In April 1966 Ven. Thích Thanh Từ built a hut on Hòn Chụp – Tượng Kỳ Mountain (also called Big Mountain, Vũng Tàu), and named it Pháp Lạc Thất (Dharma Joy Hut), in order to practice Thiền (Zazen). On July 20, 1968 he announced he had found the Way.
December 3, 1968 he told his students and followers that he would open the hut door to teach them, starting the restoration of Thiền in Việt Nam in the late 20th century.
The Establishment of Chon Khong
1969-1970: Built Chơn Không Abbey
April 8, 1974: Second class
April 8, 1995: Renovation. Name change into Chơn Không Monastery with two separate areas, one for monks, and the other for nuns.
Purpose of the Establishment of Chơn Không Abbey/Monastery
In the Opening Ceremony on April 8, 1071, Most Venerable Thích Thanh Từ talked about the purposes of the Chơn Không Monastery:
1.To halt superstitious and theoretical practice: Chơn Không emphasizes more Dharma practice than theoretical learning.
2.To revolutionize Buddhist practice: Chơn Không focuses on pure training, aiming at helping monks and nuns realize that the Path they follow is a noble and liberating one.
3.To restore the Thiền practice that is authentically Vietnam Buddhism.
Meaning of Chơn Không
First, it was the name of a Vietnamese Thiền master under the Ly Dynasty. Master Chơn Không (1045 – 1110), whose last name was Vương, and first name, Hải Thiềm, was born at Phù Đổng Village under the reign of King Lý Nhân Tông.
Second, Chơn Không refers to the True Nature that has no beginning and no end in every human. The name reflects the practice method followed by Vietnamese monks and nuns who have realized that they have the True Nature, and would like to dwell in it and continue to practice until they reach Enlightenment. This is the Path previous Partriachs had taken and passed down for us to continue.
Chơn Không Was the Birth Place Where Trúc Lâm Yên Tử Thiền Sect in Vietnam Was Restored
Most Venerable Thích Thanh Từ found the Way to practice Thiền at Pháp Lạc Hut 1968, established Chơn Không Monastery 1970, and began to disseminate the practice method of this Thiền Sect in 1971. He has developed this Sect since then. In April 1986 he established Thường Chiếu Monastery, then Viên Chiếu, Linh Chiếu, Huệ Chiếu, Phổ Chiếu, Tịch Chiếu, etc. In 1993 he established Trúc Lâm Phụng Hoàng Monastery in Đà Lạt. In 2002 he restored and renovated Lân Temple and Trúc Lâm Yên Tử Monastery in Quảng Ninh, where the First Partriarch of the Sect, the Enlightened King (Điều Ngự Giác Hoàng) Trần Nhân Tông founded Trúc Lâm Yên Tử Thiền Sect in Việt Nam. In 2005 he restored Trúc Lâm Tây Thiên at Tam Đảo, Vĩnh Phúc, and renovated Sùng Phúc Thiền Temple in Hà Nội. There are many other monasteries in the USA, Canada, France, German, and Australia, which belong to this Sect, and follow Most Venerable Thích Thanh Từ’s teaching practice methods.
Board of Leaders at Chơn Không Monastery at Present
On the New Year Day of 2003 Most Venerable Thích Thanh Từ delegated the leading and supervising responsibilities of Chơn Không Monastery to a Board of Leaders, who will represent him to take care of the Dharma practice of monks, nuns, and lay people in Vũng Tàu. The Board consists of:
Consultant: Most Venerable Thích Phước Hảo
Abbot: Venerable Thích Thông Nhẫn
Vice Abbot: Venerable Thích Thông Như
Dharma Teacher: Thích Thông Thiền
Abbess in Monastery for Nuns: Thích Nữ Thuần Nhất
Monthly Schedule and Activities
1.Monks’ and Nuns’ Schedule
Morning: 3am Wake up (Three bells). Meditation (Thiền call)
5am End of Meditation (One bell)
5:45am Small Breakfast (Three block strikes)
6:30am Work (Three gong strikes)
10am End of work
10:45am Lunch (Three block strikes)
12pm Rest (Three gong strikes)
Afternoon:
1pm End of rest (One bell)
2pm Dharma class or meditation (Three bells)
4pm End of class or meditation
5pm End of day’s work-small meal (One gong strike)
6:15pm Repentance rituals (Three bells)
7:30pm Meditation (Three bells and one call)
9pm End of meditation (One bell)
9:30pm Rest (Three bells)
2.Buddhist Laypeople's Activities
Every evening from 6:30pm to 7:15pm there is a Dahrma talk or meditation for Buddhist laypeople. Every fortnight on Sunday there is an Eight-Precept Observance Day for laypeople to practice living the monastic life.
Conclusion
History changes, but Chơn Không Monastery always serves one ideal, serving Buddhism and the nation. Together with other monasteries in the Trúc Lâm Yên Tử Thiền Sect, Chơn Không Monastery is trying to accomplish the task of restoring Thiền and the Trúc Lâm Yên Tử Thiền Sect in Vietnam as well as in other countries.
Source:
http://www.thuongchieu.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=391&Itemid=328
http://www.vncgarden.com/di-tich-danh-thang/viengthienvienchonkhong
http://www.vncgarden.com/di-tich-danh-thang/chuavietnam-xuavanay/ba-ria---vung-tau/thien-vien-chon-khong
