A peaceful Vietnamese temple in the middle of Truong Sa sea

Baoquocte.vn. Amidst the stormy sea, imbued with the flavor of the sea, Sinh Ton Pagoda is peaceful and serene, located next to the residential area and school of the island commune.

Anyone coming to Truong Sa archipelago today can feel the peace like the villages on the mainland.

In the middle of the vast ocean, next to the houses and rows of shady green trees, standing out among the sun, wind and blue sea is the curved temple roof with bright red tiles blending with the quiet space, as if adding a strong, everlasting vitality to the green island at the head of the waves.

Ngôi chùa Việt thanh tịnh giữa trùng khơi Trường Sa

Pure Vietnamese architecture of Sinh Ton Pagoda. (Photo: DN)

As usual, every morning, after cleaning and lighting incense on all the altars, monk Van Trach - Dharma name Thich Quy Thai, abbot of Sinh Ton pagoda - approached the ancient bronze bell hanging on the left side of the pagoda, held a long round wooden stick, and struck each tone gently but firmly on the bell.

The temple bell rang out long and clear, echoing into the space of the island commune and dissolving into the waves and the ocean in the distance.

Filled with emotion, wearing the yellow robe of a monk, monk Thich Quy Thai emotionally recounted: “Before going to Truong Sa to take on the Buddhist mission at Sinh Ton Pagoda, I was quite nervous. However, the first time I set foot on Sinh Ton Island and saw the pagoda, I felt like this place was very close and familiar, as if I had been there before.”

While picking up the square banyan leaves that had fallen in the temple yard due to the gentle wind, Master Thich Quy Thai said: "I feel very honored and proud to be able to do Buddhist work at Sinh Ton Pagoda, on a remote island, on the front line of the Fatherland."

According to monk Thich Quy Thai, this sacred pagoda is the only place in Truong Sa archipelago where a memorial stele is placed to commemorate the 64 heroic martyrs of Gac Ma who died in 1988. For someone who carries on his Buddhist duties like him, that is something special.

Every year on March 14, the pagoda, together with the cadres, soldiers and people in Sinh Ton, always hold a ceremony to pay tribute to the heroic martyrs who died for the cause of protecting the sacred sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. Therefore, the pagoda feels the responsibility of building and protecting Sinh Ton pagoda even more important.

Sinh Ton Pagoda was built in traditional architectural style with a structure of one room, two wings, and a curved roof. Like other pagodas on Truong Sa archipelago, the main hall of Sinh Ton Pagoda faces the capital Hanoi with the sacred meaning of facing the center of the country, facing the heart of the whole country...

Ms. Lu Kim Cuc, a resident of Sinh Ton commune, shared: “On the first and fifteenth day of every month, we come here to worship at the pagoda. In addition, on the first days of the New Year or Lunar New Year, we also go to the pagoda to burn incense and pray for good health for our families, for the soldiers, households on the island and fishermen to be safe at sea.”

Ms. Cuc said: “Sinh Ton Pagoda is also a support for fishermen. They often stop here to pray for a safe and smooth sea trip, providing fresh fish for the island and the mainland.

In addition to praying for peace, we also burn incense to express our gratitude to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives and to the soldiers who are protecting our homeland's sea and islands day and night, giving us a peaceful life on this remote island."

According to her, every weekend, the women on the island spend a day cleaning and sweeping the entire area inside and outside the temple, with the desire to contribute a small effort to build and protect this sacred Vietnamese cultural place.

Sergeant Do Thanh Long, Battery Captain, from Binh Son, Quang Ngai, has been working on Sinh Ton Island, Truong Sa archipelago since January 2001.

He confided: "I often go to Sinh Ton Pagoda on holidays, festivals, and Tet... Every time I go to the pagoda, I often visit the scenery, burn incense, and especially pray for my family, relatives, comrades, teammates... to be safe, healthy, have favorable weather, gentle wind, calm seas...".

Sergeant Do Thanh Long added: “Being on duty on the sacred island, where the pagoda with the memorial stele of 64 martyrs of Gac Ma is located, I personally feel honored, proud and grateful to my predecessors who sacrificed their blood and bones to protect the country, to have a peaceful country like today.

I told myself to be determined, to maintain the Party's political and ideological stance, to promote patriotism, to love the Vietnamese people is to love the homeland, to love the sea and islands... To be ready to sacrifice to firmly protect the sacred sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland, where the sacred and beloved Sinh Ton Pagoda is located."

Sinh Ton Pagoda is not only a purely Vietnamese cultural architectural work, but also a symbol of spiritual support, a spiritual place for people on remote islands to admire and turn their hearts to Buddha. (Photo: NVCC)

In the grounds of Sinh Ton Pagoda, standing out among the bright red curved tiled roofs is the cool green of the Phong Ba trees, a typical tree of Truong Sa archipelago, a species of tree that still stands tall and strong against harsh winds and waves.

In the midst of the vast sea and sky, the temple bell occasionally rings out in long, clear tones, spreading into the air and the ocean, like a spiritual support to help the spirit of each cadre, soldier and citizen here become more steadfast, together protecting the sea and sky of the Fatherland.

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