'Boat workshop' in the temple yard

Returning to the pagoda after days of directly going into the flood zone in Phan Dinh Phung ward to provide relief to the people, Venerable Thich Nhuan Phuoc, Abbot of Trung pagoda (Thang Loi ward) turned his concerns into action. A special "boat workshop" was born right in the pagoda yard with the cooperation of businesses in his old hometown of Thai Binh. 15 specialized composite boats were formed, realizing the proactive rescue model right at the pagoda.

Composite boats are lightweight, durable, unsinkable, and leak-proof.

Temple yard becomes factory

For the past few days, the atmosphere at Trung Pagoda (Thien The Tu), Thang Loi Ward, Thai Nguyen Province, has been especially tense. The usually quiet temple yard has now become a bustling workshop. The sound of cutting machines and grinding composite materials, mixed with the smell of plastic, has surprised many people living nearby.

People asked each other, speculated about the strange thing at the pagoda, then burst into emotion when they learned that this special difference came from the "boat workshop" initiated by Venerable Thich Nhuan Phuoc, right after he returned from an emergency trip to support people in flooded areas affected by storm No. 11.

The historic flood submerged people's houses and properties in the raging water. In that context, the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Thai Nguyen province promptly called on monks, nuns, and Buddhists in the whole province to join hands with the government to support the people. With the spirit of "compassion in the world", monks, nuns, and Buddhists cooked and gave more than 200,000 portions of rice to people in flooded areas, many pagodas became safe shelters, deeply demonstrating the meaning of "mutual love".

In that flow of charity, Venerable Thich Nhuan Phuoc and monks from Trung Pagoda directly joined the rescue boat team, present at hot spots in Phan Dinh Phung ward from October 7 to 9.

During the three days of struggling in the floodwaters, with all his heart and financial resources to help the people, Venerable Thich Nhuan Phuoc witnessed the reality that the people lacked rescue boats. Food aid was urgent, but providing means for people to proactively save themselves and save others was even more urgent - that thought kept coming back to Venerable Thich Nhuan Phuoc's mind on the way back to the pagoda from the flood.

Serving the Dharma and the nation

As a son of the coastal homeland of Tien Hai, Thai Binh (old), now Nam Cuong commune, Hung Yen province, understanding the value of a boat in the vast ocean, Venerable Thich Nhuan Phuoc came up with a kind idea: to make specialized boats for rescue.

Venerable Thich Nhuan Phuoc and monks of Trung Pagoda participated in rescue in Phan Dinh Phung ward.

As soon as the flood receded, the Venerable connected with his fellow countrymen in the old Thai Binh. Moved by the Venerable’s compassionate spirit, many hearts from the rice fields turned to Thai Nguyen: Hoang Chien Company Limited supported materials; Van Hanh Fine Arts Company Limited joined hands to undertake the technical part and 15 specialized composite boats were urgently installed.

The 15 boats have a special mission: When the floodwaters come, these boats will be controlled by monks, villagers, and Buddhists. They will take advantage of the golden time to rescue people before professional reinforcements arrive.

The boats are made of composite materials, which are durable, hard to sink, leak-proof, and have a long life. The boats are designed for midland terrain with a length of 3 meters, a width of 90 cm, and can carry 2-3 people or over 100 kg of goods. The boats are compact enough to be able to maneuver through narrow alleys, and each person only needs 10-20 minutes of training to be able to control them.

Buddhism says: “The fragrance of flowers does not travel against the wind. But the fragrance of virtuous people travels everywhere against the wind” (Dhammapada 54).

Venerable Thich Nhuan Phuoc was appointed as the abbot of Trung Pagoda in 2023, but has spent many years quietly doing charity work, always concerned about the fate of poor children not only in Thai Nguyen but also in many mountainous and border provinces. This is the realization of the vow made when the Venerable was appointed abbot, which is "Serving the Dharma and the nation".

Struggling to do good deeds, but when we suggested writing an article about the boat “workshop” at the pagoda, Venerable Thich Nhuan Phuoc said calmly: You who write articles should not mention us too much. Our work is just like a drop of water in the ocean, praising us is not in accordance with the Buddha’s teachings.

15 composite boats painted in the color of hope blue are neatly placed in the temple grounds as this year's storm season is about to pass. It was formed after the flood with the hearts of philanthropists and the compassionate spirit of Buddhism, to become a volunteer rescue team ready to proactively respond to the storm season in the following years.

But when looking at that green paint, we secretly hoped that Venerable Thich Nhuan Phuoc and the monks and Buddhists would never have the opportunity to use it.

Trung Pagoda is an ancient temple, founded during the reign of King Ly Than Tong, Thien Thuan era (1128-1132). After many ups and downs, the temple has deteriorated over time. At the end of 2021, with the donations of benefactors and donors, the Trung Pagoda Board of Trustees, together with Buddhists and people, started to rebuild the Dai Hung Bao Dien.

On November 26, 2023, at the inauguration ceremony of the Great Heroic Temple, the Standing Committee of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Thai Nguyen province announced the decision to appoint Venerable Thich Nhuan Phuoc as Abbot of Trung Pagoda.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202510/xuong-thuyen-noi-san-chua-2a105bc/