Filial Piety is the foundation of the Vietnamese Way of Life

 Rev. Thich Nguyen Hanh
(TX. USA)

Namo Sakyamuni Buddha!

Venerable Sangha, Fellow Buddhists, Ladies and Gentlemen:

Before concluding this memorable celebration of Ullambana, a commemoration of "Filial Piety", on behalf of the Vietnam Buddhist Center, we respectfully extend our sincere appreciation to the Venerable Sangha who came to take refuge at this Center during this traditional Buddhist summer retreat. You also bless us with your grace by gathering here today to bear witness to this very extraordinary ceremony. Your presence during this past retreat has indeed contributed to the blossoming of the Buddhist faith at the Center. It proliferates the development of a thriving Dhamma assembly. It brings faith and hope to the Buddhist community, when contemplating the current and future state of the Vietnamese Buddhism.

We would also like to thank all of you Buddhists and fellow Vietnamese who have gathered here today, and for the past week, to revere this very exceptional event. From our heart, we praise all of you, especially those of the young generation, who, during this celebration, do not only express your noble love and respect to your ancestors and parents, but also help preserve a traditional Vietnamese heritage during this unsettling era of religious conviction and family values.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Filial Piety is the foundation of the Vietnamese Way of Life, the infrastructure of the traditional Vietnamese culture. Observing Ullambana is to preserve this foundation and infrastructure. For that reason, this ceremony becomes a traditional celebration for the Vietnamese. And also for that reason, we can confidently state that as long as Ullambana is observed, our ancestral culture is preserved. And when our ancestral culture is preserved, the future of our Vietnamese heritage is perpetuated. In a broader appreciation, Ullambana could be perceived as an opportunity for us to extend our compassion toward the innumerable beings that are suffering from grief and misery, an opportunity for us to pray for their deliverance and happiness. With these notions, Ullambana forges our immeasurable spirit of compassion, so that we can live in harmony with all beings in a world of peace and tranquility. That is indeed "A Traditional Way of Living the Path" in its most positive and divine logic that Buddhism has brought to our heritage and to mankind.

In the spirit of piety and the sentiment of nurturing a compassionate life, we all join here to pray for peace, tranquility, and happiness to all the parents and all beings.

Once again, we would like to thank the Venerable Sangha and all of you, Ladies and Gentlemen, who have been assembling here to celebrate this divine religious event with us.

Source: http://www.buddhistdoor.com

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