Vietnamese American Buddhist Association of Austin, TX

Phap Nhan Temple - A nonprofit Organization

136 The Ranch Road, Del Valle, TX 78617
Tel: 512-366-2686
www.phapnhan.net/ www.phapnhantemple.com
Email: phapnhantemple@gmail.com

The Invitation Letter of Attending Thanksgiving Retreat 2017

We know Thanksgiving, first of all, is a proper chance for us to have free time to turn back to reunite
and pay a visit to families. In Buddhism, the Thanksgiving has come from the Buddha time. Indeed,
when mentioning the Thanksgiving, we immediately think about duties and responsibilities for
Gratitude Gratefulness, or Thankfulness between this generation and previous generation, between
living people and dead people, between givers and receivers, between transmitters and connectors, etc.
In Buddhism, the path of peace, enlightenment, and awakening, Gratitude has many different ways as
follows: 1/ Gratitude to grandparents and parents for their nourishment and giving birth to us. 2/ Gratitude
to the Buddha, the wonderful Dharma, and the Sangha. 3/ Gratitude to secular and spiritual teachers for
their education. 4/ Gratitude to friends and intellectuals. 5/a. Gratitude to national heroes for their
responsibilities to have founded and defended the country from ancient time until now; b. Gratitude to
nations where we were born, have grown up, cultivated, learnt, lived, and worked. 6/ Gratitude to
disciples, Monastics, and lay people for their duties to learn, understand, spread, protect the Dharma, and
shine up the light of Dharma in the present and in the future right in the world. And 6/ Gratitude to
children and grandchildren for their ability to maintain the continuity of a family line, blood and spiritual
families.
With the above specific meanings, in this year the Phap Nhan Temple will hold Thanksgiving Retreat on
Saturday, November 25, 2017. Please see and read the following schedule happily.
05:00 am: Wake up 05:30am: Morning exercises
06:00 am Meditation practice 06:30 am: Chanting and praying
07:30 am: Having breakfast 08:00 am: Doing personal activities
09:00 am: Welcome everyone to Phap Nhan Temple
09:30 am The Course of Thanksgiving Chanting
10:00 am: Dharma Talk about the meanings of Thanksgiving
11:30 am: Singing meditation songs
12:00 am: Making offerings to the Sangha and having mindfulness lunch
01:00 pm: Rest 02:00 pm: Tea Meditation and Dharma discussion
03:00pm: Performing the Ceremony of Taking Refuge in the Triple Gem and
transmitting the five Ethical Trainings1
04:00 pm: The close of activities.
You are cordially invited to spend your appropriate time coming to the Temple to attend the
Thanksgiving Ceremony. May you and your loved ones be well, happy, and peaceful in the Dharma.
The Abbot of Phap Nhan Temple
Dharma Teacher Thch Trng S

1
Please write your full name, DOB, and an ID picture, and then send them soon to the Phap Nhan Temple so that Dharma Master will
fill them in the Certificate of Ordination for you.