Traditional festival of Đồng Bụt Pagoda

From ancient times to the present, local people have passed down a folk verse about the opening day of the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival: “On the 7th is the Thầy festival; on the 10th is the Sếp festival; remember the day and go” (Hội Thầy, within the Thầy Pagoda complex, also worships Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh, in Sài Sơn commune, Quốc Oai district. Hội Sếp refers to the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival). In even years, the village holds a grand festival with a procession of the saint, and the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival lasts 3 days, from the 8th to the 10th day of the third lunar month. In odd years, no procession is organized, and the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival lasts 2 days, from the 9th to the 10th day of the third lunar month.

To this day, looking back at the history of the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival, sources do not clearly state when the festival first appeared, but based on the life and background of Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh (?–1116), we can infer that after his death (in 1116), the people of Đồng Bụt village would have built Thiền Sư Pagoda and then organized a festival to commemorate his merits toward the people.

The earliest and fairly reliable source that can help us infer the origin of Thiền Sư Pagoda and the festival here is the inscription on the bell: 禪 師 寺 鍾 - Thiền Sư Tự Chung (Thiền Sư Pagoda Bell), this bell was recast in the 18th year of Gia Long (1820), but it mentions an earlier ancient bell that had recorded Thiền Sư Pagoda, as well as the worship of Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh here since the Trần dynasty, under the Trần Đại Trị era (King Trần Dụ Tông), 12th year (1369). The source writes: 國 威 府 安 山 縣 伏 臘 社 同 孛 村 […] 旧 事 跡 有 徐 聖 父 生 徐 大 聖 于 本 村 有 田 土 留 與 户[見] 均 分 四 甲 爲 香 火 忌 臘 奉 事 於 陳 朝 大 治 十 二 年 刻 入 洪 鍾 至 丙 午 年 間 被 [...] 兵 鍾 噐 悉 [消] 至 兹 就 京 再 鑄 洪 鍾 事 已 完 成 所 有 田 土,遵 依 旧 額 刻 入 留 傳 后 世 及 會 主 興 功 功 德 刓 刻 姓 名 並 列 于 后 - transliteration: Quốc Oai phủ, An (Yên) Sơn huyện, Phục Liệp xã, Đồng Bụt (Bột) thôn […], cựu sự tích hữu Từ thánh phụ sinh Từ Đại Thánh vu bản thôn, hữu điền thổ lưu dữ hộ [kiến] quân phân tứ giáp vi hương hỏa kỵ lạp, phụng sự ư Trần triều Đại Trị (1358 - 1369) thập nhị niên khắc nhập hồng chung, chí Bính Ngọ niên gian bị [...] binh, chung khí tất [tiêu], chí tư tựu kinh tái chú hồng chung, sự dĩ hoàn thành, sở hữu điền thổ, following the old quota, inscribed to be transmitted to later generations, along with the names of the festival head and benefactors who contributed merits, all listed below - temporary translation: Village officials and elders, the giáp groups in the village […], there is the legend that Từ Thánh Father gave birth to Từ Đại Thánh in this village, and land and fields were left to be divided equally among the four giáp of the village, with annual worship and incense offerings; this regulation dates from the 12th year of Đại Trị (1369), under King Trần Dụ Tông, and was engraved on the bronze bell. In the Bính Ngọ year, due to changing circumstances, the bell no longer sounded, so a new bell was cast, and the old custom was engraved again to preserve it for future generations, together with the names of individuals and families who made donations.

