Second Patriarch Phap Loa: An eminent Zen master who promoted the essence of Truc Lam Buddhism

By 1308, at the age of 24, He received the transmission of the robe and bowl, becoming the Second Patriarch of Truc Lam Buddhism. In 1318, Phap Loa was conferred the title of National Master (Quốc sư) by King Tran Anh Tong.

 

 

The Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam (Tran Nhan Tong, Phap Loa, and Huyen Quang) - the three Patriarchs of the Truc Lam Zen Sect.

 

Developing Truc Lam Buddhism and the Sangha organization

 

Zen Master Phap Loa made great contributions to reforming and developing the Truc Lam Zen Sect. After assuming the heavy responsibility of leading the Sangha, Phap Loa carried out many important organizational reforms, expanded Buddhist activities, and helped Buddhism spread strongly in society. Under the guidance of Zen Master Phap Loa, the number of monks and lay Buddhists increased significantly, many pagodas and stupas were built, and the practice movement became popular among all classes of people.

 

One of Phap Loa's outstanding achievements was the publication of the Tripitaka (Đại tạng kinh), helping to preserve and popularize Buddhist scriptures. Besides, He was also a great author, compiling about 10 Truc Lam Buddhist textual works, making an important contribution to shaping the ideology and practice of the Zen Sect.

 

Zen Master Phap Loa made great contributions to reforming and developing the Truc Lam Zen Sect. 

 

Contributions to the development of Quynh Lam Monastery

 

Ngoa Van is where the First Patriarch Tran Nhan Tong entered Nirvana, and at the same time an important practice center, contributing to consolidating and spreading the spirit of Truc Lam Buddhism.

 

The name of the Second Patriarch Phap Loa is also associated with the development of Quynh Lam Monastery (Dong Trieu, Quang Ninh) - an important center for propagating the Dharma of Truc Lam Buddhism. From 1317 until His passing in 1330, He transformed Quynh Lam into a major training center for monks, attracting a large number of monks and Buddhists.

 

According to the records in the "Tam To thuc luc" (True Records of the Three Patriarchs), in 1324, the princes and nobles of the Tran dynasty offered more than 1,000 mau of land and thousands of domestic servants as Triple Gem assets to Quynh Lam Pagoda, entering the folk saying "The yard of Muong Pagoda, the fields of Quynh Pagoda".

 

Under Phap Loa's leadership, Quynh Lam was not only a place of study and practice but also a venue for many important Buddhist events. In 1319, He called upon monks and Buddhists to draw their own blood to print 5,000 copies of the Tripitaka. Retired Emperor Tran Anh Tong also drew his own blood to write a small-sized Tripitaka, consisting of 20 boxes, kept at the pagoda. In 1325, He organized a festival of a thousand Buddha statues lasting 7 days and 7 nights, and built two stupas to process the relics of King Tran Nhan Tong back for preservation at Quynh Lam.

 

Between 1327 and 1329, Phap Loa directed the casting of a Maitreya statue measuring 1 truong and 6 thuoc (5.28m) tall, marking a significant achievement in religious art. In March 1328, together with Empress Dowager Bao Tu and National Mother Bao Hue, He organized a great chanting assembly (Đại trai đàn) to recite the Tripitaka for 10 days and nights, gathering monks from the ten directions to Quynh Lam, attracting thousands of attendees.

 

Ngoa Van is where the First Patriarch Tran Nhan Tong entered Nirvana, and at the same time an important practice center, contributing to consolidating and spreading the spirit of Truc Lam Buddhism.

 

The crucial role in the development of Vietnamese Buddhism

 

Experts consider Phap Loa a talented organizer of the Truc Lam Sangha, an effective Dharma propagator with profound social influence during the Tran Dynasty. If the First Patriarch Tran Nhan Tong was the founder who shaped the Truc Lam Zen Sect, then Phap Loa was the successor who implemented and materialized the First Patriarch's ideology in terms of both spiritual and organizational leadership.

 

Phap Loa made unremitting efforts to localize Buddhism, developing practice methods suitable for the Vietnamese people, bringing peace to the masses. He continued Tran Nhan Tong's legacy, bringing Truc Lam Buddhism to a new height, in terms of academics, practice, and the realization of liberation. As a result, Vietnamese Buddhism not only flourished domestically but also made important contributions to the general development of global Buddhism.

 

Even though He lived in this world for only 47 years, the marks of the Second Patriarch Phap Loa still resonate today, serving as an inspiration for millions of Vietnamese Buddhists. Honoring and expressing gratitude for His merits is a profoundly meaningful act, contributing to preserving and promoting the spiritual values of the Truc Lam Zen Sect in modern life.

 

March 31, 2025 (the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month) - the 695th anniversary of the passing of the Second Patriarch Phap Loa (1330-2025), is an opportunity for generations of Buddhists to look back at the spiritual legacy He left behind, continuing to preserve and promote the noble values of Truc Lam Buddhism.