A ceremony to commemorate the 712th anniversary of the attainment of Nirvana by Emperor-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, the founder of Vietnam Zen Buddhism, was held at the Vietnam Quoc Tu in HCM City on December 14.

Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), born Tran Kham, was the third emperor of the Tran Dynasty. He ascended the throne when he was 21 and was famed for defeating Yuan-Mongol invaders twice as well as for developing the national economy and culture during his 15-year reign.

He abdicated when he was 35 and spent the rest of his life on Yen Tu Mountain, in modern-day Quang Ninh province in Vietnam’s north, practicing and propagating Buddhism. He founded the Truc Lam sect of Zen Buddhism at Yen Tu.

The ceremony to commemorate the 712th anniversary of the attainment of Nirvana
by Emperor-Monk Tran Nhan Tong

Addressing the ceremony, which was hosted by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) in HCM City, Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, chairman of the VBS’s Executive Council, spotlighted the career of and honoured the merit of Tran Nhan Tong.

Vietnamese Buddhists at home and abroad and the Vietnamese people as a whole would like to express their respect in commemorating the genius and clear-sighted emperor, he said.

He affirmed that Vietnamese Buddhist monks, nuns, and followers all vow to preserve the spirit of national unity and national independence and uphold a spirit of openness and tolerance in the community towards promoting unity among religions for coexistence and development.

A procession of a statue of Emperor-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, which was presented by Tran Temple in northern Nam Dinh province, was organised.  

The statue is made from Luy Lau red ceramic and measures 2.2 metres in height, depicting Emperor-Monk Tran Nhan Tong sitting by a stream taking off his royal clothes to take refuge in the Buddha.

The statue will be placed at the Truc Lam Chanh Giac Zen Monastery in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang on December 20.