On January 3, Binh Duong Provincial Buddhist Sangha convened the 10th Congress, tenure 2022-2027. Participants were the Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Chairman of Executive Council of the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha; Nguyen Van Loi, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly's Delegation; Nguyen Hoang Thao, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Pham Van Chanh, Member of Provincial Party Standing Committee, Chairman of Provincial People's Council; Nguyen Van Loc, Member of Provincial Party Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Committee for Mass Mobilization, Chairman of the Provincial Fatherland Front. Committee; Nguyen Loc Ha, Member of Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of Provincial People's Committee; and representatives of departments, agencies, mass organizations, municipalities and 250 delegates.
Leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Provincial Fatherland Front present flowers and congratulate the congress.
To actively support disease prevention control
During the last term, due to the raging Covid-19, Executive Board of the Provincial Buddhist Sangha, instructed monasteries, monks, nuns, and Buddhists in the province to well comply with directives of the Central and provincial governments; joined hands, together with the province, to well perform the prevention control of Covid-19.
The provincial Buddhist Sangha actively held meetings with Buddhist Sangha members of the province, districts, towns and cities, and head monks of monasteries in the area to disseminate disease prevention control work. Lectures at dharma halls and festivals with large crowds were ceased temporarily. Provincial and district Buddhist Executive Boards and temples regularly propagated and called on Buddhists visiting temples to follow the "5K" principle of the Ministry of Health, raise awareness of health protection, and well observe regulations of the Central Government and municipalities on disease prevention and control.
To implement the call of the Vietnam Central Buddhist Sangha for providing material support for pandemic prevention control, the provincial Buddhist Sangha mobilized contributions of the Buddhist Sangha of districts, towns, cities, monasteries, monks and nuns to buy medical equipment and many other social charity works. Total value of Binh Duong Buddhism's charity work during the 2020 pandemic season was 2 billion 280 million VND, 15,000 medical masks, 5,000 bottles of hand sanitizers. In 2021, Binh Duong Buddhists continued to take part in the disease prevention control in the province through many meaningful and practical activities.
Venerable Thich Hue Thong, Head of the provincial Buddhist Sangha, said that following the campaign of the Vietnam Central Buddhist Sangha, the Provincial Fatherland Front, the province's Buddhist Sangha, all monks, nuns and Buddhists in the provice organised Buddhist activities, contributed resources to carry out charity programs, took care of people's lives who are facing difficulties caused by the Covid-19. The total amount of Binh Duong Buddhists' contribution to the Covid-19 prevention control in 2021 was nearly 110 billion VND.
In addition to the above practical contributions, during the fourth Covid-19 wave, there were 90 monks, nuns and Buddhists worked as volunteers of pandemic prevention control work in many municipalities. A cultural center located at Hoi Khanh Temple was also used by the provincial Buddhist Sangha as a concentrated isolation facility for monks and nuns, namely F0 patients with mild symptoms, and F1, F2 patients. This facility was also a mobile medical station, Covid-19 testing site, and isolation support area for people in Phu Cuong ward, Thu Dau Mot city.
To carry out meaningful voluntary activities
Promoting the Buddhism spirit of Compassion, in the last term, the provincial Buddhist Sangha Social Charity Board mobilized monks, nuns, and Buddhists from monasteries to actively participate in charity activities, such as: Relief for people affected by natural disasters and floods in the Central and Western provinces, giving gifts to highland people, giving scholarships to poor studious students, supporting the Blind Association, Elderly Association, families of war invalids and martyrs, taking care of Vietnamese heroic mothers, offering soups at hospitals, building over 100 houses of gratitude, bridges, providing free medical examination and treatment, and medicine… Total cost of social charity activities organised by Binh Duong Buddhism in the last term was nearly 335 billion VND.
Venerable Thich Hue Thong said that in the last term, Binh Duong Buddhism basically completed well targets set by the 9th Congress Resolution, and brought about very important achievements, contributing to the stability and development of Buddhism as well as the province. Venerable Thich Hue Thong said: "The tenure 2022-2027 is a term that the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha oriented towards developments of "Discipline - Responsibility - Solidarity - Development". We have a very firm belief in the development and stability in the new term, because Binh Duong Buddhism always adheres to and strictly follows the direction of the Central Committee, especially policies of the State and Binh Duong province".
On behalf of provincial leaders, Nguyen Loc Ha recognized and praised the good results and contributions of all monks, nuns and Buddhists in the province during the past term. Buddhist activities of provincial Buddhist Sangha in the past tenure harmoniously combined with social activities, well implemented the guidelines and policies of the Party, State...
He hoped that in the new term, provincial Buddhist Sangha would continue to do better in its role and responsibilities to uphold the tradition of patriotic solidarity of Vietnamese Buddhism; mobilize monks, nuns and Buddhists to actively and enthusiastically participate in patriotic emulation movements and common works; well implement Party Resolutions of all levels and movements for the benefits of the country and people, goodwill and merit. Buddhist Sangha at all levels, monks, nuns, and Buddhists in the province will continue to show their role and prestige in strengthening the great national unity bloc and the unity of religions; well implement guidelines, policies and laws on belief and religion of the Party and State, actively contributing to the development of all aspects of the province.
Reported by Hong Thuan - Translated by Ngoc Huynh
