Going to church is still… wrong.

My friend in Hai Duong City told me that since the first day of Tet, her sister-in-law and her husband went to several famous pagodas and temples in the province to burn incense and make offerings. Feeling that it was not enough, she also went to other provinces to pray for a peaceful and harmonious family, a happy marriage, well-behaved children, and hard-working students. Not only her parents, her eldest daughter and her friends also spent a whole day going to the pagoda. In fact, during the last Tet, her family spent tens of millions of dong on renting a car, buying offerings, and making offerings. She said that doing so made her feel protected and reassured to do other things.

Her wishes and desires are legitimate but not in line with the meaning of going to the temple at the beginning of spring. And this situation is happening not only to her family but also to many other people. Going to the temple but not fully understanding the meaning of each pagoda, communal house, shrine and how to prepare the offerings and prayers properly, suitable for each place. Moreover, some people go to the temple but do not pay attention to their behavior and attitude, so they dress revealingly, offensively, laugh loudly, and litter in public places. Some people make merit but do not put it in the box or write it down in a book but put money in the hands of Buddha statues, drop money into wells...

Then there are crowded places where people have to jostle each other, where the place to stand and pray is not comfortable, where people bow behind each other, and some people even have to stand far away and bow...

The above situation stems from many causes, but it can be said that part of it is due to the insecurity and anxiety of many people. They go to temples and pagodas to pray because they want to find a place to be protected and supported psychologically to have more faith in life. Some people have a follower mentality, even though they don't think it's really necessary, but when invited by friends, they still go. Nowadays, there is also the mentality of "wealth gives birth to etiquette", that is, when wealth gives birth to etiquette.

Going to the temple at the beginning of spring is a beautiful tradition of the Vietnamese people. Temples, communal houses, and pagodas are quiet, peaceful places where people come to reflect on their souls and contemplate life, not to pray. Buddhist teachings guide people to live better, to do good deeds to build a pure soul, only then will life become better.

So how to go to the temple at the beginning of spring properly, bringing peace to yourself and your family without being tired, expensive, or wasteful? First of all, everyone should learn to live according to the teachings of the Buddha King Tran Nhan Tong: first, practice at home, second, practice in the market, and third, practice in the temple. In daily life, live sincerely, do not lie, do not do things that violate the law, regularly do good deeds... From there, the soul will be peaceful, life will naturally no longer be worried or sad. Before going to the temple, you need to carefully find out where you are going, who you are worshiping, and what field you are in to prepare the ceremony properly and thoughtfully. When going to the temple, you should also choose the place to go, in accordance with the wishes and desires of yourself and your family, and not go too much, go everywhere. The preparation of the ceremony should be within your ability, not too big or too grand. It is necessary to strictly follow the regulations of the place where you go to worship, especially in terms of dress, speech, etc. Only then will going to worship at the beginning of spring be meaningful.