On August 8, 2025, in the pure space of Ngoa Van Hermitage - Pagoda – Yen Tu, a sacred event took place: the ceremony of receiving and planting a Bodhi tree – the immortal symbol of enlightenment and compassion. This Bodhi tree is a sacred gift presented by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to General Secretary To Lam, conveying the friendship and cultural - spiritual bond between the two nations of Vietnam and India.
🌳 The profound meaning of the Bodhi tree
The Bodhi tree is not just a plant species, but also a symbol of the path to wisdom and liberation. Under the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya (India), Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment, discovering the path of awakening for humanity. The planting of the Bodhi tree in the land of the Buddhist Emperor today holds the meaning of sowing a spiritual seed – a green sprout of wisdom, peace, and loving-kindness – from which to spread wholesome energy everywhere.
🔔 The sacred moment in the sacred mountains of Ngoa Van
Amidst the echoing pagoda bell in the vast Yen Tu forest, the image of the young Bodhi tree stretching out to welcome the early sunlight becomes a sacred mark. It is not just the moment of planting a tree, but a connection between the past and the present, between the Dharma and daily life, and between Vietnam and India in a steadfast friendship.
💫 Ngoa Van – the convergence of sacred energy and enduring values
For a long time, Ngoa Van has been known as the place where Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong attained Buddhahood – the wise king who abdicated the throne to pursue the path of practice, founding the purely Vietnamese Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Sect. Now, the presence of the Bodhi tree from Bodhgaya makes Ngoa Van even more sacred, becoming a place that not only preserves the mark of the Buddhist Emperor but also serves as a symbol for the cultural - spiritual intersection between two countries with long-standing Buddhist traditions.
🌸 A message entrusted for today and tomorrow
The Bodhi tree at Ngoa Van will forever remind every Vietnamese child that: in the turbulent rhythm of modern life, we always need a place to return to, to rediscover stillness, to nurture compassion and wisdom. This is also a vivid testament to the close friendship between Vietnam and India, two nations sharing the values of peace, loving-kindness, and companionship on the path of development.
🌿 Ngoa Van – from now on is not only a pilgrimage site to find the footsteps of the Buddhist Emperor, but also a place preserving precious cultural - spiritual testimonies from the Buddhist land of India, a sacred destination for those yearning to rediscover faith, peace, and the aspiration for harmony in life.
🙏 Ngoa Van – where heaven and earth harmonize, where spirituality is entrusted, where friendship sprouts and grows green over the years.