Martyrs' Shrine - A Place Where Spirits of Heroes Seek Refuge in the Buddha Dharma
The Martyrs' Shrine houses the twelve-grand-book series titled “The Legends of Vietnam,” recording the names of more than 100,000 heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for national independence and freedom. The set of books was offered to Ba Vang Pagoda by journalist Doan Manh Phuong, chief editor of the Knowledge and Development Magazine. This unique collection is exclusive to Ba Vang Pagoda and has earned three prestigious titles: World Record, Asia Record, and Vietnam Record.
The Shrine also has a special spiritual connection; it can be said that the spirits of heroic martyrs have chosen this place to gather and seek refuge in the Three Jewels. Initially, Thay Thich Truc Thai Minh, the Abbot of the Pagoda, intended to build a two-story shrine. The second floor would be used for worshipping Buddhist Patriarchs, while the first floor would be arranged based on future circumstances.
Then, in 2014, after completing the collection of ten grand books (later expanded to twelve), journalist Doan Manh Phuong became preoccupied with finding a place to preserve and worship it.
He expressed his wish to make the books into long-lasting objects of worship in a location with a rich revolutionary history. At first, some companies and entrepreneurs helped build a shrine for the books in Duc Tho District, Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam.
However, after visiting the first floor of the Patriarchs' Shrine at Ba Vang Pagoda, he sincerely requested Thay to house the ten books here, to which Thay agreed. This was a miracle since Thay had been foretold by the spiritual world: “In the future, Ba Vang Pagoda will become a place of worship for heroic martyrs.”
From then on, the Shrine has not only preserved the twelve grand books commemorating heroic martyrs but also hosted commemoration events and Buddhist requiem ceremonies for them (which take place on July 27 annually) to pay the debt of gratitude to them.
Thay Thich Truc Thai Minh and the Sangha of Ba Vang Pagoda always emphasize gratitude and educate lay people to uphold this virtue. This is not only a national tradition of Vietnam, but also one of the four great favors that Buddhists need to remember and repay.
