Ven. Thich Phuoc Ngoc and children at Suoi Nguon Tinh Thuong Orphanage Centre in Vinh Long province (Source: courtesy of Ven. Thich Phuoc Ngoc)Hanoi (VNA) - Hundreds of orphan and homelesschildren call Venerable Thich Phuoc Ngoc ‘father’ and Suoi Nguon Tinh Thuong (springof compassion) Buddhist Orphanage Centre ‘home’, where they are loved, caredfor and provided with nutrition by monks and volunteers.
The Suoi Nguon TinhThuong Buddhist Orphanage Centre in Tam Binh district in the Mekong Deltaprovince of Vinh Long is among hundreds of Buddhist establishments which havebeen protecting and assisting disadvantaged people, particularly children,across the nation.
Director of the centre, VenerableThich Phuoc Ngoc, 36, who is also Head of Phuoc Quang Pagoda, told a VietnamNews Agency (VNA) correspondent that he founded the centre in 2012 afterreturning home from overseas religious studies, hoping to give a roof to disadvantagedchildren.
Ven Thich Phuoc Ngoc and a local law enforcement official find a days-old baby left at the gate of his pagoda (Source: courtesy of Ven. Thich Phuoc Ngoc)
Besides nursing the childrenat the centre, the young monk has also been working to help relieve sufferings of the sick at hospitals and home,prisoners, drug addicts, and the poor elderly, among others.
Venerable Thich PhuocNgoc has received numerous insignias for his contributions to the nation’s charityand social work, including a third-class Labour Order granted by President TranDai Quang in September, a Certificate of Merit by Prime Minister Nguyen XuanPhuc in 2015, and many others by ministers, and local authorities.
In the spirit ofBuddhism, Buddhist followers are supposed to help ease sufferings of sentientbeings. With recognition from leaders of the State, Government and sectors and citizens, Venerable Thich Phuoc Ngoc said he and his partners have been encouraged to do moreand inspired to take greater responsibility in society.
Compassion reaches every corner
Everyone feels sorry atthe sight of an old monk caring for hundreds of disabled children at Ky Quang 2Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City’s Go Vap district. Over the past two decades, VenerableThich Thien Chieu, head of the pagoda, has played the role of both “mother” and“father” of more than 200 ill children, providing them with meals, medicine,education and play time.
Ven Thich Thien Chieu and an ill baby at the pagoda (Source: VNA) Only 60 among thechildren at the pagoda are healthy. The rest are sight-impaired, mentally ill,victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin or have HIV. However, they are blessed becausethey are loved and cared for, Venerable Thich Thien Chieu said, adding that monks,nuns, caregivers, volunteers at the pagoda, donators and locals, all are herefor them. No one is left behind.
With support of the localeducational office, many of them are enabled to go to school. Those who have disabilitiesand are unable to follow academic educational programmes are taught ethics andreceive physical therapy at the pagoda every day.
The pagoda’s staff alsoseeks assistance from local vocational training institutions to provide short-termtraining courses, job placement and consultation services for those with visualimpairment, helping them find jobs to support themselves and integrate into thecommunity.
Just like old monk ThichThien Chieu, Venerable Thich Thanh Huan, Head of the Phap Van Pagoda in Hanoi’sHoang Mai district, is among the Buddhist monks and nuns overcoming hardships tocare for disadvantaged people from all walks of life.
Many people with AIDS/HIV and drug addicts who may be cast aside by society are cared for at the Phap Van Pagoda. Besides medical treatment, the kindness, talks and teachings of Venerable Thich Thanh Huan have helped them feel like they are human-beings.
With experience he has learnt from his overseas religious trips and studies across over 30 nations around the world, Venerable Thich Thanh Huan has customised treatment methods while creating a healthy living environment at the pagoda to help his charges develop a good personality and lifestyle.
With experience he has learnt from his overseas religious trips and studies across over 30 nations around the world, Venerable Thich Thanh Huan has customised treatment methods while creating a healthy living environment at the pagoda to help his charges develop a good personality and lifestyle.
Venerable Thich ThanhHuan has overcome all kinds of challenges and social prejudices to prove theeffectiveness of pagoda-based HIV/AIDS, drug addition treatment models as wellas making efforts to connect domestic and international resources for his work.
His Huong Sen (lotus perfume) club, the first pagoda-based HIV/AIDS treatment establishmentreceived numerous international financial aid from the United NationsChildren’s Fund (UNICEF), CARE, the Nordic Assistance to Vietnam (used to knownas the Norwegian Church Aid).
His Huong Sen (lotus perfume) club, the first pagoda-based HIV/AIDS treatment establishmentreceived numerous international financial aid from the United NationsChildren’s Fund (UNICEF), CARE, the Nordic Assistance to Vietnam (used to knownas the Norwegian Church Aid).
Ven. Thich Thanh Huan and a Japanese delegation visiting Phap Van pagoda to study its charity model (Source: VNA) Many local people usedto disagree with the work because they think that such solemnly religiousplaces like pagodas should not house social evil-doers. However, they were bornwith the same rights as any other persons. Making mistakes in their livesdoesn’t make them evil, the monk said, explaining that those who stray needmore help and are more welcomed than anyone else, Venerable Thich Thanh Huan said.
The Phap Van Pagoda wasselected to pilot the pagoda-based HIV/AIDS treatment model, which has proveneffective over the past 15 years. The model has been implemented in a number ofpagodas, including Hai Duc pagoda in Thue Thien-Hue, Ky Quang 2 and Dieu Giacin Ho Chi Minh City, benefiting hundreds of patients.
Numerous communicationscampaigns have been conducted to help reduce public discrimination againstpeople with HIV/AIDS, encouraging the patients to join consultation work. Anumber of clubs have been established under the auspices of the Phap Van Pagoda,providing treatment, medicine, consultancy, and financial assistance for HIV/AIDSpatients and their families.
“Three trees make a huge mountain”
According to the VietnamBuddhist Sangha Central Committee’s Department of Information and Communications,there are over 1,000 Buddhist charity classes, benefiting nearly 20,000 needychildren; 64 establishments offering housing to more than 3,000 orphans anddisadvantaged children; over 20 others accommodating over 1,000 homelesselderly, with half living in Hoang Phap Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City’s Hoc Mondistrict.
Parentless infants at Ky Quang 2 Pagoda (Source: VNA) The VBS also has overten vocational training establishments, 165 Tue Tinh Duong (Buddhist medicalstations), hundreds of traditional medicine clinics and shops, and 10 generalclinics, providing free health checks-up and treatment for needy people.
In the 2012-2017 tenure, the VBS’ chapters at all levels mobilised nearly 6.84 trillion VND (301 million USD) for the nation’s social welfare. In 2016 alone, the VBSmobilised more than 1.33 trillion VND (58.6 million USD) in cash and materialsfor charity activities.
The figures speak notjust to the value, but also the efforts that dignitaries, monks, nuns, andBuddhists have made for the well-being of Vietnam’s citizens.
In an interview with theVNA correspondent, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Vice Standing Chairman ofthe VBS Executive Council, highlighted the religion’s tradition of “protectingthe nation, solacing its people”, saying that dignitaries, monks and nuns nowadayshave joined hands with the Party, State, Government and other socio-politicalorganisations, particularly the Vietnam Fatherland Front, to contribute to the nation’s socialwelfare, under the motto “Religion-Nation-Socialism”.
In the 2012-2017 tenure, the VBS’ chapters at all levels mobilised nearly 6.84 trillion VND (301 million USD) for the nation’s social welfare. In 2016 alone, the VBSmobilised more than 1.33 trillion VND (58.6 million USD) in cash and materialsfor charity activities.
The figures speak notjust to the value, but also the efforts that dignitaries, monks, nuns, andBuddhists have made for the well-being of Vietnam’s citizens.
In an interview with theVNA correspondent, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Vice Standing Chairman ofthe VBS Executive Council, highlighted the religion’s tradition of “protectingthe nation, solacing its people”, saying that dignitaries, monks and nuns nowadayshave joined hands with the Party, State, Government and other socio-politicalorganisations, particularly the Vietnam Fatherland Front, to contribute to the nation’s socialwelfare, under the motto “Religion-Nation-Socialism”.
President Tran Dai Quang visits and burns incense at Quan Su pagoda. Most Ven Thich Thanh Nhieu stands on the left of the President. (Source: at courtesy of VBS)
Over the past years, theVBS has encouraged more and more dignitaries, monks, nuns, Buddhist followers,donators, and establishments at home and abroad to share the burden of socialissues, poverty reduction and hunger eradication, natural disasters,environmental protection and to build new-style rural areas. Individuals and unitshave been honoured by leaders of the Party, State, Government, and people fortheir silent, yet outstanding contributions to the social and charity work.
Dr. Bui Huu Duoc, Directorof the Buddhist Affairs Department under the Government’sCommittee for Religious Affairs, said history featured greatcontributions Vietnamese Buddhism has made to national construction, protectionand development. The religion has also addressed social issues by connectingresources and efforts to help disadvantaged Vietnamese people. Pagodas acrossthe nation host and organise short-term courses, where monks and nuns, viatheir teachings and talks guide people, particularly youths, to live a healthylifestyle and do good deeds.
The State and Governmenthave facilitated practices of all religions, including Buddhism, encouragedtheir charity and social work and recongised their contributions. This has beenclearly manifested in all relevant regulations and ordinances, particularly in theLaw on Beliefand Religion, the first of its kind, which was adopted by the National Assemblyon June 18, 2017 and is to take effect from 2018, he said.
Crowds of dignitaries, monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers at a 2016 Vesak ceremony (Source: VNA) The Buddhism philosophyis to help people attain happiness, which is close to the ideals ofthe Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). The political report of the CPV Central Committee, 11th tenure, statedthat one of the key tasks is to ensure social welfare, and care for people’sspiritual and material lives, particularly the poor and those living in remoteand mountainous areas, and in difficult economic circumstances.
The similarities between the Buddhism philosophy andthe CPV’s ideals lay a solidfoundation for Buddhism to thrive along with the nation, Duoc said.-VNA
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