Next, another historical source is: 同 孛 村 奉 抄 舊 事 跡 - Đồng Bột (Bụt) village respectfully copied the old legend (The old legend in Đồng Bụt village (copied), compiled under King Lê Hiển Tông, Cảnh Hưng era, 36th year (1776) [景興 叁 拾 陸 年 弍 月 初 捌 日 本 村 奉 寫 事 跡]. This source was copied by local people on March 4, 1964, and stamped in red to certify the copy from the original by the Department of Conservation and Museums, Ministry of Culture; on March 5, 1964, this legend book was again stamped in red to certify the copy by the Quốc Oai District Administrative Committee. Page 17 of this source records: 一 跡 丙 申 會 祥 大 慶 三 年 三 月 初 七 日 午 時 道 行 涅 槃 未 時 出 世 爲 李 神 宗 同 孛 村 遞 年 季 奉 迎 會 例 - Transliteration: Nhất tích Bính Thân Hội Tường Đại Khánh tam niên tam nguyệt sơ thất nhật Ngọ thời Đạo Hạnh niết bàn Vị thời xuất thế vi Lý Thần Tông Đồng Bột (Bụt) thôn đệ niên quý phụng nghênh hội lệ - Temporary translation: According to the legend, in the Bính Thân year, Hội Tường Đại Khánh, on the 7th day of the third month, third year, at the Ngọ hour, (Từ) Đạo Hạnh entered nirvana; at the Mùi hour he was reborn as Lý Thần Tông; Đồng Bụt village holds the festival annually according to custom. Thus, this is the document that most specifically mentions the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival.

By the Nguyễn period, in the text 供 聖 科 - Cúng Thánh khoa (Saint-worshiping ritual text), a source copied under King Minh Mệnh, 20th year (1840), repeatedly mentions the term festival regulations (Festival regulations). Among them, some passages read: 會 例 迎 聖 在 舘 陳 奏 文 - The festival regulations provide for welcoming the saint at the Quán and presenting a memorial text - The festival regulations stipulate the reception/procession of the saint at Quán Trần and the presentation of a memorial text.. Another passage reads: 會 例 供 聖 跡 伏 以 - The festival regulations for offering to the saint's traces read respectfully as follows - The festival regulations stipulate that the offering to the saint is conducted solemnly as follows.. This document also states that during the festival, related tasks were assigned to organizations such as the elders' association, village officials, sắc mục, and the giáp groups (Đông Nhất giáp, Đông Nhị giáp, Thượng Nhất giáp, Thượng Nhị giáp, Đoài Nhất giáp, Đoài Nhị giáp, Phú Cường giáp) in the village.

Because direct written records of the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival no longer survive today, reconstructing the history of the festival's origins through the periods is incomplete and difficult. But one thing is certain: the worship space—Thiền Sư Pagoda—has always had a continuous existence, as shown by villagers' renovations and carved steles, as well as by the continuous conferral of edicts by monarchical states on Thiền Sư Pagoda. Through these continuous edicts, we can see that in the consciousness of Đồng Bụt villagers regarding Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh and the practice of the festival, it has always taken place in the sacred space of Thiền Sư Pagoda. The steles indicate the renovations of Thiền Sư Pagoda as follows: Pháp Sư Tự Bi, erected in 1669, the 7th year of Cảnh Trị, under King Lê Huyền Tông; Hộ Pháp Tự Bi, erected in the first year of Minh Mệnh (1820), Hội Lão Hậu Bi Ký, erected in the 19th year of Bảo Đại (1943), together with the edicts of the monarchical courts over the years: the 44th year of Cảnh Hưng (1783), the first year of Chiêu Thống (1787), the fifth year of Quang Trung (1792), the first year of Cảnh Thịnh (1788), the 2nd year of Minh Mệnh (1821), the 4th year of Thiệu Trị (1844), the 3rd year of Tự Đức (1850), the 2nd year of Đồng Khánh (1887), the 3rd year of Duy Tân (1909), the 9th year of Khải Định (1925),… Although these materials do not directly tell of the existence process of the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival, through the renovations of the pagoda recorded in the steles and the receipt of edicts as mentioned above, they indirectly show the belief and continuous presence of Thiền Sư Pagoda in the life of the local residents. The space for practicing and performing the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival is Thiền Sư Pagoda, which has always been preserved and has existed through the periods, so this is the basis for the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival always being preserved and maintained.

