On February 20 - 21 (i.e., the 23rd - 24th of the first lunar month), at the Ngoa Van relic site, Dong Trieu City, Quang Ninh Province, the activity "Cultural Exchange in Gratitude to the Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam" took place.
The event was organized by the Cultural Heritage Research Institute, Ngoa Van Yen Tu Cultural Joint Stock Company, and the Colorful Natural Life School Club on the occasion of the 691st death anniversary of the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam, Huyen Quang, to help the public better understand Truc Lam Buddhism and the cultural and spiritual values of the Vietnamese people.
According to Dr. Bui Huu Duoc, former Director of the Buddhism Department, Government Committee for Religious Affairs, deep research into Vietnamese history and the history of Vietnamese religions shows that Dong Trieu City is a land containing many cultural and historical values closely tied to the country's ups and downs. This is also a sacred land housing the Ancestral Temple of the Tran Dynasty and the Vietnamese Buddhist Sanctuary, Ngoa Van Hermitage, where the King - Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong practiced Buddhism in his final days and entered Nirvana, and where the Buddhist Emperor Stupa was erected.
Studies also affirm the Vietnamese people's aspiration to use religion, particularly Buddhism, to address issues in social life, which was clearly demonstrated during the Tran Dynasty.
King Tran Nhan Tong was not only a heroic king in the war against foreign invaders but also a wise monarch who knew how to apply Buddhism to unite, stabilize, and develop society, as well as foster diplomatic relations with neighboring countries.
Ngoa Van Peak is considered one of the sacred spots that helped wise monarchs like King Tran Nhan Tong reflect on the destiny of the country and its people. Here, King Tran Nhan Tong renounced his throne to practice religion, seeking a path to bring happiness and peace to the country and its people.
"Therefore, the spiritual and cultural exchange activity in gratitude to the Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam in Dong Trieu is of great significance; contributing to spreading the values of Truc Lam Buddhism from the past to the present, as well as the culture and spirituality of the Vietnamese people in general," said Dr. Bui Huu Duoc.
At the exchange program on the afternoon and evening of February 20, delegates listened to representatives of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha share about the "Merits of the Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam and the contributions of the Third Patriarch Huyen Quang to the Dharma and the Nation"; the flow of Truc Lam Buddhism in the past and present...
Also at the event, there were poetry recitations on the theme of Truc Lam, the position of Ngoa Van Hermitage in the minds of Vietnamese people, and an exchange on "Zen in Calligraphy"...
On February 21, delegates will make a pilgrimage to Ngoa Van Hermitage and perform an incense-offering ceremony to the Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam.