THE RETREAT and the strengthening of the Sangha, maintaining the Buddhist circuit. Retreat is an opportunity to strengthen the Sangha, tighten harmony in the community of monks, on the other hand, when the Sangha is consolidated, it will make the network of the Buddha Dharma maintained and developed. The summer retreat is a tradition for thousands of years of Buddhism. According to the Buddha's teachings, every year in the three summer months, Buddhist monks gather in a certain place to live and study together. This is a precious time for the monastic community, to pause their Buddhist activities and focus on studying, regaining internal energy for themselves by reflecting on their lifestyle and actions. for the past nine months. Besides, this is also an opportunity for the Sangha to consolidate after months of tireless activities, thereby aiming to maintain and develop the network of Buddhism. Nowadays, Buddhism has spread all over the world. Where there is a Sangha, there the tradition of the summer retreat is preserved. Although there are more or less changes due to circumstances and environment, in the end, it still retains the traditional beauty that has made the Buddhist cultural identity. CONDITIONS This is recorded in the Great Vinaya. In the early years, the residence in the rainy season was not regulated by the Buddha. Monks still go begging all year round. So the people complained: “Why do the Sakyamuni recluses travel during the cold season, during the hot season, and during the rainy season as well? You are trampling on green grass, harming the life of a single-sensory species, and causing the mass killing of many small sentient beings.”[1] They think, Even though the teachings are bad, the non-Buddhists still live permanently in the rainy season and compared with the recluse Sakyamuni who travel for a year without having a fixed time of life. This incident was reported to the Buddha. By the way, the Buddha said: "Bhikkhus, I allow rain in the (settling down) season" [2]. Since then the tradition of seclusion has been carried out regularly in the Sangha every year and has brought great benefit to the masses. Today, Buddhism is present all over the world. Where there is a Sangha, there the tradition of the summer retreat is preserved. Although there are more or less changes due to circumstances and environment, in the end, it still retains the traditional beauty that has made the Buddhist cultural identity. Thus, whether Seclusion in the Buddha's time or in modern times, the core meaning remains the same. It is to protect the Sangha from the dangers of the masses and to nurture the compassion of monastics. But the deeper meaning, the Buddha saw in a year that the monks need to have a period of time to return to practice to regain inner strength for themselves, this is the period of time for the monks to temporarily stop outside Buddhist activities, gather the Sangha in a pure and old place to practice together, confine mind and body, and cultivate precepts. Therefore, the Retreat is an opportunity to strengthen the Sangha, tighten the harmony in the community of monks, on the other hand, when the Sangha is strengthened, it will make the network of the Buddhadharma to be maintained and developed. Strengthening the Sangha During the three months of residence, the Bhikkhus must remain in residence. During this period, the meditator stops all external Buddhist affairs, concentrates on the study of the scriptures, develops meditation, the aim is to open up wisdom. Because nine months of the year, Bhikkhus have traveled everywhere to take care of the spirit of the masses, so a part of the loss in terms of health and spiritual energy. The weather in India at the time of the Buddha did not allow ascetics to travel throughout the year because the three summer months were the rainy season. The water rose high, the insects rose, the cultivation and trade stopped, all activities were hindered. Therefore, not only the Buddha's congregation has a residence season, but even the Brahmins and Jainists this season also take refuge. The brahmins call this pause Dhruvasìla, their scriptures refer only to "living in one place" (ekatra), or "arranged abode" (Dhruvasìla). Jainism is called Pajjusama, which means that it allows a teacher (Ecàryopadhijàna) and a group of disciples (Ganavacchedaka) to live together. Therefore, the suspension of religious practice for three months during the rainy season was common among religions at that time. The Buddha modified the form and content of the Summer Retreat to bring the most practical benefits to the Sangha and the world. Bhikkhus living together to practice during the Seclusion season is the most obvious feature of Buddhism. Proof right from the time of the Buddha, there were seasons of retreat where there were thousands of monks living together in Veluvana, which was a distinctive feature from other groups of contemplatives at that time. But living together to practice must be full of two factors that are harmony and purity. Harmony and Purity These are the two factors that form the Sangha of the Buddha. Without them, the Sangha even exists is just a form, the essence of the Sangha is considered broken and of course does not keep the full meaning of the word Sangha. Therefore, one of the internal causes for the decline of Buddhism over the ages has always come from the lack of stability, unity and unity in the Sangha. Through purity and harmony, the new Sangha is worthy of being one of the Three Jewels, serving as a refuge for lay Buddhists. The meaning of settling down, partly to avoid worldly dangers, on the other hand, is to nurture the compassion of the Buddha's children, but the profound meaning is to make the Dharma last forever, through the expression of maintaining life. harmony and purity of the Sangha. The season of seclusion is the time to regenerate the Sangha's vitality. The Buddha made the precepts to settle down because he wanted to protect the Sangha. During the months of practicing the path, the meditator is like sharing his energy with others. If the Bhikkhus do not have three months of living together to learn from each other's experiences and advise each other, how can they nurture their inner self, not to mention the duty of each individual bhikkhu to create energy for the Sangha? strong team. So, Thanks to the practice of living together, bhikkhus from all over the world gather as dharma, live as dharma, will certainly strengthen the role of the Sangha in social life. The residence since the Buddha's time has been maintained to the present, is not only the responsibility of monks and nuns in upholding the law, but also demonstrates the harmony and purity of the Sangha community. Dharma retreat, if enthusiastically implemented by the Sangha, is a great source of energy to strengthen the spirit of harmony and purity of the Sangha. Whether the Sangha is harmonious and pure or not, a big part belongs to each individual bhikkhu. Therefore, the strengthening of the Sangha comes from the personal strengthening of the monk, the strengthening of a monk is nothing more than his own moral self-improvement. The season of seclusion helps to perfect the morality of a monk. The retreat season helps young bhikkhus have the opportunity to be closer to the elders. This not only helps young monks to be fostered in their knowledge and practice, but also to practice collective life, and to demonstrate the spirit of the six republics in daily life. Thanks to the study of the body with respectable monks, it makes the bhikkhus generate respect and admiration, and compares whether what they have learned has been practiced correctly or not, is there any mistake in order to promptly correct it. change. Because in a community of harmony and purity like the Dharma, all deviant attitudes or behaviors have no chance to develop because they are promptly corrected. A holy life is a virtuous, holy life, continuous efforts towards ultimate purity, against greed, anger, delusion, laziness, violence, etc. and monastics have to accept with this life. The goal of a monk is to attain peace and liberation. The Buddha was the one who accomplished that goal and he showed mankind the way to that goal. Therefore, in order to achieve a perfect personality like the Buddha, a monastic must lead an exemplary life as he himself lived. The typical qualities of the Buddha are recorded in the Nikaya sutras such as: "The recluse Gotama has given up doing harm to the world, has completely lost that inclination to cause harm... full of mercy with compassion, wishing happiness for sentient beings", "He gave up taking things that others did not give him", "He gave up slander", “He stopped speaking harsh words”, “He did not harm the seeds and plants. He only eats one meal a day, not at night or at the wrong time…”. The noble moral qualities of the Buddha set an example for the entire Sangha. This is precisely the result of the practice of Precepts-Concentration-Wisdom embodied in the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path. Due to the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path, moral qualities are improving day by day. Ethics is not liberation but a support leading to liberation and is the result of step-by-step practice to liberation [3]. Moral quality of a bhikkhu is an important factor determining the quality of the Sangha and the existence and development of the Sangha. That quality is the result of the practice of wisdom and the practice of meditation and is also a condition for the attainment of liberating wisdom. Despite carrying a simple poverty, but it is the fruit of morality, the expression of knowledge in life. Everyone knows, a virtuous individual will lead to a prosperous society, a prosperous society will lead to a peaceful and prosperous country and surely anyone in life wants to live in a peaceful country. there. But how soon can that goal be achieved? This has been and is being done by individual bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, and the Buddhist Sangha who are pioneers in all daily activities by virtuous actions and spreading this inspiration to mankind. Therefore, the season of seclusion is the season when the bhikkhus must practice diligently, close themselves to the precepts, and maintain their dignity, because that is the perfection of the moral character of a monk. After all, the value of a monk's life is only in the direction of the mind, not on the sound, outer appearance. MAINTAIN THE NETWORK OF THE BUDDHA FRAMEWORK Taking the precepts as a teacher The monastic always puts himself within the framework of the precepts in order to ensure the prestige and purity of the Sangha. A monk, if he knows how to apply the precepts in his life, practice seriously, he will surely be freed from all attachments right in the present life, because the Buddha taught: "Hey guys Live, bhikkhus, the full precepts, the full precepts of Patimokkha, subdued with the subjugation of the Pātimokkha precepts. Live fully in dignity and conduct, see fear in minor faults, accept and study in the teachings. Having lived fully the precepts…, what more needs to be done?” [4]. Nine months out of the year, the bhikkhus have traveled everywhere to take care of the spiritual well-being of the masses, so a portion of their health and spiritual energy has been wasted. (Image: collected) And importantly, during his 45-year presence in the world, the Buddha never exalted himself and never said he was the leader of the Sangha. But in particular, he always emphasized that the monks should take the Dharma and the Law as their guide. Therefore, in the last exhortations, the Buddha taught: "Bhikkhus, after I have passed away, you must take the precepts as your teacher, just as someone who walks in the dark at night meets a bright light, and the poor obtains treasure. You should know that precepts are your teachers, even if