In the years of the 20th century, when the country went through wars, the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival was more or less still organized. According to villagers, 1952 was the last time a large-scale festival was held in the 20th century. After that, due to the wartime context and economic difficulties, the villagers could not maintain the procession festival on major occasions. Another detail confirming that during the war years of the 20th century the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival still occasionally took place is that in 1961, the elders of Đồng Bụt village had the rules and contents of the sutra and gatha competitions translated from Sino-Nom characters into the national Romanized script. The sutra and gatha competitions in the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival are among the traditional activities that take place during the annual festival. This document is still kept at Thiền Sư Pagoda.

By the early 1990s, along with the country's Đổi Mới trend, the people's economic life gradually improved, and together with the Party's guidelines and the State's policies on preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, this created momentum for the people of Đồng Bụt village to reorganize the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival.

Since then, every year on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month, the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival has been held almost every year to commemorate Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh. In years of large-scale organization, it is held once every five years, with the people organizing a procession of Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh from Thiền Sư Pagoda to Quán Thánh. In years of small-scale organization, the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival only holds rites at the pagoda. In 2011, for the first time since 1952, the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival again organized a saint procession.

Every year, the organization of the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival is usually associated with offering rites to the saint at this pagoda. In years when the festival is held on a small scale, the saint-offering rite takes place on the morning of the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month; in years of large-scale organization, the saint-offering rite is held on the morning of the 9th day of the 3rd lunar month, so that on the morning of the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month villagers can carry Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh in procession to Quán Thánh. The saint-offering ritual was also restored by the villagers in the early 1990s, after a period of decline due to subjective and objective conditions. From then until now, the offering ritual has always been practiced on each festival occasion, and the offering rites have been transmitted from generation to generation, thereby ensuring continuity in the cultural and religious practice of worshipping Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh.

Continuing from tradition to the present, the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival has still been preserved and maintained as a regional-scale festival, attracting the participation of large numbers of people from near and far and pilgrims from all directions to the festival.

The value of the intangible cultural heritage

* Historical value

In this aspect, before discussing cultural value, scientific value, or aesthetic value, etc., Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh was already a real historical figure, an eminent monk who practiced and attained enlightenment under the Lý dynasty, a period when Buddhism was respected by the court and the people and became the state religion, with a role of effectively serving the Lý dynasty as well as the ideological, spiritual, and religious life of Đại Việt society at that time. The book Complete Annals of Đại Việt repeatedly recorded Từ Đạo Hạnh, including both factual and legendary elements, specifically as follows:

“At that time (the Nhâm Thìn year, 1112), the king (Lý Nhân Tông) was already old but had no son to succeed him, so he issued an edict to choose a son of the royal clan to be adopted as heir. The king's younger brother, Sùng Hiều hầu (name unknown), also had no son. It happened that the monk of Thạch Thất mountain, Từ Đạo Hạnh, came to visit the house; the hầu told Đạo Hạnh about praying for a child. Đạo Hạnh instructed: ‘When the lady is about to give birth, inform me in advance so that I can pray to the mountain god.’ Three years later, the lady became pregnant and gave birth to a son, [Lý] Dương Hoán (later King Lý Thần Tông)” (Complete Annals of Đại Việt, vol. I, Social Sciences Publishing House, Hà Nội, 1998, p. 286).

