The sixth Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) convened its third meeting in Quang Duc Monastery in Ho Chi Minh City on January 18 with the participation of more than 500 representatives from provincial and municipal VBS chapters nationwide.

In his opening speech, Most Venerable Thich Tri Tinh, Chairman of the VBS’s Executive Council, encouraged monks, nuns and followers to preserve their confidence, which is built by understanding and Dharma, in the bright future of the nation and Vietnamese Buddhism, with the VBS acting as the sole representative in and outside the country.

“The VBS should pay more attention to disadvantaged areas, disunity in its personnel, rumors, and wrongful views of a number of its members,” the Most Venerable said.

This year, the VBS will chair a number of important Buddhist activities, including the 1,000 th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi Buddhism and the sixth World Buddhist Summit in Hanoi .

The VBS also will focus on educating and training monks and nuns, assisting the development of Therevada Khmer, finalising the compilation of Buddhist history and honouring those who made great service to Buddhism.

In 2010, it has also set to concentrate on charitable and social affairs, particularly on rural, ethnic minority-inhabited areas, and developing HIV/AIDS counseling centres and programmes.

Last year, the VBS Central Committee and its municipal and provincial chapters raised more than 550 billion VND for charitable and social activities, and maintained the operation of 60 Buddhist medicinal clinics and a chain of compassionate classrooms, vocational schools in 13 cities and provinces across the country.

In the year, the VBS completed the establishment of a close and unified administrative system, helping facilitate Buddhist operations.

In his review of the VBS’s performance in 2009, Vice Chairman of the VBS’s Executive Council Thich Thien Nhon attributed the VBS’s achievements to solidarity between the VBS and administrations at all levels and immense assistance and support given by the State and localities./.