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| Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan presents gifts to people in difficult circumstances in Suoi Trau hamlet, Long Thanh commune. Photo: Van Truyen. |
Therefore, over the past period, Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan and the Buddhist followers of the Zen monastery have become a "humanitarian address" in social welfare work in the local area.
One charity activity per week
Specifically, on the 15th day of each lunar month, Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan and Buddhist followers prepare about 300 free meals to distribute directly to local self-employed workers. For elderly people with mobility difficulties and people with disabilities who cannot come to the distribution point, the charity kitchen will deliver the meals directly to their homes.
At the same time, on a monthly basis, Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan organizes gift-giving for nearly 150 disadvantaged individuals in various communes and wards as part of the "Each Individual Linked to a Humanitarian Cause" program launched by the Red Cross Society. Specifically, during the opening and closing ceremonies of each school year, Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan, along with Buddhist followers from Truc Lam Long Duc Zen Monastery, donates gifts to disadvantaged students and students who have overcome difficulties and achieved good results, making a positive contribution to promoting education in the locality.
Furthermore, whenever communes, wards, hamlets, and neighborhoods in the province organize fundraising campaigns to give gifts to people during events, Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan and his Buddhist followers readily accept the requests and arrange for the gifts to be delivered to the event locations. Therefore, in some weeks, Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan and his Buddhist followers are present at five different locations to distribute loving gifts of essential necessities to the people.
According to Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan, caring for and sharing the difficulties of the people, and accompanying the government in carrying out local activities, is the responsibility of every Buddhist monk. Therefore, when connected by the government, the Venerable and the Buddhists always try to participate.
Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Long Thanh commune, Nguyen Tan Hung, said: "In the past, Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan has actively accompanied the local community in carrying out charitable and humanitarian work. He has also responsibly participated in environmental protection through planting trees, organizing cleaning activities in and around the monastery; and encouraging Buddhist families to maintain general hygiene at home and behave civilly in public places..."
Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan and the Buddhist followers of Truc Lam Long Duc Zen Monastery have actively joined hands to support the poor. The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province hopes to continue receiving contributions from Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan in social welfare activities in the locality in the future.
Vice Chairperson of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province, LƯU THỊ HÀ
Bringing joy to the people.
Besides their regular charitable activities, Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan and the Buddhist followers of the monastery actively participate in campaigns to help the poor, support people affected by natural disasters, and organize free spiritual activities for the public.
For example, when hamlets in Long Thanh commune and some neighboring communes organized the 2025 National Unity Day, Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan provided hundreds of gifts to encourage people in difficult circumstances in the residential areas. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh (a resident of Long Thanh commune) said: She was very happy with the gift that Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan and the Buddhist followers of Truc Lam Long Duc Zen Monastery gave during the National Unity Day. It was a great source of encouragement for households in difficult circumstances like hers.
Furthermore, when Dong Nai province launched a campaign to support the Fund for the Poor, Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan and Buddhist followers donated 200 million VND to the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province. Currently, as the entire province is organizing fundraising activities to support people in the North and Central provinces affected by natural disasters, Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan and Buddhist followers are jointly contributing to purchase food and supplies to send to the affected people.
Alongside providing material support, Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan and the Buddhist followers of the monastery also pay special attention to the spiritual well-being of children and local people. On occasions such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lunar New Year, and International Children's Day, Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan and the monastery's Buddhist followers organize free cultural and culinary exchange programs. On each occasion, people have the opportunity to listen to, watch, and interact with Buddhist followers who are well-known and beloved artists, invited by Venerable Thich Dat Ma Nghiem Thuan to perform.
Furthermore, during every holiday and festival, Truc Lam Long Duc Zen Monastery is one of the beautifully decorated places in the area and is open to the public for people to come and enjoy themselves and take souvenir photos. This contributes to improving the cultural and spiritual life of the local people.
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Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/xa-hoi/202511/chia-se-cung-nguoi-kho-khan-3be1c05/
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