky to visit some typical temples, such as Bongeunsa, Jogyesa, Kilsanga and the Jinkwansa nunnery.
Bongeunsa Monastery is in the Gangnam-gu district, Samseongdong city, near the busy area of the entertainment industry. Bongeunsa was established in 794 under the reign of King Wonseong of the Shilla dynasty and has developed to the present day. The monastery has a statue of Maitreya Buddha (Mireuk Daebul) with the crown over his head. The statue, twenty-eight meters high, was built in1986 and is the tallest in South Korea. The stupa venerates the woodblock carvings of the Avatamsaka sutra, consisting of eighty-one volumes, the Vimalakirti Nidersa Sutra and the poetry of the hermit Hansanja.
Jogyesa Monastery is the chief temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The monastery was founded in 1910. In the temple courtyard, there is a ten-story octagonal stupa to venerate the relics of the Buddha, which was offered by Most Venerable Anagarika Dharmapala in 1913. On the other side of the main hall, there are statues of the meditating Buddha, the Buddha in decline, and the five bhikshus and stone animals that are connected with climbing herbs around live lilies. In the front courtyard, there is the giant and beautiful Pagoda Tree. The tree is dark brown, about twenty-six meters in height and 450 years old, creating an inclined shape that creates stately ancient features in front of the curved roofs of the monastery. While we were appreciating the monastery’s scenery and listening to the Korean chanting, a Buddhist laywoman came over and expressed her wish to offer us lunch at a vegetarian restaurant in the temple. We had some sushi rolls with white rice and soy sauce, vegetable soup, seaweed soup and kimchi, which were delicious and full of Korean flavor.
The third one is Kilsanga Temple located on a hill in the expensive residential area of the Seongbuk-dong district (the favorite place of diplomats and foreigners). The temple has modest surroundings, but it is decent and ancient looking, as beautiful as a painting. The temple is often visited by tourists and the streets are busy with special activities, especially when there are festivals. Nearby main attractions include the Gyongbokgung Palace and the Green House of the President, which makes Kilsanga Buddhist Temple a peaceful and pleasant spiritual pilgrimage site in the important Samcheong-dong area. In the main hall, there are the golden-and-bright Triple Honorable Ones. On the ceiling, there are countless lotus lanterns hung by students to pray for high grades during their exams.
The fourth temple is Jinkwansa Nunnery located on Mount Sangksan of Bukhasan National Park, belonging to the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The nunnery was formed by Most Venerable Nun Jikwansa in 1011 and is named after her. The temple looks ancient and poetic – it is hidden among forests, flowing streams and surrounded by eight green mountains.
These monasteries and other famous places have different Buddhist activities and programs, such as guiding the Buddhist followers to chant (yebul), meditation (chamseon), praying before having lunch (Baru Gongyang), doing temples chores, participating in tea meditation, helping and serving in the kitchen, so that the laity have a chance to experience the monastic life. Buddhism not only contributes to propagate the Buddha’s teaching, but also helps people to apply the spiritual way into their social life, contributing to many aspects of culture, education and social works.
In addition to visiting famous Buddhist temples of South Korea, the Huong Sen Buddhist Temple’s delegation also visited Nami Island (63 km from Seoul, where there are maple forests changing their leaves’ color in the fall and covered by snow in the winter), Gyeongbok Royal Palace (one of the five biggest royal palaces of the Korean dynasties), the National Museum, Lotte World Park, Nanta Show about the art of cooking, introducing an interesting way to make kimchi. Seoul has five palaces of many dynasties such as Gyengboksang, Gynbangsai and Chang Daecung. Particularly, the Chang Daecung Palace is recognized by Unesco as a world heritage site. Times Square Mall is one of the most popular malls, with many inexpensive items. The national products of South Korea are seaweed, kimchi, fresh ginseng, red-pine oil and cosmetic products.
Gyeongbok Royal Palace and having tea at Jikwansa Nunnery
Regarding customs and the country of Korea, the tour guide said that about 26 million Koreans live in Seoul (twice compared to that of Saigon) and about 52 million people across South Korea. The topography of South Korea is 70 percent mountains and hills and 30 percent flat land so Seoul often builds high apartments to make use of the space. Domestic goods are usually better than exported (while in many countries, goods sold to foreign countries are better than domestic ones).
The architecture of South Korea looks simple from the outside, but the interior is very luxurious and magnificent. Governmental buildings or venerated temples are often chosen according to the fengshui architecture: “water in the front and back leans to the mountain,” meaning their backs should lean on the mountains and their front sides should face the rivers/streams. The Presidential Building is called the Green House (the White House of the United States), located near Gyeongbok, where 2,800 people stay and work for the government offices.
Korean people work quickly and carefully. The average salary of civil servants is $1,800–$3,000 monthly and the rent of a three-room house averages about $2,000 monthly. Renting a single room for individual use, including washer and dryer, electricity, gas and water is about $570 per month. At night, streetlights and shops’ lamps are dim because the Korean personality is very economical (rather than light 24/24 like in Vietnam or the US). There is less theft and more safety for visitors, because the government manages via public and crossroads’ cameras.
The rich main meal for a family is usually breakfast (it is hard to eat out at breakfast, except for fast foods). Because they do not have snacks like Vietnamese people, there are a lot of dishes for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, they often eat by themselves. They often use inox chopsticks and spoons, which are cheap and last long. Korea is one of the countries that consumes a lot of coffee. For instance, workers often have their coffee during the afternoon time (12–1pm) to refrain from taking a short nap. In some cases, people take a little nap on their desk during this time. Average working hours for them are from 9am–12pm and 1pm–6pm. However, there are some people who get off work at 6pm sharp. They often work overtime. For an industrial country, they count the work accomplished rather than the working hours. They work until they are exhausted then on the weekend they relax. Korean people take good care of their health. They often drink Korean ginseng (the country is famous for six-year-old Korean ginseng) and medicated herbs.
The custom of memorializing ancestors and relatives often takes place at temples or churches. People will pray there and then eat out at a restaurant. There are three main rites of passage: birth (one year old), marriage (twenty years old) and longevity (seventy years old). Parents, siblings and relatives often gather for two occasions, the middle-autumn festival and lunar New Year. They often gather at the first brother’s house to celebrate where the housewives are busy cooking. There is a Korean saying: “When the sunshine of the fall is coming, the housewife is leaving” for they are so hardworking during this season and the relationship of daughter-in-law and mother-in-law is as hard to bear as the sunshine of the fall. There are some women who divorced their husbands because they were so sick of those holidays. Korean people also do not like to hire helpers because they do not trust strangers, except for the wealthy ones who will have bodyguards and housekeepers. Because they do not usually hire maids, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law must take care of the housework, while the father and husband work outside and support the family.
Housekeeping is considered as a paid job with the salary paid by the father and husband. They get paid about $500 per month (1,150 wons). If a woman gives birth to their child, the mother-in-law is the one who teaches the child, which is different from other cultures.The child belongs to the father’s family and her mother-in-law. There are approximately 7,000 Vietnamese people living in Korea.
Regarding social welfare, the Korean government pays attention like the US. The poor and low-income people or those above sixty have cheaper medical care (very low cost) and access to free public transportation.
However, most of the people have trucks or vans for their transportation in the countryside, because there are no buses or metros as in Seoul. South Korea has many beautiful villages, such as Chaengyangm Gapyeng and Haenan, which have green rice fields and crops running to the horizon. A new car averages $10,000 (three-month salary) however, they prefer using public buses and metros because they are efficient and economical.
