Customs - Festivals

Solemn Memorial Ceremony of the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam Huyen Quang at Con Son Pagoda

STRONG PROGRESS - TUAN ANH • March 3, 2024 11:05

On the morning of March 3 (January 23), the death anniversary of the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam Huyen Quang was solemnly held by the Organizing Committee of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Spring Festival 2024 at the Con Son relic site (Chi Linh, Hai Duong).

Comrade Trieu The Hung, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Duong province and delegates respectfully offered incense to commemorate the merits of the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam Huyen Quang Venerable in front of Con Son Pagoda.

Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Duong province Trieu The Hung and some members of the Organizing Committee of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Spring Festival 2024 came to offer incense to commemorate the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam.

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Van, Head of the Executive Committee of the Buddhist Sangha of Hai Duong province, presided over the ceremony to worship the Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam.

At the ancient Con Son Buddhist Temple, Venerable Thich Thanh Van, Head of the Executive Committee of the Buddhist Sangha of Hai Duong province, presided over the ceremony. In the sacred space, incense smoke spread, trumpets and drums resounded, monks respectfully offered incense, flowers, and offerings and conducted the ceremony to worship Buddha, saints, the Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam, and deities.

Leaders of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Relic Management Board, delegates, people and tourists attend the death anniversary ceremony

The death anniversary of the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam Huyen Quang is one of the important traditional rituals held at the annual spring festival.

A group of monks made a pilgrimage to attend the death anniversary of the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam.

The ceremony aims to commemorate and show gratitude for the merits of the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam, Venerable Huyen Quang - one of the three patriarchs who made great contributions to the development of the Truc Lam Zen sect and the beautification of the Con Son landscape.

The Third Patriarch of Truc Lam's death anniversary took place on the weekend, so in addition to the delegates, there were also many people and tourists coming to offer incense and worship.

March 3 is the weekend so Con Son relic site welcomes a lot of people, tourists, dignitaries, and Buddhist followers to visit, worship, and offer incense to commemorate the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam.

img_9343(1).jpg — People and tourists respectfully offer incense to commemorate the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam at Dang Minh Tower.

Dang Minh Tower (Dang Minh Bao Thap) - where the relics of the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam, Venerable Huyen Quang, are located behind Con Son Pagoda, has many Buddhist groups, people and tourists offering incense.

In the evening of the same day, also at Con Son relic site, the Mong Son Thi Thuc ceremony will take place - the final content of this year's Con Son - Kiep Bac Spring Festival program.

According to the Con Son - Kiep Bac Relic Management Board, during the 14 days (from January 10 to 23), the festival is estimated to welcome about 95,000 visitors, equivalent to the same period last year. If calculated in the first 23 days of January, the relic site is estimated to welcome 317,000 visitors, an increase of 3.3% over the same period in 2023.

Huyền Quang's real name is Lý Đạo Tài, born in January, the year of Giáp Dần, the 4th year of Nguyên Phong reign (1254) under the reign of King Trần Thái Tông, originally from Vạn Tư village (now Thái Bảo commune, Gia Bình district, Bắc Ninh province). Huyền Quang was one of the talented intellectuals, famous for his poetry and literature, and served as an official at the Trần Dynasty's Academy. He abandoned his officialdom, determined to practice Buddhism, study Buddhism and compile scriptures. On January 23, 1334, he passed away at Côn Sơn pagoda, at the age of 80. King Trần Minh Tông mourned him, specially bestowed upon him the title of the third patriarch of the Trần Dynasty's Trúc Lâm Zen Master, and bestowed upon him the title of the third-ranking monk of the three religions, Huyền Quang Venerable. At the same time, he donated 10 taels of gold to build a tower for the Zen master. His disciple, An Tâm Quốc Sư, built a tower behind Côn Sơn pagoda, at the foot of Kỳ Lân mountain, to place the Patriarch's relics, and named it Đăng Minh Bảo Tháp.

STRONG PROGRESS - TUAN ANH