ShareIn Plum Village, on Sunday morning, 01.11.2009, the fourfold Sangha of the three hamlets had a mindfulness day in Lower Hamlet.  That day was also the annual day when we commemorate Master Tang Hoi, the first Zen Teacher in Vietnam.

After the Dharma talk offered by Thay, the Sangha with sanghatis all in good order gathered in the Assembly of Stars Meditation Hall to perform a ceremony honoring Master Tang Hoi, and also honoring Thay's mother who passed from this life around this same time of year (many years ago).  Thay shared with the fourfold Sangha about Master Tang Hoi's life and greatest works, such as the introduction to the Anapananusmriti Sutra.  To find out more about Master Tang Hoi, please read the book “Master Tang Hoi” which was published by Parallax Press and is also available in Vietnamese, French, and other languages.


For lunch, Thay and the Sangha gathered to eat in “ancestral meal” style, forming family-sized circles in the large meditation hall, in the spirit of warmth and togetherness.  Also at lunch, the "Fragrant Tea" ordination family celebrated their third monastic-family birthday.  Some representatives came up in front of the community to blow out candles and cut their birthday cakes.  The "Fragrant Tea" family has a special anniversary indeed, shared with the day devoted to Master Tang Hoi!

In Vietnam, Tu Hieu Monastery in Hue and Phuoc Hue Monastery in Bao Loc also celebrated these occasions.


Please enjoy the photo albums of these special events: