My Thuong Pagoda (Linh Am Tu)

My Thuong Pagoda (Linh Am Tu) is located in My Thuong Village, Thanh Mai Commune, Thanh Oai District, Hanoi City (now My Thuong Village, Thanh Oai Commune, Hanoi City). It was recognized by the People's Committee of Ha Tay Province as a provincial-level historical relic under Decision No. 1979/QD-UBND dated November 14, 2006.

Linh Am Pagoda was formerly inside the dyke and named 'Linh Phat Tu'; however, because the space was narrow, in 1729 under the Vinh Khanh era of the Le dynasty, a general named Nguyen Kiem Dung and his wife Nguyen Thi Dieu Thai chose this land to build a pagoda and named it 'Linh Am Tu.' Not long afterward, a lady from the royal palace named Nguyen Thi Viet Cai came to My Thuong and restored this pagoda. She brought her mother, Tran Thi Vinh, to practice here. After the lady and her mother passed away, the people remembered their merit and established an altar to worship them. The lady's grave remains behind the ancestral hall. Over many years, the pagoda had no resident monk. In 1982, the pagoda welcomed Bhikkhuni Thich Dam Nhuan to reside and preside; she offered incense to the Buddha and sounded the wooden fish and bell morning and evening. In 2015, seeing that the pagoda had deteriorated and was too small to meet the people's religious needs, the nun and the people invited Monk Thich Di Son, a native of My Thuong who was presiding over Thanh Luong, Uc Ly, and Kim Lam pagodas, to serve as head of the construction committee and direct the building of the pagoda. A construction committee was established, with the Venerable and the nun as heads and with the party cell secretary, village head and deputy village head, Fatherland Front, war veterans, youth, women, elderly, farmers, senior monks and nuns, devotees, and Buddhists appointed as members. On behalf of all the people, the committee applied for a permit from the Hanoi City Department of Construction and proceeded to dismantle the old pagoda. On the birthday of Bodhisattva Guanyin (the 19th day of the 2nd lunar month, 2016, Binh Than), a grand groundbreaking ceremony took place. The pagoda was built of lim wood bought from Hai Phong Port, and carpenters set up sheds to work directly on site. On the 8th day of the 8th lunar month, the roof of the main Buddha hall was placed. Once the pagoda took shape, planning the grounds became necessary. The Earth Store Hall was built at the same time, and the Samantabhadra Hall was built next. In front of the pagoda there were more than 50 graves; the families voluntarily relocated them to restore a clear and spacious frontage. Near Tet of the Dinh Dau year, the new statues were carried into the hall; the shrine was brightly and majestically lit, and the gilded statues sparkled. On the 5th day of Tet, Dinh Dau, the inauguration ceremony took place joyfully; monks, nuns, authorities, and Buddhists from near and far flocked to the pagoda to share in the festival.

On the 19th day of the 8th lunar month of the Dinh Dau year 2017, Linh Am Pagoda held a ceremony to cast statues of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, Sudhana, and Long Nu weighing 3,000 kg. The people of My Thuong contributed bronze by the pound; the beautiful statues were completed, and the people were delighted. Linh Am Pagoda established a practice center and worships Bodhisattva Samantabhadra at Nga My in Dai Viet. On Buddha's Birthday and Vu Lan festivals, the pagoda is as joyful as a festival. For two consecutive summers, it opened classes for more than 300 students. Although the work is now temporarily complete, not all tasks have been done. Therefore, a stele is temporarily erected to trace the source and record the names of benefactors who aroused their good intentions, leaving it for future generations to know. Thus there is an inscription: The Buddha, for sentient beings, through the Three Jewels saves all beings. For two thousand years present In Vietnam, a land of sacred spirits. The people of Nga My Thuong Built Linh Am Pagoda For nearly three hundred full years It deteriorated and needed quick repair. The pagoda was built in 10 months And has basically been completed. The main Buddha hall is majestic; Before the pagoda, the grounds are clear. The Earth Store Hall is unique; The Samantabhadra Hall is truly elegant. Doing these meritorious deeds Thanks to the Buddhas' grace. The monks guide; The authorities are always beside us; The people believe in the Dharma, Contributing labor, strength, property, and money. May this merit Be offered to make the Dharma enduring, The nation prosperous and thriving, The people strong and wealthy. The village people rich, happy, and healthy; Their children capable, good, and kind. Linh Am Pagoda manifests And saves both the living and the dead. May it endure with the years As a support for all sentient beings.

Nga My Thuong Pagoda was ranked as a city-level relic on November 14, 2006