Spiritual values of october full day - Ha Nguyen Tet

The full moon of October, also known as Xia Yuan Tie (下元節), the festival of Xia Yuan, Tieu Tai Nhat, and Xie Ping An Nhat, is the birthday of Emperor Shuiguan. Because this is the day when King Ha Vu solved the woes of human life, it is also known as "Ha Nguyen solves the yoke of Thuy Quan Dai De Thang Hoi", "Ha Nguyen Thuy Quan Thanh Dan", "New Rice New Year"...

On the full moon day of October, people often use the newly harvested rice and process it into traditional dishes according to the customs and habits of each locality such as: sticky rice, che kho, little cake, day cake,... Illustration: Source: Internet)

King Ha Vu's real name is Tu Van Menh. He was a king famous for his moral character and very good at fighting floods, who established the hereditary system by establishing the Xia dynasty. There are very few records of his reign in history. Much of the information about his reign comes from oral stories. After his death, King Ha Vu was remembered as Dai Vu. Taoism respects him as Thuy Quan Dai, and the birthday is the day of the Lunar New Year.

The October full moon festival itself has been shaped and developed in the minds of Vietnamese people for a long time. In the past, the Vietnamese people only planted one rice crop a year. When the north wind started blowing, it was cold when the early season rice bloomed. At the beginning of October (lunar calendar) when rice is harvested, people hold a new rice ceremony to thank Shen Nong (the god who rules in agriculture) and ancestors to pray for a new and better harvest.

Three Tam Thanh (Source: Internet)

In the documents on folk customs and practices, in the past, the Ha Nguyen New Year was conducted on the first or tenth day of the year (Tet Trung Thap or Tet Song Thap, Chinese characters: 十成節, Sino-Vietnamese: Song ten periods). . It can also be the full moon day of the 10th lunar month every year. According to Taoism, on October 10, Thien Dinh will send the god Tam Thanh to the world to observe and consider the good and bad deeds of the people. Then return to Ngoc Hoang to reward or punish. On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, grandparents and parents teach their children to always remember to do good and give up evil. According to the book Pharmacy - Oriental Medicine, this day is taken as the New Year of the physician, the day when medicinal plants gather yin and yang and bring together the four seasons of Spring - Summer - Autumn - Winter, so they have the highest quality.

After the August rice crop has just been harvested, the year-round field work begins to be gentle and relaxing. The rice was full, and the straw was piled up in a dry, decent pile. The winter weather is cold, but the harvest is good, there is new rice, people immediately think of the grace of heaven and earth, rain and wind, in the year, there is no flood to damage the crops. So, on the full moon day of October, people often use the newly harvested rice and process it into traditional dishes according to the customs and habits of each locality such as: sticky rice, che kho, little cake, offering cake, etc. sticky rice cake, filter cake, rice cake…

The family conducts an offering ceremony to the god Tam Thanh, the holy god of the scene, the land of the gods to report this year's results, to celebrate the favorable harvest and to pray for favorable weather and favorable weather in the next season, a bountiful harvest in cultivation. Good luck in trading. Every year the crops are good, that year the New Year festival is bigger, sometimes lasting for several months, until the new crop is sown. On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, people also buy gifts and new glutinous rice and specialties at the time of autumn - winter for grandparents, parents and other respected people to show their filial piety to their superiors.

Meaning of the Lunar New Year in Buddhism
The full moon of October is not only celebrated according to local customs and traditions, but also spreads to each temple roof:

"The roof of the temple protects the soul of the nation
The eternal life of the ancestors".

Although the Xia Yuan festival at the temple is somewhat simpler in form compared to other Buddhist festivals such as Buddha's Birthday and Vu Lan Festival, the content still reflects the spiritual colors and reminds Buddhists. live righteously the Dharma, follow the example of the Buddhas and Patriarchs.

For Buddhists, the full moon of October is an occasion to direct the mind to practice, diligently do good deeds, cultivate the mind to nurture character and  remember the merit of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Patriarchs (Photo: Buddha altar at the pillar) Head office of Truc Lam Quan (Tue)

This is because there is a process of assimilation of Buddhism into folk beliefs and national culture. Buddhism has shown the spirit of entering the world, entering all areas of life to save lives, flexibly integrating in rituals, customs, folk festivals.... integrating the values ​​into it. sublime humanism.

The full moon day of October is considered thanksgiving. True to the spirit of gratitude and gratitude, in the Four Great Ancestors, the Buddha taught while in this world: Enlightenment of the Three Jewels, grace of parents, grace of teachers, grace of all sentient beings. For Buddhists, the full moon of October is an opportunity to direct the mind to practice, diligently do good deeds, cultivate the mind to cultivate character, and to "remember the merits" of the Buddhas in the ten directions. At the same time, he expressed respect for the teaching merit of the teachers, good and knowledgeable people. These are offering pure flower incense to heaven and earth, excessively fragrant frankincense spreading in all directions, is betel areca offering offering Divine shines throughout heaven and earth, fresh and fragrant sticky rice sticky rice reporting to ancestors … All to demonstrate the sincerity of the homeowner's heart in front of the merits of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Saints, Dharma Protectors, grandparents, ancestors and sentient beings all over the Dharma Realm. This is also the root of spiritual values ​​that people experience throughout their lives in this continuum.

Each person knows how to look inward, return to the heart, live honestly, do not do wrong things (Illustration: Source: Internet)

On this day each year, in addition to going to the temple, burning incense to pray for peace for their loved ones, people also pray for the deceased, an opportunity for each person to look towards the roots and good traditional values ​​of the family. On the full moon day of the tenth month, each person makes a promise to his heart, vows to live according to the Dharma, a noble good-oriented lifestyle, hoping to be accomplished before the proofs of the Buddhas, Gods, and ancestors in the air. dignified in front of the Buddha or ancestral altar.

With that sacred meaning, the Lunar New Year, also known as the full moon of October, has become a festival to honor the cultural and spiritual values ​​of the nation's roots, expressing the desire to live peacefully and peacefully. , building a good life of Vietnamese people. This is also an opportunity for the previous generation to teach the next generation about the principles of "When you drink water, remember the source", "When you eat fruit, remember who planted the tree", to live in accordance with the spirit of gratitude. Since then, each person knows how to turn inward, return to the heart, live honestly, do not do wrong things. If you always remember to plant good deeds every day, you will enjoy the sweet aroma of heaven and earth. Above all is to stay in joy - happiness Nirvana right in this human world.