Biography of Master Thich Phap Hoa
Who is Master Thich Phap Hoa?
Master Thich Phap Hoa was born in 1974, in Can Tho, Viet Nam. He is the eldest son in the family. two sons. Thich Phap Hoa immigrated to Canada when he was 12 years old. At the age of 15, he officially became a monk.
Although he lives and practices in Canada, Master Thich Phap Hoa is still known to many Buddhists at home and abroad through his sermon videos shown in the media.
With extensive knowledge and understanding of Buddhist knowledge through the process of studying and training, Thich Phap Hoa is respected and admired by many Buddhists as if standing in front of a “living treasure” of language and culture. meridian system.
Master Thich Phap Hoa’s Cultivation Journey
From a young age, Phap Hoa showed that he was a person who had an affinity for Buddhism. At a 2017 lecture on “The Four Types of Ego Clinging”, he shared a story about himself when he was young. It was a full moon day in January when he was 7 years old, and adults took him to the temple.
This temple is a small vihara named Ngoc Thuan in Can Tho. When he was very young and that day he officially became a refugee, his dharma name was Hue Tai.
After taking refuge in the Three Jewels, Phap Hoa asked for another wish:
“Venerable sir, I am taking refuge and now I want to bow to the Buddha. I want to bow to Buddha Shakyamuni, I want to bow to Buddha Maitreya, I want to bow to Buddha Amitabha, I want to bow to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.”
Seeing that the boy was young and had a strong affinity for Buddhism, he found four Buddha statues for him and told him to vow to fast for 10 days every month. Phap Hoa followed his mother’s instructions and set up a Buddha altar at home so that every night he could recite sutras and make offerings.
In 1989, when he was virtuous enough, Master Phap Hoa officially became a monk under the guidance of Venerable Thich Thien Tam.
In 1994, when he was just 20 years old, Master Thich Phap Hoa officially became a monk in Plum Village (France) on the occasion of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s Huong Tich Forum.
In 2006, he was ordained as abbot of Truc Lam Zen Monastery. In 2007, he became the abbot of the Western Zen Monastery and was elected Director of the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Edmonton (Canada).
Where is Master Thich Phap Hoa Abbot?
Master Thich Phap Hoa resides at Truc Lam Monastery in Canada, which is the first base of the Institute of Buddhist Studies, located in the city of Edmonton since June 1989.
When newly built, Truc Lam Zen Monastery, located at 10604-108, was a 3-story, 9-room building. Many Buddhist activities have taken place here such as research, cultural activities, Buddhist education…
In 1992, the facility was sold and moved to another address, a larger former church at 10155-89 Street.
In 1996, the Institute of Buddhist Studies decided to build a monastery on a larger plot of land in the city center. This is the current Zen monastery – where Thich Phap Hoa is the abbot.
Since its construction, Truc Lam Monastery has become a familiar and close Buddhist address for many overseas Vietnamese until now.
Master Thich Phap is in the hearts of Buddhists
Thich Phap Hoa is one of the young monks loved by many Buddhists at home and abroad. Although not everyone has the opportunity to meet and listen to him teach the Dharma in person, through his lectures on the Internet, everyone is certainly impressed by his calmness, slowness, gentleness and kindness. of the teacher.
Thanks to studying and researching Buddhism since he was young, as well as his enthusiasm for serving the Three Jewels, Master Thich Phap Hoa constantly researches and preaches, bringing Buddhism closer to many far-flung Buddhists. The topics he discussed were very broad and covered many aspects of life.
In his lectures, no matter what topic he begins with, he is always very proficient in integrating Buddhist language and spirit into that topic in a very profound way that is still easy to understand and approach.
Along with many question and answer sessions such as “Deep understanding of sadness”, “Numbers and karma”, etc., Master Thich Phap Hoa has helped many Buddhists eliminate many ambiguities in human life.
Have more faith in your beliefs, the things in life, self-correct, know how to face the things that hinder you to live more peacefully and more usefully.