Buddhist culture blends with life on the occasion of Vesak 2025 at Tam Chuc Pagoda

In the sacred space of Tam Chuc Pagoda, the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025 is not only a great spiritual event, but also an opportunity for cultural and artistic values associated with Buddhism to be widely introduced to the community. These days, a series of unique cultural and artistic activities taking place on the sidelines of the Festival have been, are and promise to bring to people and visitors rich experiences, imbued with national identity and the spirit of compassion and wisdom of Buddhism.

Book launching ceremony "Thay Pagoda - Special National Monument".

In addition to the official ceremonies, this year's ceremony recorded many special highlights. For the first time, the relics of Buddha Shakyamuni, the national treasure of India, were brought to Vietnam and enshrined at Tam Chuc Pagoda with welcoming, worshiping and praying ceremonies taking place in a solemn atmosphere. The official ceremony to celebrate Vesak was solemnly held, an opportunity for the Buddhist community and people to reflect on the message of peace , compassion and wisdom of the Buddha. The night of flower lanterns praying for national peace and prosperity, gratitude and remembrance by Tam Chuc Lake created a peaceful and sacred scene, attracting the participation of thousands of people. In addition, the planting ceremony of the "Tree of Compassion - Nurturing Wisdom" conveyed the message of the connection between people and nature, towards a humane and sustainable lifestyle. At the end of the series of ceremonies, the ceremony to send the relics back to India continued to be held with solemn rituals, closing a meaningful journey of spiritual exchange.

Contributing to the depth of this year’s event is a series of cultural and artistic activities that were elaborately and methodically organized. The highlight is the book launch ceremony “Thay Pagoda – Special National Monument”, which took place on May 18 at Tam Chuc cultural space. The book introduces the historical, architectural and spiritual values of Thay Pagoda – one of the typical ancient pagodas associated with Zen Master Tu Dao Hanh, thereby contributing to honoring the cultural heritage of Vietnamese Buddhism.

Many young readers were interested and asked questions at the book launch ceremony "Chua Thay - Special National Monument".

Another notable highlight was the first Tue Dang Book Fair, a special event on Buddhist books and reading culture. With the participation of a series of publishers, distributors and Buddhist institutions, the book fair introduced thousands of books on Buddhism, Zen, history and national culture. The book fair space has become a place to connect knowledge, morality and life, attracting the attention of many readers of all ages.

Within the framework of cultural activities on the sidelines of the 2025 Vesak Festival at Tam Chuc Pagoda, there were also many cultural and artistic clubs from localities. One of them, the Cultural and Art Club of Quang Lac Commune, Nho Quan District, Ninh Binh Province, participated with special performances imbued with Muong ethnic culture. Nearly 30 members of the Club performed many special performances, introducing to the audience sweet lullabies, resounding gong sounds and lively traditional bamboo dances. Sharing about the Club's activities, Ms. Bui Thi Chieu, a member participating in the performance, said: "We are very happy to bring the Muong ethnic culture of our homeland here. Although simple, each performance is carefully rehearsed, hoping to convey a part of the homeland's soul and feelings to everyone attending the Festival."

The first Tue Dang Book Fair introduced thousands of books on Buddhism, Zen, history and national culture.

The participation of cultural and artistic clubs from many localities not only enriches the cultural activities at the 2025 Vesak Festival but also helps preserve and spread traditional values of the nation to the public.

Many Buddhists and tourists coming to the Vesak 2025 Festival at Tam Chuc Pagoda not only attend a religious festival, but also live in a unique cultural atmosphere, where the Buddhist spirit blends with daily life through meaningful, close and unique activities. Mr. Nguyen Manh Dong, Song Cong city, Thai Nguyen province: This is the first time I have come to Tam Chuc Pagoda with the desire to worship the relics of Buddha Shakyamuni. But I was very surprised when I came here, there were many cultural spaces such as reading books, listening to music, participating in many meaningful activities... The atmosphere here is very peaceful, everyone is friendly, clearly seeing the spirit of Buddhism spreading into life. I feel very warm.

The Cultural and Arts Club of Quang Lac Commune, Nho Quan District, Ninh Binh Province participated with special performances imbued with Muong ethnic culture.

With a harmonious combination of spirituality and culture, tradition and modernity, the 2025 Vesak Festival at Tam Chuc Pagoda has become a convergence of sustainable values, contributing to spreading the image of the country and Vietnamese people to international friends, affirming the positive role of Buddhism in nurturing spiritual life and connecting the community in the integration era.

Nguyen Khanh

Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/van-hoa/van-hoa-phat-giao-hoa-nhip-doi-song-trong-dip-dai-le-phat-dan-vesak-2025-tai-chua-tam-chuc-163875.html