Monastics strive for social charity activities

As the Lunar New Year (Tet) 2026 approaches, Venerable Thich An Thuan, a Buddhist monk, active at Phap Tuyen Buddhist prayer hall, a concentrated religious practice site in Trang Dai Ward, is calling on friends to jointly raise funds to prepare Tet gifts for the poor and struggling tenants.

In addition, he contacts the Fatherland Front and Red Cross societies of communes and wards to initially estimate the number of people needing help. This is something that this monastic has maintained for many years.

Venerable Thich An Thuan receives a certificate of merit from the Provincial People's Committee as one of the examples of good people, good deeds in 2025. Photo: Van Truyen

Recognizing the community-oriented actions of Buddhist monastics like Venerable Thich An Thuan, recently, among the 37 individuals who received certificates of merit from the Provincial People's Committee as examples of good people, good deeds in 2025, 6 were Buddhist monastics.

Serving as bridges for community assistance

The Buddhist monastics honored as examples of good people, good deeds in 2025 all share one thing in common of making very active contributions to social welfare activities, assisting the poor and other difficult cases.

Specifically, in 2025, Venerable Thich An Thuan connected benevolent hearts to contribute over 2 billion VND to carry out social and charitable activities, such as: calling for the construction of pedestrian bridges in many localities; helping patients undergoing treatment at hospitals; organizing medical examinations, distributing medicine, and giving gifts to policy families, people with disabilities, and poor households.

Notably, during the Dong Nai Provincial Red Cross's first fundraising campaign to support flood-hit victims in October 2025, Venerable Thich An Thuan was the first Buddhist monk to contribute 30 million VND in response to the call, and later mobilized friends to participate in.

Venerable Thich An Thuan shared: "I try to connect everyone to do good deeds together. One person's contribution is not much, but if many individuals engage in, it becomes a great resource and can help those less fortunate in life."

As for Most Venerable Thich Chanh Hue, abbot of Linh Phu Pho Hien Pagoda, Xuan Phu Commune, during his religious activities, he encourages monks, nuns, and Buddhists to first comply with legal regulations, cultivate morality, and accompany local activities in accordance with their own and their family's abilities.

Therefore, in recent times, Linh Phu Pho Hien Pagoda has been one of the religious establishments that has connected Buddhists to build a cultural life of compassion, associated with models supporting the poor, helping poor students go to school, protecting the environment, sorting waste, buying health insurance, planting trees along roads, etc. For example, in 2025, Most Venerable Thich Chanh Hue and the pagoda's Buddhists distributed over 500 gift packages (each worth 500,000 VND) to the poor, disadvantaged, and disabled; supported 2 families in building solid houses worth 140 million VND.

Most Venerable Thich Chanh Hue stated: These actions are his heartfelt aspiration in his journey of serving the Dharma, accompanying the nation, and making a small contribution to social welfare and building an increasingly prosperous and compassionate homeland.

Creating a refuge for people in difficult circumstances

Along with immediate relief activities, Buddhist monastics in Dong Nai also establish and maintain social protection facilities for the homeless.

The 6 Buddhist monastics among the 37 individuals who received certificates of merit from the Provincial People's Committee as examples of good people good deeds in 2025 include: Venerable Thich An Thuan, a Buddhist monk, active at Phap Tuyen Buddhist prayer hall, a concentrated religious practice site in Trang Dai Ward; Most Venerable Thich Chanh Hue, abbot of Linh Phu Pho Hien Pagoda, Xuan Phu Commune; Venerable Thich Thien Tam, Director of Dieu Phap Social Care Facility, abbot of Dieu Phap Pagoda, Phuoc Tan Ward; Venerable Thich Thien Tri, Deputy Secretary and Chief of Office of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Dong Nai Province, abbot of Phuoc An Pagoda, Xuan Lap Ward; Venerable Thich Thien Huy, Deputy Head of the Charity and Social Affairs Board of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Dong Nai Province, abbot of Bao Tinh Pagoda, Tan Trieu Ward; Venerable Nun Thich Nu Dieu Tri, Deputy Head of the Executive Committee, Head of the Economic - Financial Board of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Dong Nai Province, abbess of Dai Giac Ancient Pagoda, Tran Bien Ward.

Venerable Thich Thien Tam, Director of Dieu Phap Social Care Facility, abbot of Dieu Phap Pagoda, Phuoc Tan Ward, has been associated with the social protection facility since 2007. Currently, the facility is spacious with a total area of 10,000 square meters, including study rooms, a library, a computer room, and a play area for 50 orphans, 4 disabled children, 2 elderly people living alone, and 1 person with mental illness. At the shelter, orphans are provided with all favorable conditions to study, and many have graduated from universities and found stable jobs.

In addition, in recent years, the facility has also established a home named Mam Song (Seeds of Life) to care for and protect single mothers who are workers, students, or university students with unwanted pregnancies. Here, they receive stable accommodation, food expenses, prenatal care, financial support for childbirth, and care until they are healthy and able to work independently to raise their children.

According to Nguyen Thi Phuong Anh, Vice Chairwoman of the Dong Nai Provincial Red Cross Society, in recent times, the Provincial Red Cross Society has regularly organized activities to assist the Dieu Phap Social Care Facility. From this facility, many children without caregivers have been nurtured and given the opportunity to attend school to find employment in the future.

As for Venerable Thich Thien Huy, Deputy Head of the Charity and Social Affairs Board of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Dong Nai Province, abbot of Bao Tinh Pagoda (Tan Trieu Ward), for many years, in addition to his Buddhist duties, Venerable Thich Thien Huy has also spent time at Long Phuoc Dien Pagoda (Long Thanh Commune) teaching children being raised there, and guiding them in daily life skills.

Venerable Thich Thien Huy said: The facility is currently caring for 56 children, students, and university students. Among them, some children were left at the pagoda gate, and passersby informed the pagoda to take them in; some children were brought by their grandparents because of poverty, seeking the temple’s compassion and care. During the course of looking after the children, he acts as a friend, a brother, and a father to timely confide in and guide them during their development.

In addition, Venerable Thich Thien Huy has established the Phuoc Viet Charity Fund with 13 members, including monks and philanthropists. The fund was established with the desire to empower students to pursue their educational dreams to find stable jobs in the future, and at the same time, to assist disadvantaged people in the province.

By Van Truyen-Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha