Without gilded splendor, without big bells or drums, the pagodas in Truong Sa archipelago appear solemn and serene - like "soft milestones" carrying the national soul, steadfast at the forefront of the wind and waves.
Spiritual milestone at the forefront
In the Vietnamese mind, the pagoda is a quiet, sacred place, where people come to rely on Buddha to find peace in life and pray for happiness for their family.
At the forefront of the storm, the sacred pagodas on Truong Sa archipelago have much more meaning... they are also spiritual milestones, bringing peace to officers, soldiers and people on the remote islands; they are vivid symbols of a sacred and unshakable sovereignty milestone - through culture and spirituality.
The pagodas in Truong Sa are vivid symbols of an unshakable sacred sovereignty milestone - culturally and spiritually.
The pagoda is also a place for fishermen who catch seafood in the fishing grounds around the islands to stop their boats to burn incense, pray for health, good luck on each trip, and gain many blessings from the sea.
At Da Tay A Pagoda, Venerable Thich Nhuan Hieu regularly maintains Buddhist rituals, and major events of the year such as Buddha's Birthday, Full Moon Day, New Moon Day, Vu Lan Festival... are still held as on the mainland, so that the island's soldiers and civilians can come to the pagoda to "pray for peace, to work with peace of mind at the forefront of the wind and waves, to firmly protect the sea and islands of the Fatherland."
For the marines, the pagoda is not only a religious symbol, but also a part of their spiritual home that helps them ease their homesickness, a quiet support that helps them hold their guns more firmly in the middle of the ocean to protect the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland.
“Every time I come back from patrol, I stop by the pagoda to burn incense. Sometimes to pray for my mother back home to be healthy, sometimes to pray for the safety of my comrades in the unit. On a remote island, just seeing the pagoda makes me feel at home,” a navy soldier shared when we arrived at Truong Sa.
National soul in the middle of the ocean
Amidst the scene of waves all around, we were silent when we heard the temple bell ringing at dawn. In that quiet space, the bell sound mixed with the sound of waves lapping the shore, the sound of wind blowing through the roof, bringing a sense of peace.
“I have been to many places, but only when standing in front of a temple in the middle of the ocean, do I feel like I have truly returned to my roots. A stick of incense, a bell - all of them seem to connect my heart with my motherland Vietnam” - Overseas Vietnamese Pham Thi Nhung (Malaysia) emotionally shared when she first came to Truong Sa.
As for Ms. Phan Thi Thu Hang, a Polish expatriate, "surprised and moved" was her first feeling when she saw the image of Vietnamese pagodas at the forefront of the wind and waves when she set foot in Truong Sa, in the middle of the vast sea and sky.
“In the sound of the temple bells ringing, the temple in the middle of the remote island is not only a place to entrust faith and pray for peace for the officers and soldiers of the army and people, who are silently and steadfastly protecting the sea and islands day and night, but also a sacred cultural and spiritual milestone for thousands of years, affirming the sovereignty of the Fatherland in the middle of the ocean that is being preserved and continued,” Ms. Phan Thi Thu Hang, a Polish expatriate, shared when visiting Truong Sa.
"The pagodas not only preserve faith, but also light the flame of patriotism in the hearts of every Vietnamese person - so that even in the most remote places, the Vietnamese soul will still exist forever."
Ms. Hang believes that pagodas not only preserve faith, but also light the flame of patriotism in the hearts of every Vietnamese person - so that no matter where they are, the Vietnamese soul will remain forever, and people's hearts will still turn to their roots, to the beautiful country. "To me, that is a deep pride and a sacred reminder: every inch of land, every wave of the homeland is attached to the cultural, historical and spiritual flow of the Vietnamese people."
Buddhist nun, Dr. Thich Minh Thinh - Abbot of Dien Phuc Pagoda (Thai Binh village, Mai Lam commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi city), member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front - was moved to share when she first set foot on the pagoda on Da Tay A island: “In the middle of the vast waves, in the middle of a place that seemed to have only rocks and the sun and wind of the ocean, there is a solemn and peaceful pagoda - that makes me extremely moved. People still say: 'The pagoda roof protects the soul of the nation, the eternal way of life of our ancestors'. And right here, I see that vividly present.”
The nun believes that the Party and State's permission to build a spacious pagoda on the island is not only a cultural and spiritual project, but also a solid spiritual support for the army and people at the forefront of the wind and waves. In the middle of the remote island, the green trees and fruits seem to carry the breath of the mainland, creating a peaceful and warm space. That care is the result of the great efforts of the abbots, naval officers and soldiers, and Buddhists working together to preserve it.
“Maintaining spiritual life in difficult places like this is a way to awaken faith, peace of mind, and the will to contribute - to firmly protect Truong Sa, to protect the eternal existence of our beloved Vietnam,” shared Venerable Thich Minh Thinh.
In the heart of Vietnamese people
Talking to us, Ms. Kim Van, a resident of the island, confided that living on a remote island, the pagoda is where her family finds peace, and is the point of spiritual connection between the army and the people on the island.
That spiritual space helps people live in harmony, preserve their identity and love their homeland and country more. In the middle of the remote islands, the pagoda has become a spiritual support, bringing peace to the people. Thanks to that, the islanders have less worries when far from the mainland and can feel secure in their attachment and solidarity with the soldiers to build their lives together and protect the sacred territorial sovereignty of the Fatherland.
That is also the reason why every time they set foot in any pagoda in Truong Sa, many overseas Vietnamese cannot hide their emotions. In the middle of the vast ocean and sky, where it seems like there are only waves, wind and scorching sun, the sound of the pagoda bell rings - like the call of the motherland, is the sound that connects millions of Vietnamese hearts across five continents.
"The pagodas most clearly affirm Vietnamese territory in the hearts of Vietnamese people, affirming Vietnamese sovereignty."
“The first impression I had when I set foot on the island was the image of a pagoda standing tall on a remote island, affirming the sacred and majestic sovereignty of Vietnam’s sea and islands in the middle of the ocean, where the souls of all the soldiers who bravely and bravely protected Vietnam’s territory reside,” said Nguyen Thi My Van (an overseas Vietnamese living in the US). “The pagodas most clearly affirm Vietnam’s territory in the hearts of Vietnamese people, affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty, affirming that these are Vietnam’s mountains and rivers from time immemorial until now and will last forever.
“The pagodas on the island are a spiritual food, giving soldiers more strength to defend Vietnam’s borders, to maintain Vietnam’s sovereignty over its seas and islands forever. We will always cherish and remember this forever in our hearts,” Ms. Van added.
The pagodas in Truong Sa not only protect the soul of the nation, but also appear as a solid milestone of culture, history and love for the Fatherland. And then Truong Sa - the place that seems the farthest, turns out to be very close, because it always exists in the heart of every Vietnamese child./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/cot-moc-tam-linh-giua-trung-khoi-post1046707.vnp
Comment (0)