“In the Bính Thân year (1116), in summer, the monk Từ Đạo Hạnh shed his body at the pagoda on Thạch Thất mountain (Thạch Thất was the name of a district, now Ninh Sơn district; the mountain's name is Phật Tích. Từ Đạo Hạnh came to visit that mountain, saw a human footprint on a rock in a mountain cave, and placed his foot against it, fitting exactly: tradition says this was the place where Đạo Hạnh shed his body). Previously, the wife of Sùng Hiến Hầu, Lady Đỗ, had become pregnant, and when she came to this point she was in labor for a long time without giving birth. The hầu remembered Đạo Hạnh's earlier instruction and sent a man on horseback to report. Đạo Hạnh immediately changed his clothes, bathed, entered the mountain cave, shed his body, and passed away. After that the lady gave birth to a son, namely Dương Hoán. The villagers considered it a strange event and placed Đạo Hạnh's body in a niche for worship. Today Phật Tích mountain is that place. Every year in spring, on the 7th day of the 3rd month, sons and daughters gather at the pagoda, a famous joyful festival of the region (that is, Chùa Thầy). Later generations falsely spread that it was the monk's death anniversary (Đạo Hạnh's body, around the Yongle era of the Ming, was burned by the Ming people; the villagers there again made a statue and worshipped as before, and it still remains today)” (Complete Annals of Đại Việt, vol. I, Social Sciences Publishing House, Hà Nội, 1998, p. 287).

The above records in the official history are specific historical value concerning Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh. Together with materials from official history, combined with the system of relics related to the worship of Từ Đạo Hạnh that remains today, including festival practice as in the case of the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival, this further contributes to affirming the historical value of the background and career of Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh with Buddhism under the Lý dynasty, as well as with Buddhist life in some rural villages today.

* Cultural and social value

From the past to the present, traditional festivals as well as contemporary festivals all aim toward community cohesion and emotional harmony; the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival also carries such values. With the general universality of the festival time in Vietnam as the two seasons of spring and autumn, the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival is held in spring (the main festival is on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month), when the spring plowing and planting work has finished; this is also considered a slack farming time, so people have more time to join the festival atmosphere and the community's common activities. There they can exchange, meet, talk, shake hands, and greet one another warmly, with people far and near, etc.; this has created openness and excitement in the soul of each person. And more importantly, such links and social networks have created a unified bloc, tightened further, and through this, the traditional cultural values of the festival have been preserved and transmitted.

The center and soul of the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival is Saint Từ Đạo Hạnh, who became a Buddha, became a saint, and was sanctified. Therefore, according to the traditional thinking and culture of the Vietnamese people, deities are always those who shelter and protect the villagers. For this reason, going to the pagoda and attending the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival also aims to satisfy spiritual needs, to open one's heart, to ‘dialogue with the deities,’ to confide and speak out things long cherished in one's heart, even to relieve pressure, etc., in order to pray for a peaceful soul, a safe and lucky life, etc.

The cultural value of the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival is also expressed in preserving and transmitting traditional cultural features. The community participating in the festival includes all ages, from children and adults to the elderly, with many different levels and degrees of awareness. But through the festival, they gain understanding of their village's traditional culture; they receive and absorb culture, and over time it becomes memory, becomes heritage, and becomes their own cultural baggage. The festival is also seen as a large classroom that transmits cultural knowledge for the masses to absorb together. From here too, each individual transmits and recounts the details that take place in the festival to later generations and the newly grown generation, etc. Therefore, along with preserving and transmitting cultural values, the festival also contributes to educating tradition, educating love for homeland and country, and national pride for the generations.

* Scientific value

Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh entered the Zen gate under the Lý dynasty, when Buddhism was flourishing and respected. On that basis, studying and clarifying the heritage value of the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival will bring deeper scientific understanding of the life and career of Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh. In addition, based on the written materials kept at Thiền Sư Pagoda and the legends in Đồng Bụt village, it will contribute to supplementing previous studies that have not been complete about Zen Master Từ Đạo Hạnh, about Buddhism under the Lý dynasty, and about his contributions to the Lý dynasty.

Studying and clarifying the origins of the Thiền Sư Pagoda Festival also provides a reliable scientific basis, thereby contributing to effective advice for management levels in the work of preserving and promoting heritage values; contributing to propaganda and education of local people's awareness in preserving, practicing, and promoting the heritage's values.