On 11 August 2026, in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, Most Venerable Phraratvachiravethee, chairman of Dhammakaya Foundation and Venerable Phramaha Nopporn Punyachayo (Pali scholar of level 9), assistant abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, went to Vietnam with disciples of Wat Phra Dhammakaya to offer candles, monks’ robes and monastic necessities to 9 Theravada Buddhist temples including Buu Long Pagoda and Pho Minh Temple. This merit-making activity was organized under the project “The Buddhist Connection of Two Countries for Buddhist Lent Tradition”.
In Vietnam, the rains-retreat for the Theravada Buddhist monks in Vietnam is called “An Cư Kiết Hạ” or a peaceful stay during Buddhist Lent (3-month) period for Dhamma study and meditation practice. The committee of this project selected 9 qualified temples which played a significant role in Buddhist propagation in order to offer them candles and monastic necessities.
Venerable Phramaha Nopporn Punyachayo related that among the countries of Theravada Buddhism, the monastic communities have exchanged Buddhist cultures and traditions since ancient times. In the transitional period of Vietnam, the Vietnamese monks of Theravada Buddhism came to Thailand to be trained at the recognized temples, such as Wat Paknam Basicharoen and Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit in Bangkok. As the result of the long-standing religious relations between Thailand and Vietnam, Luang Por Dhammajayo recognized their shared Buddhist values and goals to propagate Buddhism worldwide and sought to strengthen this connection through the Buddhist Lent tradition for closer religious cooperation in the future.
