Accompanying social security movements

Most Venerable Thich Minh Tri, Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in the province, Abbot of Phuc Lam Pagoda (Tam Hiep Ward) gives gifts to blind people. Photo: Van Truyen

At the same time, Venerable Thich Minh Tri, Abbot and monks at this pagoda also actively participated in patriotic emulation movements launched by the province.

Building a humanitarian address

Every year, Venerable Thich Minh Tri and Phuc Lam Pagoda periodically organize 4 gift-giving events for the disabled, the poor, freelance workers in difficult circumstances, and orphans on the occasion of Lunar New Year, Vu Lan Festival, Buddha's Birthday, and Mid-Autumn Festival.

Each gift is worth from 500,000 VND to over 1 million VND. In each gift-giving session, from 500 to 1,000 people are supported right at the pagoda. In addition, through the mobilization of local authorities, Phuc Lam Pagoda also supports gifts for people in other places.

One special thing is that every time they give gifts to people, Phuc Lam Pagoda organizes a family meal for everyone or if time does not allow, the gift recipients are supported with cakes and milk to have a snack before leaving.

Chairman of the Association of the Blind in Dong Nai Province, Nguyen Bao Tran, said: Members of the Association of the Blind are given priority by Venerable Thich Minh Tri and Phuc Lam Pagoda to receive gifts whenever the pagoda organizes gift giving. During this process, Venerable Thich Minh Tri and Phuc Lam Pagoda support vehicles to pick up visually impaired people from far away to receive gifts to ensure everyone's safety. At the same time, gift recipients are provided with meals so that they do not miss meals while traveling to the place to receive gifts as well as returning home.

In addition, Venerable Thich Minh Tri and Phuc Lam Pagoda also proactively connect monks and Buddhists to participate in voluntary blood donation; tissue donation, and body donation for medical research after death. Currently, there are 3 monks at the pagoda and many Buddhists who have registered for this act.

In addition, as Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in the province, the Venerable has joined hands to organize many voluntary blood donation campaigns at the monasteries organized by the Provincial Red Cross Society in coordination with the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in the province. For each blood donation campaign at the pagodas, he, the abbot and Buddhists of the pagodas prepare tea, fruit, cakes and many chairs in the pagoda grounds so that blood donors can relax before and after donating blood.

According to Vice President of the Provincial Red Cross Society Nguyen Thi Phuong Anh, Venerable Thich Minh Tri was a major contributor when Dong Nai province first organized a voluntary blood donation activity exclusively for monks, nuns, and Buddhists in 2023 and this activity has been maintained regularly until now. At the same time, in the process of organizing voluntary blood donation at monasteries, the Provincial Red Cross Society always received support from Venerable Thich Minh Tri from the process of mobilizing monks and Buddhists to participate to the logistics. Thanks to that, the results of receiving voluntary blood donations when organized at monasteries always reached the number of blood units and exceeded the set plan.

Venerable Thich Minh Tri said: In the process of carrying out Buddhist work, he and other monks and Buddhists always wish to contribute to the spirit of "Buddhism - Nation - Socialism", Buddhism is oriented towards people, for the prosperous development of the country and Dong Nai province.

Actively participate in local activities

Along with humanitarian activities, Phuc Lam Pagoda also actively participates in local activities and emulation movements.

Specifically, during the process of the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee implementing the Program of Coordination on Environmental Protection and Climate Change Response, period 2021-2026, Venerable Thich Minh Tri and Phuc Lam Pagoda together with the Provincial Buddhist Sangha Executive Committee coordinated with functional agencies and local authorities to organize many fish release campaigns at many locations on the Dong Nai River, reservoirs, and large streams to contribute to protecting aquatic resources.

In addition, according to Venerable Thich Minh Tri, Phuc Lam Pagoda is located in the inner city of Bien Hoa city. Therefore, he and the monks try to keep the pagoda area clean and tidy. Every time Buddhists come to the pagoda, he reminds everyone to participate in protecting the living environment with simple and familiar activities in daily life, such as: maintaining hygiene in daily family activities, when playing outside, must throw garbage in the right place. Every time the locality launches a campaign to clear bushes and plant trees to create landscapes, family members are sent to participate in common activities. In the family's production process, no toxic products are used to limit environmental pollution...

At the same time, during the process of the Central and the province organizing activities to celebrate and commemorate major events, Venerable Thich Minh Tri and Phuc Lam Pagoda actively responded. Recently, when the whole country celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and the reunification of the country; the 80th anniversary of National Day September 2, the Venerable and monks and Buddhists at the pagoda organized bell and drum ringing to welcome and chant Buddha's name to pray for national peace and prosperity. When the whole country turned to the activity of honoring those who have contributed to the country on July 27, in addition to participating in giving gifts to policy families and those who have contributed, Phuc Lam Pagoda organized a memorial service to commemorate the heroic martyrs who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.

Literature

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/xa-hoi/202510/dong-hanh-cung-cac-phong-trao-an-sinh-xa-hoi-1cb4c11/