The Sermon on Poetry and Prose by His Holiness Huỳnh, the Founder, is a precious canon that contains the basic doctrines, helping the Hoa Hao Buddhists understand its principles and methods of practicing.
His Holiness, the Founder of Hoa Hao Buddhism, affirmed that He did not establish a new religion. He is merely interested in restoring the original teaching of Gautama Buddha from who He was ordered to carry a Mission to propagate the true dharma. Therefore, He “followed the intentions of Shakyamuni” and “drew from the various Vinaya and Sutras” to establish a teaching that is appropriate to the times, simple, easy to learn, and easy to practice for the lesser capacities of the majority of beings in the era of declining Dharma called Lower Age.
However, no matter how simplified it is, a serial Oracle which consists of Six Volumes contains only about 500 pages which can summarize the entire “jungle of catechisms of three East Asian religions, yet which is very succinct and precise. Moreover, in terms of style, the author uses a mixture of popular literature and classic allusions to adapt to the country’s traditional culture and language, especially in the form of poetry close to the proverbial expressions of the people of the South Western region. These are the reasons why practice and study can sometimes be difficult to understand without adequate knowledge of Sinitic classics.
Late compiler Thien-Tam was a follower of PGHH, a home practician who dedicated his life to practice and study of Hoa hao Buddhist philosophy, a lecturer in the Dharma Propagation Committee at Tay An Co Tu Temple, and the General Education Committee of the Central PGHH before 1975. He recognized the necessity of a compilation of explanatory notes on the Oracles and Poems to help his fellow adherents overcome the aforementioned obstacles, and his works has been publicised widely and recognized by the Hoa Hao community around the world.
“Study-Reflect-Practice” is the motto of those who practice Buddhism: read and listen, contemplate clearly, and then diligently practice to achieve the Path of Liberation.
The Master Huynh also reminded: “After observing, one must understand the principle clearly.”
And: “Listen carefully without being vague,
Understand the meaning and follow it to attain the Path.”
The late compiler himself acknowledged from the beginning that undertaking this work to achieve the above goal could not be perfect. This research and compilation work requires the contribution of many people and needs continuous correction and supplementation forever.
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