Building Educational Facilities
When he returned to Vietnam, with
the order of the Sangha, and together with Most Venerables Trí Thủ, and Nhất
Hạnh, he opened a Buddhist College at Pháp Hội Temple. Most Venerable Trí Thủ was its President,
and he, the Vice-President in charge of administration. In 1965 with the permission of the Ministry
of Education, the College started its Department of Letters and Humanities, of
which Most Venerable Thiên Ân was invited to become Chair. At that time, the temporary location for
teaching and learning was Xá Lợi Temple.
At the end of 1965 the Sangha decided to turn
the College into a research University named Vạn Hạnh University. He was assigned its Rector, and also Chair of the Department of Buddhist Studies.
This year the University was relocated at 222 Trương Minh Giảng Street (Lê Văn
Sĩ Street nowadays), with more departments in Social Sciences and
Education. At first he supervised as
Chair of these departments. Later he
invited Professors Tôn Thất Thiện, Bùi Tường Huân, and Dr.Thích Nguyên Hồng to
help him with the positions. He also helped to establish a Foregn Language Learning Center on the campus.
In 1972 the University Board of
Regents decided to buy another site on Võ Di Nguy Street (Nguyễn Kiệm Street
nowadays) for Applied Sciences. He came there to work as Department Chair. It was on this site that he presided a ceremony to
celebrate the Tenth-Year Anniversary of the establishment of Vạn Hạnh
University (1964-1974). Present at this
Ceremony were Buddhist dignitaries, the University professors, and over 10,000
students.
On this site, in 1984 he founded
the School of Buddhist Advanced Studies (the Institute of Vietnam Buddhist
Studies in Ho Chi Minh City nowadays).
He became its president, and
presided the Ceremony to ordain 60 monks and nuns of the School’s first year. Previously, in 1981 the Sangha
opened the School of Buddhist Advanced Studies, Campus I, at Quán Sứ Temple,
Hanoi. He was also invited to be its President. The School soon became the Institute of
Vietnam Buddhist Studies in Hanoi.
At the Institute of Vietnam
Buddhist Studies in Ho Chi minh Coity, he had continuously recruited, and
trained monks and nuns for five successive academic years at the Bachelor’s
degree level. These students after their graduation
would help staff and serve the Sangha.
On October 20, 1997 he laid the
first brick to begin the renovation of the Institute of Vietnam Buddhist
Studies in Ho Chi Minh City. The
renovation continued for two years, and completed on April 23,1999 with a grand
Opening Ceremony.
Responsibilities towards Buddhists
at His Disciples.
Although he was busy with so many
Sangha tasks, the education of monks and nuns, and his own translating and writing, he always remembered his responsibilities towards the Buddhist disciples at the Temple where he came from.
After the demise of Most Venerable Vĩnh Thừa, Abbot of Tường Vân Temple
and a successor of Most Venerable Thích Tịnh Khiết, he became the Abbot of the
Temple in 1984 with the agreement of the Sangha and other dignitaries during a
ceremony where Most Venerables Thích Đôn Hậu, Thích Mật Hiển, Thích Thiện Siêu
and others were present. As its Abbot,
he had been involved in the monastic training for his local disciples, and the
construction and renovation of some parts of the Temple, such as the shrine of
the previous abbots, and the stupa for his Master.
At Vạn Hạnh Monastery in 2001, he had contributed to
the renovation of its main shrine and hall, which was completed in October,
2004. From September 2004 to October
2006 he ordered the construction of the new monk residence hall on this
site. Source:
http://www.nguoiaolam.net/2012/09/hoa-thuong-thich-minh-chau-tieu-su-cong.html#.UEomRpHZKCk