There are three types of taxi drivers: the ones who wear black and have a black car are VIP, the ones who wear yellow are public transportation drivers (like Grab and Vina drivers in Vietnam), and the private drivers wear white. Korean and European cars are used in South Korea. The natural resources of South Korea are few (small islands along the Han river, which are not “golden forest, silver ocean and fertile soil”). During the 1960s, Korea was extremely poor and had to depend on the development of Japan, thanks to the leadership of President Park Chung Hee. He called for industrial investment which relied on human intelligence (not natural resources) for which South Korea became rich. The major economic sectors of South Korea are tourism, finance, entertainment, plastic surgery and cosmetics. The national flower of this country is the colorful hibiscus, while the national flower of Vietnam is the lotus, that of Japan is the sixteen-petal chrysanthemum, and that of Taiwan is the yellow apricot.
The tour guide also said Samsung is the most powerful company of South Korea and they distribute many educational scholarships. After graduation, many students can earn a high salary ($6000-$7000 per month) there. The Han river is 544 km long, running from North Korea to China and South Korea. The Han river flows across Seoul, so there are thirty-six bridges. To keep the country green and clean, the previous president, Park Chung Hee, made a great contribution. He ordered the big companies to move to the suburbs, making both sides of the rivers for parks or public services; therefore, the city is even cleaner than Singapore. At night, the colorful lights make the Han river extremely beautiful.
- ROMANTIC TAIWAN
Taiwan (the Republic of China, ROC), an island nation in East Asia, is located north of the Philippines and the South China Sea, about 180 km off the southeastern coast of China. The island shares maritime borders with China, Japan, and the Philippines. In 1661, the Chinese moved to this island, defeated the Portuguese and made Taiwan independent.
Taiwan means “formosa,” a beautiful island having four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. The history of Taiwan is quite young, only about 400 years, however, it has a rich culture coming from the Chinese culture. The Chinese people are good at farming. They plant rice crops, forests and fruits along the many rivers. Similar to South Korea, Taiwan also advocates organic foods. The yellow apricot is Taiwan’s national flower. Taiwan has many precious gems from the four sides of the country including ocean corals. This country develops industry too. The length of the country is about 400 km from Taibei to Tanan, Kaohsiung (it takes an hour to drive, approximately 100 km/h on the freeway). Taiwan is small (one tenth the sizeof Vietnam). The population is 23 million, about one fifth of Vietnam’s population. Although it is a small island, its resource are plentiful. Every year, Taiwan often gets hit by floods and storms.
In 1840–1945, Japan occupied Taiwan and influenced Taiwanese culture. We see this in the style of bathing in mineral waters, folk arts of monster villages and the Japanese style of architecture. The medical insurance in Taiwan is the second best in the world. Because there is less population, the Taiwanese government gives $1,000 to anyone who gives birth, with other benefits such as an allowance to the child (4,000 Taiwanese dollars) until they are four years old. Children’s education is free; parents only pay for their meals.
Alongside Chinese people is the main group of its population, immigrants from Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, which are numerous on this island. Buddhism is the main religion; there are many Buddhist temples and stupas, mainly Mahayana Buddhist temples. Tainan (Kaohsiung) is famous for Foguangshan; Taizhong has Zhongtai Meditation temple and Taibei has Tzuchi and Fagushan. Foguangshan, the headquarters of the Order, was formed by the Most Venerable Hsingyun. Its back leans on the mountains and faces the river. There are nearly 200 branches of Foguangshan in the world, including branches in the US and Australia.
President Jiang Qingguo is the only son of Jiang Jieshi, who was credited with building highways and developing the economy, as well as broadening the educational investments from foreign countries. Among Taiwanese society, teachers, soldiers and government officials are getting the highest benefits. In 2018, the average salary was 50,000 Taiwanese dollars per year. Among 1,000 students who are studying abroad in the US, there is usually only one person who returns to Taiwan (the government still gives them scholarships for studying abroad). They think even if they are not going back now, they will go back in the future to develop their country.
TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) is Taiwan’s exclusive electronic components and semiconductor company in the world. The scientific intelligence of Taiwan is quite high. Ms. Tai Wenying is the first female president of Taiwan elected by the demorcratic party. She is concerned with the immigrants and supports same-sex marriages. While Spain has a bull contest, Vietnam has a buffalo fight, and Taiwan has a pig contest. Taiwanese pigs are very large; some are tons. The foods and dialects of Tainan, Taizhong and Taipei are quite similar because the island is small. Kaohsiung is 2,900 km2 and its population is 2.8 million with an average 1,000 people/km2 while Taipei has about 21 million with an average 21,000 people per km2.
The taiwan Pearl Island Discovery Program consists of three regions from south to central and north:
- Tainan – Kaohsiung: Visiting Foguangshan, the Lotus Pond, the Spring and Autumn Temple, Dragon and Tiger Shrine, the Confucius Temple, Pier 2 Arts Center displaying cultural designs, sculptures, and creative paintings made of iron, wood, steel and bamboo. Foguangshan is known as the “capital of Taiwanese Buddhism,” a famous Buddhist holy site with majestic architecture. Buddhist followers admire the golden Giant Amitabha Buddha statue here (ten tons in weight) donated by the late King Bhumibol of Thailand. There are 480 Buddha statues in the surrounding area and the Buddha’s relics are venerated in a stupa.
Foguangshan, Tainan and Monster Village, Taizhong
- Taizhong: Shifen waterfall, Shifen ancient village (the flying lanterns carry the wishes of people to heaven), Riyue Lake (a beautiful lake), Confucius and Guanyu Shrine (worship Confucius and Guanyu), and especially, there is Yehliu Geopark where there are stones in various shapes made by waves and winds from the ocean. This was voted as the most beautiful destination of Taiwan in 2013.
- Taipei: Jiang Jieshi’s Memorial House, Ci’en Stupa, Freedom Square, Taipei 101 Tower. Taiwan is a dining paradise. It has a lot of supermarkets and malls and a variety of fast foods are sold at night markets. The famous foods are beef noodles, milk and boba teas, stinky tofu, grilled sausages (from Taiwanese pigs), Oolong tea which is plated in the high mountains rather than in the lowlands. There is Jinxuan tea, Lingzhi mushrooms, fried sweet potatoes and pineapple cakes. The night markets have the typical features of Taiwanese culture, like the flea market of Vietnam. The famous markets of Taiwan include Luhe (Tainan), Fengjia (Taizhong) and Ximenting (Taipei). Because this is a small island, people do not use chemicals to kill the insects. Instead, they use chili powder to kill them to protect the clean environment. They produce organic products. Taiwan and China are near to Vietnam, so their food is somewhat easy to consume like Vietnamese foods.
CONCLUSION
In short, of pilgrimage to five countries (China, Tibet, India, South Korea and Taiwan), with the visiting, worshiping and praying, the delegation had other activities while traveling on cars, such as puzzles regarding Buddhist teachings, reviewing the historical facts of each Buddhist site and making Buddhist poetry and prose in order to shorten the long drive. (Please read the poetry column: http://www.huongsentemple.com/index.php/phat-phap/v-n-ha-c-pha-t-gia-o/vuon-tho).
South Korea and Taiwan are two young countries, The Huong Sen Buddhist Temple’s delegation experienced the modern culture, fashion, foods, lifestyle, country, people, customs and religions in China, Tibet and India. They are countries with long history of Buddhism. The group visited many ancient Buddhist monuments related to the life of the Buddha, the patriarchs, and the enlightened Dalai Lamas. Pilgrimage to the five countries with both ancient and modern cultures reflected the saying; “Travel broadens the mind.” The delegation experienced much spiritual benefit, as Venerable Nun Dieu Hoa expressed her feelings about this pilgrimage:
Back to the Buddhist land
My soul refreshes
The wind sings music of the sky
The weave of beautiful and exalted words
Birds are flying and welcoming
My heartbeat is rushed and thrilled.
Namo Shakyamuni Buddha
Autumn in Hương Sen, Oct 10, 2019
Best regards,
Thích Nữ Giới Hương
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