Spreading the spirit of compassion during Buddha's birthday.

In the middle of the fourth lunar month, the atmosphere of reverence for the 2026 Buddha's Birthday Celebration (Buddhist calendar 2570) spread throughout Ho Chi Minh City. At Buddha's Birthday altars and Buddhist establishments, five-colored flags, lotus flowers, lanterns, etc., were solemnly decorated, creating a peaceful and joyful atmosphere to welcome the day of the Buddha's birth.

Joyful holiday season

According to the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Association in Ho Chi Minh City, the 2026 Buddha's Birthday celebration will take place in the context of the country entering a new stage of development after the merger of many provinces and cities and the operation of a two-tiered local government model.

This also marks the 45th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Buddhist Association (November 7, 1981 - November 7, 2026), and looks forward to the 10th National Buddhist Congress, term 2026-2031, which will be held for the first time in Ho Chi Minh City.

Thousands of people attend the lantern-releasing festival at Phap Hoa Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City (PHOTO: NGUYEN THANH)

Prior to the main ceremony, celebratory activities were held from May 24th to 31st (corresponding to the 8th to 15th day of the 4th lunar month of the Year of the Horse), to commemorate the Buddha's birth; and to inspire compassion, wisdom, harmony, and service in social life.

Highlights of the event included the bathing of the Buddha statue, the procession of the palanquin, the bringing of the Buddha's birth statue from the An Quang Ancestral Temple to Vietnam National Temple, and the lantern-releasing ceremony... which attracted thousands of attendees.

Two Buddha's Birthday celebrations were held in Vung Tau ward and Binh Duong ward, featuring various activities that enriched the spiritual lives of monks, nuns, and Buddhists, contributing to the cultural beauty of urban life.

The 2026 Buddha's Birthday celebration (Buddhist calendar 2570) in Ho Chi Minh City will officially take place on the morning of May 31st at Vietnam National Pagoda (244 3-2 Street, Hoa Hung Ward), much anticipated by monks, nuns, Buddhists, and the city's residents in recent days.

Compassion through practical actions.

Besides solemn rituals and Buddhist cultural activities, the Buddha's birthday season is also an opportunity for monks, nuns, and Buddhists to spread the spirit of volunteerism and give back to the community.

At many monasteries and temples throughout the city, activities such as preparing free vegetarian meals, caring for the poor, supporting the vulnerable and those in difficult circumstances... take place in a warm and sincere atmosphere.

At the Buddha's Birthday celebrations in Vung Tau and Binh Duong wards, the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Association of Ho Chi Minh City distributed thousands of gifts to people in difficult circumstances and awarded scholarships to diligent students.

In addition, temples throughout the city also organized the distribution of hundreds of gifts to care for people in difficult circumstances, contributing to deepening the humanitarian significance of the Buddha's birthday season; so that the spirit of compassion, tolerance, and service of Buddhism can spread widely in social life.

In his message for the 2026 Buddha's Birthday celebration (Buddhist calendar 2570), the Venerable Thich Tri Quang, the Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, sent wishes of peace and happiness to all monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers in Vietnam and abroad.

The message emphasizes that, in a world still facing many changes, the Buddha's teachings on compassion, wisdom, and unity are not only a path to building peace, but also a source of positive energy and a foundation for sustainable development.

The Venerable Thich Tri Quang also mentioned the spirit of "putting the people first," prioritizing the people's benefit in all policy decisions. Accordingly, looking back at history and the teachings of the Buddha, every Buddhist believes that when all policy decisions are based on the people and for their benefit, they will lead to consensus and unity, and society will have positive values.

He hopes that every Buddhist will continue to apply the Buddha's teachings in their lives, together lighting the lamp of compassion, so that this light may spread, warm everyone, and make life better.

With a spirit of solemnity, economy, and safety, the 2026 Buddha's Birthday Celebration (Buddhist calendar 2570) in Ho Chi Minh City is an important religious event; affirming the tradition of Vietnamese Buddhism accompanying the nation, contributing to building a peaceful, compassionate, united, and prosperous life.

THU HOAI - MANH THANG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/lan-toa-tinh-than-nhan-ai-mua-phat-dan-post855232.html