Đại Giác Pagoda

Đại Giác Pagoda (大覺寺), also known as Đại Giác Ancient Pagoda, Great Buddha Pagoda or Tượng Pagoda, was formerly located in Bình Hoành hamlet, Hiệp Hòa commune, Trấn Biên district; today it is in Nhị Hòa quarter, Trấn Biên ward, Đồng Nai city, Vietnam.

According to documents preserved by the Buddhist Sangha of Biên Hòa City, in the mid-17th century, three monks of the Lâm Tế (Linji) Zen school came from Central Vietnam to Đồng Nai to propagate Buddhism.

Monk Thành Nhạc, together with some lay Buddhists, came to the land along the Đồng Nai river (now Bửu Hòa commune, Biên Hòa City) and built Long Thiền Pagoda (1664); monk Thành Trí followed a group of migrants working in stone quarrying to the Bửu Long mountains and, together with the Chinese community there, built Bửu Phong Pagoda (1679); monk Thành Đẳng, along with some people rowing boats, came to Cù lao Phố (now Hiệp Hòa ward, Biên Hòa City) to reclaim land and built Đại Giác Pagoda (1665).

In the early days, the pagoda was small, constructed with wooden pillars, plank walls, and yin-yang roof tiles. During the tenure of Zen Master Tổ Ấn-Mật Hoằng as abbot, Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Anh, the third princess of Lord Nguyễn Phúc Ánh, once stayed at the pagoda for a period.

In the first year of Gia Long (Nguyễn Phúc Ánh) (1802), in gratitude, the king ordered the governor of Trấn Biên to send soldiers and craftsmen to build and reinforce the pagoda, bringing war elephants to transport earth and tamp the foundation (hence the later popular name Tượng Pagoda, 'Elephant Pagoda'). Additionally, the king donated a jackfruit-wood statue of Amitābha Buddha, 2.25 metres high. For this reason, the pagoda is also known as the Great Buddha Pagoda (the statue is still worshipped at the pagoda today). In the 13th year of Gia Long (1814), the king invited Zen Master Tổ Ấn - Mật Hoằng to serve as Tăng cang (head monk) of Thiên Mụ Pagoda in Huế.

In October of the first year of Minh Mạng (1820), the king again ordered repairs to Đại Giác Pagoda. At that time, Princess Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Anh had returned to Huế, but she sent a large horizontal lacquered board inscribed with the three gold-leafed characters "Đại Giác Tự" ('Great Enlightenment Pagoda'), with the side inscription: "Tiền Triều Hoàng nữ đệ tam công chúa Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Anh" ('Third Princess of the Former Dynasty, Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Anh') (this board still hangs in front of the main hall).

In the year Nhâm Thìn (1952), the pagoda was severely damaged by flooding. In 1959, with contributions from the local people, the abbot, Most Venerable Thiện Hỷ (1921–1979), rebuilt the entire temple using modern materials: brick walls, reinforced concrete pillars, with a bell tower and drum tower, and the reconstruction was inaugurated on 12 August 1961.

In 1967, the Hậu Tổ (Founders' Hall) was renovated. In 1969, layman Lê Văn Lộ built a brick fence for the pagoda...

Đại Giác Pagoda covers an area of about 3,000 m2 with two brick-built entrance gates, surrounded by a perimeter wall. After many renovations, the pagoda is now built in the shape of the Chinese character 'tam' (三), with three parallel halls connected together.

The pagoda's façade faces northwest, overlooking the Đồng Nai river. In the middle of the front courtyard stands a large bodhi tree, planted by Most Venerable Đinh Tông on the 15th day of the 11th lunar month, year Kỷ Mão (1939), and a statue of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva (Quan Âm Nam Hải) standing on a lotus pedestal. To the left and behind is a large garden planted with fruit trees; to the right is the stupa area with many stupas containing the remains of deceased abbots.

Although the pagoda's eaves are low and the exterior has a modern architectural style, the interior still follows the traditional model of old pagodas in the Đồng Nai region, with tall, round pillars creating a spacious atmosphere.

The pagoda consists of the main hall, guest hall, monks' quarters, dining hall, and kitchen.

The main hall is a large three-bay building used for worship. In the central bay: on the upper altar is a 2.25-metre-high wooden statue of Amitābha Buddha; below are statues of Śākyamuni Buddha and Maitreya Buddha. Near the entrance is the Medicine Buddha lampstand, consisting of 49 small oil lamps with 49 small wooden Buddha statues; the base of the lampstand is intricately carved. The left bay houses the ancestral altar to Bodhidharma. The right bay houses the altar to Lord Guan Yu (Quan Thánh Đế Quân). On each side wall, five Yama Kings and two Judges are worshipped.

Behind the main hall is the ancestral altar to the patriarchs who propagated Buddhism at the pagoda, including many spirit tablets of Lâm Tế Zen masters, among them the oldest patriarchs: Zen Master Thành Đẳng (34th generation of the Lâm Tế school), Phật Ý-Linh Nhạc, Giác Liễu-Thiệt Truyền (35th generation), Tổ Ấn-Mật Hoằng (36th generation), and others.

Connected to the main hall is the guest hall, where Cundi Buddha (Chuẩn Đề), Linh Sơn Holy Mother, and others are worshipped.

Đại Giác Pagoda, together with Bửu Phong Pagoda and Long Thiền Pagoda, are the three earliest Vietnamese religious architectural works established in Đồng Nai, and are evidence of the southward expansion in the first half of the 17th century by three monks of the Lâm Tế lineage from Đàng Trong (Inner Realm). In addition to this value, Đại Giác Pagoda also possesses Buddha statues, horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, bas-reliefs, etc., with a wide range of themes, all intricately carved and gilded. These works demonstrate the skill of the artisans and reflect, to some extent, the traditional art of the Southeast region.

For these reasons, Đại Giác Pagoda was recognised as a national-level Historic and Artistic Monument by Decision No. 993/QĐ, signed on 28 September 1990.

Main article: Thiệt Thành Liễu Đạt

The relic of Đại Giác Pagoda is also associated with a love story between a Zen master and a Nguyễn dynasty princess. As summarised from the book 'Vietnamese Zen Masters':

Zen Master Thiệt Thành Liễu Đạt, whose birth year is unknown, was the first monk in the South to be conferred the title of National Master. With profound Buddhist knowledge, he was invited to Huế to lecture to the royal family. At the capital, Grand Princess Long Thành, elder sister of Lord Nguyễn Phúc Ánh and paternal aunt of Emperor Minh Mạng, secretly fell in love with the monk during her days of Buddhist study. In 1821, after the passing of Most Venerable Phật Ý-Linh Nhạc, the master returned to Từ Ân Pagoda (Gia Định) to mourn his teacher and then remained there.

Thinking he could avoid karmic entanglements, he did not expect the princess to seek him out. Zen Master Thiệt Thành Liễu Đạt decided to enter retreat for two years at Đại Giác Pagoda to avoid meeting her. However, the princess persistently begged to hold his hand once before returning to Huế, and her wish was granted. That night, the monk self-immolated after writing a verse on the wall to express his feelings. A few days later, the princess also took poison to end her life at Đại Giác Pagoda on the 2nd day of the 11th lunar month, year Quý Mùi (1823).