20. Historical, cultural, architectural and artistic relic of To Dinh Thien Thai

If you have the opportunity to visit Long Dien, running through the rice fields of Tam Phuoc commune, through the peaceful and cool road with green trees on both sides, to Dinh Co mountain, where there is a cluster of relics – landscapes located next to each other at the foot of Dinh Co mountain, which are: To Dinh Thien Thai and Dinh Ba Co.

To Dinh Thien Thai is located on Dinh Co mountain in Tam Phuoc commune, Long Dien district. Thien Thai Pagoda, also known as To Dinh, was built in 1925. Because this is where Master Hue Dang founded the most famous Thien Thai Zen Sect in the South and an organization of lay people called Thien Huu Hoi. The publisher of the Bat Nha Am newspaper is a Buddhist revival speech. To Dinh Thien Thai was founded by Venerable Hue Dang (1873 – 1953) as the 41st group of lin-chi sect, took the name of To Dinh Thien Thai to name the pagoda which was built on the land that used to be a place of Master worship. According to his mind, the maintenance of the Dharma is not only about building pagodas and bells, but also about expanding the propagation of faith, educating divinity, and cultivating blessings. Therefore, right behind To Dinh, there are still traces of Thach Dong; the inside of the mountain cave used to be the place where Venerable Hue Dang lived and practiced. Every year, the anniversary of the death of Master Hue Dang is solemnly held on July 10 and 11 (lunar calendar) with the participation of thousands of local people and visitors from neighboring provinces.

Regarding Master Hue Dang, his real name is Le Quang Hoa, who was born in 1873 in An Dong commune, Binh Khe district, Binh Dinh province. He was involved in the Can Vuong movement against the French since the age of 17. In 1895, Phan Dinh Phung’s anti-French movement failed. Many establishments and organizations in Binh Dinh were broken down, soldiers were arrested and imprisoned. After that, he followed the trade delegation to the South, came to Chan Tien mountain (Long Dien) in ancient Ba Ria to practice. In this mountain, he asked to practice at Long Hoa Pagoda of the Master Hai Hoi, who was also a person from Phu Yen who went there to practice Buddhism. He awakened and took refuge with Master Hai Hoi. Master Hai Hoi realized that he had the Mahayana Dharma and had a deep good root for Buddha Dharma, so  the Master taught the Dharma and gave him the Dharma name Thien Thuc (ie enlightened). After comprehending the Dharma, he took the sutra into the forest and found Mr. Ho’s cave to take shelter and experience the Dharma. With high determination to practice, he stayed in the deep forest for three years, eating wild bamboo shoots, drinking spring water… In the mountains and forests, he immersed himself in the Zen scriptures and recited mantras, he attained enlightenment and returned to Long Hoa pagoda, bowing to Master Hai Hoi to ask for his seal of approval. The Master noticed that he had been enlightened, newly changed his name to Tu Thanh Ke, with the meaning of following the Buddha’s light of wisdom.

Thien Thai Pagoda is located on a relatively large area (6 hectares), divided into 4 main areas: main hall (Thien Thai), Thach Dong, Thien Khanh and Thien Buu Thap (built in 1936). The building has a square quadrilateral shape, each side is 15m. The front of the main hall consists of five spaces; in the middle there are three doors built in an arched style, creating a gentle and elegant look. The stone wall is 0.4m thick, 3m high, and the wall is not covered with cement. The roof is made of overlapping architecture with ridges sloping to the four corners. On the highest peak of the roof is a sweet dew covered with cement; the four corners of the pagoda are decorated with stylized dragon images, creating a flexible and lively look. On the front of the pagoda, there is a large scroll made of cement embossed in the shape of the letter Trien, transliterated as: Thien Thai co tu.  The two gables are embossed in the shape of a triangle, with a lotus attached to the top. Inside the main hall is the Sanctuary designed to worship right in the center, which is very unique. Four stone pillars are arranged at the four corners, and in the middle is a stone pillar supporting the entire sanctuary, forming the letter Ngu with the symbolic meaning of the five elements, meaning the five basic elements including Metal – Wood – Water – Fire – Earth, which creates the universe, all things and people. The yard is made of stepped stone, and is 2m high. The four corners have an ancestral tablet made of wood, 1m wide, 2m high, painted with gold color, elaborately carved with traditional decorative images such as tigers, toumo, and stylized dragons on both sides.

In front of the main hall is an altar decorated with statues: Shakyamuni Buddha made of cement and painted with gold color, in the cross-legged sitting position. The statue of Birth of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with one hand pointing to the sky, and one hand pointing to the ground, standing on the lotus tower. Below is a seated Maitreya Buddha statue made of cement, with a gentle and happy smile that symbolizes perfection, fullness and happiness.

To the west is the 18-arm Cundi Bodhisattva sanctuary in a sitting position. Cundi Bodhisattva is someone who listens to the cries of sentient beings in this world and uses dharma power to save them.

To the east is the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara sanctuary in a sitting position. The statue shows the head wearing a turban over the hair, wearing a long dress, bare feet, sitting on a lotus, face slightly bowed with a gentle expression like a mother’s boundless love, holding a willow branch in one hand and a sweet dew in the other, with the meaning of saving sentient beings.

To the south of the tablets, on top is a pair of 0.5m long, weighing about 10kg elephant tusks, given by Mr. Ca Dai in Binh Duong to Venerable Hue Dang during the early construction period of Thien Thai Pagoda. The four corners of the pagoda are also decorated with four statues of Van Thu, Pho Hien, Ho Phap and Tieu Dien. The right corner is the great bell, a stone sickle, and on the left is a drum used in ceremonies.

The gate of Thien Thai Pagoda is arranged with five bow-shaped arched doors, including four outer doors, four inner doors opening out four sanctuaries, symbolizing the eight trigrams, including eight elements (Heaven, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Thunder, Mountain and Lake).

Behind the main hall is the lecture hall (or back house) consisting of five wooden compartments, with a simple A-shaped truss structure. The roof is covered with dragon scale tiles, and the walls are made of bricks, sand and cement. Columns and trusses are made of apitong and goldden oak wood. The levers are decorated with elaborately carved stylized dragons and magical birds. There are also two sets of tables and chairs used by the monks to receive guests. In particular, in the middle of the building there are also three painted and gilded horizontal lacquered boards, composed by the Venerable himself, along with four pairs of parallel sentences. Each horizontal lacquered board is 60cm long and 40cm wide; the parallel sentences are 1.2m long and 0.3m wide. Although it has been for decades, the wooden material is still quite good and intact.

Behind the Lecture Hall, located close to the foot of Dinh Co mountain, there is a small square shrine whose each side is 4m x 4m, is built of marble, lime molasses and cement, roofed with dragon scale tiles. This is where Venerable Hue Dang used to meditate during his time at To Dinh Thien Thai.

In particular, Master Hue Dang used to know Junior doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac – the father of President Ho Chi Minh. When the pagoda was first built, the Junior doctor visited and stayed in Thien Thai for one night to talk with Master Hue Dang.