However, no matter how simple it is, a set of the Sấm Kinh only has about 500 pages yet summarizes the entire “forest of sutras” of all Buddhas and saints, so the content must inevitably be concise and condensed. Moreover, in terms of form, even simple words cannot avoid the need to use classical allusions, literary references, Chinese, Buddhist terminology, dialects, etc., to express ideas. These are the reasons why practitioners sometimes find it difficult to understand without compiling and reference tools.
The late compiler Thiện Tâm was a follower of PGHH, a lifelong practicing monk, and an instructor in the Propagation Department of Tây An Ancient Temple and the General Education Department of the Central Committee of Hòa Hảo Buddhism before 1975. He recognized the necessity of a Commentary on the Sấm Giảng Thi Văn to help believers overcome the above obstacles, so he voluntarily took on this difficult task.
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