The temple guards, the silent temple keepers

Mr. Thai Cong No pointed to the National Monument ranking of Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain, his face exuded pride in the cultural and historical value of this place.

A life attached to Ba Temple

When mentioning people who are attached to the Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain (Nui Sam Ward, Chau Doc City), we cannot help but mention Mr. Thai Cong No. Mr. No has devoted 40 years of his life to this place. At the age of 75, he is still dedicated every day, working with the management board to arrange worship rituals, support pilgrims and maintain the solemnity of the temple. On peak days such as the Ba Chua Xu Festival, the number of pilgrims reaches millions, but thanks to his extensive experience, all rituals still go smoothly.

For him, this job is not only a duty but also a responsibility to the long-standing beliefs of this land. During many years of being attached to the temple, he has heard many stories from people who came to worship and pray for wealth and peace, to special cases that he will always remember. Mr. No said: “There was a man in Bac Lieu whose business failed. One night, he dreamed of a woman telling him to go to the southwest to pray for blessings. He went to the temple, offered prayers, then returned to his hometown to raise shrimp and had a good harvest. After being successful, he returned to the temple to thank her.”

Not only the people but also he himself put his faith in the sacredness of Ba Chua Xu. Mr. No shared: “When I first came here to work, life was still difficult. But thanks to her protection, I was able to open a pharmacy, and my business was successful. For every big event in my life, I pray to her, hoping that everything will go smoothly.” It is this belief in Ba Chua Xu of Sam Mountain that has helped him stay here until now.

Preserving the village temple - preserving the soul of the countryside

Meanwhile, Vinh Thanh Trung Communal House (Vinh Thanh Trung town, Chau Phu district) is a place that carries traditional cultural values, closely associated with the spiritual life of local people. Here, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Van (73 years old), Head of the Board of Trustees, has been attached to this communal house for 17 years. Fate brought him to this job naturally. Initially, Mr. Van only participated in worship activities with local people. But over time, Mr. Van realized that the communal house needed someone to take care of it, organize festivals, and maintain traditional rituals. When the Board of Trustees needed someone to manage it, he decided to take on this responsibility.

Every day, Mr. Van and the board of priests take care of the incense, arrange the offerings, and organize the Thuong Dien, Ky Yen, and Ha Dien festivals. In particular, he has established a To Hau Huong group, assigned to be on duty 24/7 to serve the worshiping needs of the people attentively, even though they do not receive any salary. I only hope that the entire board of priests will continue to work together to preserve this communal house so that the place of worship is spacious and dignified.

Mr. Van recounted a story that he still cannot forget: “In the 80s, a big fire broke out near the communal house, but the fire did not reach the main hall. The villagers believed that thanks to the protection of Thanh Hoang, the communal house remained stable. There were also times when the communal house lacked funds, we offered incense and prayed, and the villagers voluntarily contributed, helping the communal house have enough funds to repair it.” Even though society has changed, the communal house is still a place for people to come to when they encounter difficulties. They come here to worship and find peace, to find spiritual support amidst the chaos of life.

Faith and passion passed down from generation to generation

Whether it is the Lady Temple or the village communal house, the caretakers here all have the same thought: Preserving beliefs and traditions for the next generation. Mr. No shared that in his old age, he has passed on all his knowledge and experience to the successors so that the traditional rituals will not be lost. Mr. Van believes that there will be a successor generation to continue the work of caring for and preserving the communal house, just like in a family, the next generation follows the previous generation. Mr. Van understands that preserving the communal house is not only his responsibility, but the joint efforts of the whole community, so that the cultural and spiritual values ​​are respected and preserved through each generation.

They are silent people, not needing anyone to record or praise them. But they have contributed to preserving the cultural soul, maintaining folk beliefs for future generations. Even though time passes, the "temple guards and communal house guards" will still be as quiet and devoted as they once were...

BICH GIANG

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/nhung-nguoi-gac-mieu-giu-dinh-tham-lang-a417564.html