Deeply Appreciative

Deeply Appreciative

Blissful, peaceful and deeply appreciative are the words to describe my feelings about being able to take part in this year's Buddhist Winter Retreat Course at the Phap Bao pagoda. Although I only partially attended the course, I've gained many  gems from the Dharma talks delivered by the Venerable monks and have made a commitment to applying them in all aspects of my daily life.

For example, the Dharma talk about the 6 Perfections (Paramitas) by Ven. Thich Pho Huong & Ven. Thich Nguyen Tang increased my understanding and commitment to cultivating generosity, morality, harmony, patience, diligence, and meditation, which would ultimately lead to increasing my wisdom. 

On my way home from the Dharma talk, my sister and I reviewed our learning and found that we both couldn't recall the fifth Perfection (ie meditation). This was an indication for us to focus on practising this virtue more diligently and consistently. 

Being a relatively young Buddhist who grew up in Australia, I believe the younger generation needs to understand and apply the above to help steer them in the right path to happiness. I hope there will be English Dharma talks for the younger generations in future Winter retreats. 

A heart-felt thank you to the selfless organizers and volunteers from the Phap Bao pagoda for their tremendous effort! 

Phap Bao Winter Retreat 2015

Joyce M Nguyen Thanh Kim