The Realizations at "the Great Pines Forest" Monastery, 1988-1992
With his vow:
- To educate the novice monks and nuns
- To teach the Buddha Dharma
- To recreate the 4 holy places of the history of Buddha and other gayas
- To create the Union of Vietnamese Buddhist Churches in Canada
The Venerable Thich Thien Nghi, patriarch of the Tam bao Temple and the Great Pine Forest monastery has endeavoured to look for a piece of land flat but with hills and lakes nearby, and convenient roads facilities to make it a gathering place for religious minded as well as for those who wish to do research about mankind or about Buddhist.
After 5 years of research, he found a piece of land which reconcilied all the above criteria. Called "the Great Pine Forest, the Monastery presents a magnificient view with its hills, its forests, its river, its lakes, its great pines rising up to the sky.
Although the obstacles that stand on his project, the Ven TTN maintains a strong will as the pine tree always haughty between the cold and the snow of the winter season, the hot summer, the fresh winds of spring and the colder one's in autumn bringing with them the color changes on the Jeaves denoting really the impermanence of things. The Ven TTN presents peace, serene harmony as the tree's shade and the fresh river. There are concret results from the past 4 years activities. However, they represent a little part on the global project. So, we hope that more followers will support us in the realization of this project. The to date' results are:
- Ordination of novice monks and nuns
From 1990 to 1991, over 10 novice monks and nuns had vowed to follow the tracks and the exemples of the Ven TTN.:
Being the Buddha's messenger
Devoting on religious duties. - Institute of Buddhism Teaching Tam Bảo Sơn
- The Bodhigaya
- The gaya of Matreiya Buddha
- The Buddha Statue of the Great Temple
The statue was offered by Dieu Hoa B. It was arrived at the same time that the 2 other statues, the Buddha Enlightened and the Buddha Matreiya. In few years, if we have budget for the building of the Great Temple, the statue will be installed inside at the principal altar with around the other 1000 little statues, 30cm height. These 1000 statues come from offerings of Buddhists at all regions.