I stay in this world, it will be no different from this Dharma." Through the above teaching, it can be seen that the precepts are considered to be the embodiment of the Buddha. This is not only the refuge, the guide, the master of the monastic discipline, but also the foundation for the existence of the Buddhadharma. Therefore, at any time, whether in the past, present or future, If the bhikkhus still respect and practice the precepts strictly, taking the precepts as their guides, then the sangha will survive and flourish, because the precepts are still the buddha-dharma, the precepts Loss is the loss of Buddhism. Precepts are the foundation for the eternal Buddhadharma. Because of such important and dominant precepts, the rise or fall of Buddhism is not outside the scope of the precepts. Precepts cultivate the virtue of a monk, from a virtuous monk lays the foundation for the flourishing Buddhadharma. The summer solstice retreat is a very valuable tradition in Buddhism. In the nine months of Van Du Hoa Tu, it has been shown that there are cases of personal lack of control that have affected the image of the Buddhist monk. Therefore, the conduct of a monk is intimately related to the rise and fall of the Buddhadharma. During the settling season, The bhikkhus will have more time to study the precepts to prevent future mistakes. A bhikkhu as a member of the Sangha, in addition to his efforts to cultivate himself, must also have the duty to build and promote the development of the Sangha. Therefore, the regular recitation of the Buddha's rule is to mold the pure life of the bhikkhus, and to build a pure unity in the Sangha community. Furthermore, it is not only the season of seclusion that you often study the precepts, if the precepts are always strictly observed in daily life, the Buddhadharma will be long-lived. Therefore, the necessary and sufficient condition of a monastic is to strictly uphold the pure precepts and constantly cultivate virtue. The Good Tradition - The Summer Retreat has been applied and practiced since the time of the Buddha, it is valid from the past to the present and to the future. as the core for the practice of the Sangha and to maintain the lifeline of the Dharma. Because every failure of precepts always has the potential to lead to a breakdown of morality and beliefs. So the profound meaning of the Buddha's dharma residence is to maintain the pure and harmonious life of the Sangha. As long as the Sangha is enthusiastic in its responsibility to settle down, the Dharma will last for a long time. Tasks of the four groups To maintain the network and develop the Buddhadharma, it is necessary to mention the duties of the four groups in the summer retreat season. The development of Buddhism must come from the four groups, not only they ordained or stayed at home and the Seclusion season is the time to tighten the relationship of the four groups. FOR THE LEADERS Wearing the robe of liberation, one must always keep in mind that he studies in order to liberate and help sentient beings liberate (self and others). If a monk does not have the material of practice, it is difficult to save himself, let alone save others. The most meaningful way of repaying the nuns is to practice diligently, to confine the body and mind, to cultivate virtue, to develop the moral force to liberate oneself and to teach and save sentient beings. During the three months of seclusion, if the practitioner practices diligently and strictly, on the one hand, it brings merit to the practitioner, and on the other hand brings peace and benefit to those living in the environment or residence. From here on, Tang Bao continued to be a solid fulcrum for the masses to rely on. FOR RESIDENTS The image of the Sangha living in harmony, daily diligent practice is always a source of encouragement for lay people. Lay Buddhists have a burning desire to admire the Dharma and desire to learn the Buddha's teachings to apply in life, in order to transform suffering and pain. At the concentration camps of monks and nuns, because they are dedicated to studying, and minimizing extraversion, it is very much in need of Buddhists' support in many aspects. Therefore, the lay people often join hands to contribute, the contributors, depending on their capacity and circumstances, wholeheartedly support the ashram to settle down to cultivate merit. Making offerings to the venerable monks, nuns, and monks who live in peace and practice without any contraband, so that the Buddhadharma can be perpetuated in the world, is a must for lay people. Through almsgiving, making offerings and studying Buddhist teachings in the Sangha during the retreat season, Buddhists are deeply blessed and promoted in their spiritual life. From the reciprocal relationship between the Sangha and the Buddhist masses, the strong bond between the four groups of Buddha's disciples. When the relationship between the four groups is tightened, the inevitable consequence is that the Buddha Dharma will last in the world. It can be said that the tradition of summer retreat dates back to the time of the Buddha. Sanghas everywhere in the world today still seriously practice according to the Law of Seclusion that the Buddha established. It can be compared to a farmer who has to plow the fields every year, if he neglects to take care of the crops that year, he will lose his harvest in that year. Likewise, if a monastic person in a year does not have days of living together to promote each other, he will not have the conditions to create a harmonious capacity to verify the value of his own practice. The tradition of the Summer Retreat, if practiced seriously, will cultivate the growing bodhichitta mind, helping the career of capturing sentient beings to be complete.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=BUDDHIST DHARMA WHEEL GOLDEN MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.13/6/2022.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.