Bà Đá Pagoda

Bà Đá Pagoda, also known as Linh Quang Tự and Sùng Khánh Tự, is an ancient pagoda located at No. 3 Nhà Thờ Street, Hanoi, near Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

Bà Đá Pagoda was built in 1056 during the reign of Lý Thánh Tông. The pagoda was erected on the foundation of the famous Báo Thiên Tower of old Thăng Long Citadel.

The pagoda's front hall is built in the shape of the character "nhất" (一), while the central hall is built in the shape of the character "đinh" (丁), and the two are connected, forming a square architectural block. Inside the pagoda, there are many wooden statues. The pagoda is situated on a small street only a few hundred metres long, yet it is home to both Buddhist and Catholic belief systems.

The pagoda was originally the headquarters of the Lâm Tế lineage; currently, it is the main headquarters of the Hanoi Buddhist Sangha. Within the pagoda is the Hanoi Intermediate School of Buddhist Studies. Every year, the pagoda regularly hosts ceremonies of the Hanoi Buddhist Sangha.

In the past, the pagoda housed the Phát Lâm Statue (a statue with a life-loving smile), considered one of the four treasures of Hanoi.

According to legend, when digging earth to build the Thăng Long Citadel during the reign of King Lê Thánh Tông (1460–1497) in the village of Báo Thiên Tự Tháp (the area of today's St. Joseph's Cathedral), a stone statue in the shape of a woman (some say it was a stone statue of the Bodhisattva) was discovered. The people considered it a holy mother and built a temple at the spot where the statue was found, calling it Bà Đá Temple. Later, the villagers, finding it sacred, contributed labour and funds to build a large pagoda, invited monks to reside, and worshipped the Buddha. Thus, the pagoda was named Bà Đá Pagoda, with the formal name "Linh Quang Tự".

When the Tây Sơn army attacked Thăng Long, the pagoda fell into ruin. Zen Master Khoan Giai from Hòe Nhai Pagoda, of the Tào Động lineage, came to restore and serve as abbot.

During the French colonial period, the temple was burned and the original stone statue was destroyed. The villagers rebuilt it and brought in a stone statue of Shakyamuni Buddha to worship, replacing the old Bà Đá statue. Due to several rounds of restoration, Bà Đá Pagoda no longer retains many ancient artefacts. Remaining relics include two bells cast during the reign of Tự Đức of the Nguyễn dynasty in 1873 and 1881, and a bronze gong cast in 1842.

On 5 January 1946, President Hồ Chí Minh visited Bà Đá Pagoda and spoke with the senior monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers. During the meeting, he said, "Buddhist affairs are not separate from worldly affairs; we must participate in revolutionary work, famine relief, and eradicating illiteracy."

Because it is located in the city centre, surrounded by buildings on all sides, Bà Đá Pagoda is now enclosed on all four sides. The pagoda's frontage is just a small alley leading to Nhà Thờ Street, squeezed between private houses. Behind the pagoda is a high-rise building, so the pagoda's land area is modest. Nevertheless, the pagoda has been restored, the tiled roof replaced, and a row of auxiliary buildings on the right wing rebuilt in the traditional style.

Linh Quang First Patriarch: Patriarch with the Dharma name Thiện Chúng, Dharma title Zen Master Khoan Giai, from Đống Nguyên village, Thượng Phúc District, Hà Đông Province. From a young age, the patriarch went to Hồng Phúc Pagoda in Hòe Nhai ward, Thăng Long, to become a monk under Most Venerable Tính Chúc Đạo Chu. He received full ordination at Tam Huyền ancestral pagoda in Nhân Mục village, with Most Venerable Chạm Công as preceptor (around the Cảnh Hưng era of the Lê dynasty). From then on, the patriarch diligently practised, mastering even geography and traditional medicine. One day, he came to a pagoda in Hương Ngãi village and saw a small thatched hut, thinking: "Though this hut is small, it will surely develop in the future," and so he did not mind cutting reeds and clearing grass. No one knows when the old pagoda was originally built; after many wars and fires, it was left desolate. Once, an official ordered soldiers to clear the wild grass and discovered the foundation of the old pagoda there, and also unearthed a stone statue beneath the ashes. The villagers, together with the devout couple Đỗ Bá Ngân, Dharma name Khoan Lượng, built a hut for worship, calling it Bà Đá Pagoda. Around the year Quý Sửu 1793, devotee Khoan Lượng invited Zen Master Khoan Giai to be abbot of this small hut. Later, the thatched hut was replaced by a bamboo hut, then by a tiled hut.

Time passed, and before long, 30 years had gone by. On the 4th day of the 12th lunar month, year Tân Tị, 2nd year of Minh Mạng (1821), the patriarch peacefully passed away, having lived 80 years and served as abbot of Bà Đá Pagoda for 29 years. His stupa was built at the pagoda, and later his relics were moved to the hexagonal Phổ Đồng Stupa in front and to the left of Liên Phái Pagoda.

Linh Quang Second Patriarch: Dharma title Zen Master Giác Vượng, also known as Most Venerable Giác Viên, Dharma name Từ Tạng, from Văn Tự village, Thượng Phúc District, Hà Đông Province. From a young age, he went to Linh Quang Pagoda to study under the first patriarch. One day, he heard about Patriarch Từ Niệm of Hoa Lâm Pagoda (Khê Hồi, Thường Tín, Hà Tây), and after 15 years of learning the precepts of the Trúc Lâm lineage, he returned to serve the first patriarch. The second patriarch succeeded as abbot in 1821, inheriting both the Tào Động and Lâm Tế lineages. From then, he restored and rebuilt the pagoda, created new statues of the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and holy monks, as well as new gates and altars... He initiated retreats for over 30 people, and countless monks and nuns were taught at the Dharma assemblies. During his lifetime, he restored seven major pagodas: Bà Đá Pagoda, Triệu Khánh Pagoda, Ngũ Nhạc Pagoda, Hộ Quốc Pagoda, Khuyến Lương Pagoda, and Vũ Thạch Pagoda (in 1857). The second patriarch passed away on the 25th day of the 2nd lunar month, year Canh Thân, 10th year of Tự Đức (1850), having lived 80 years and served as abbot for 40 years, with over 30 Dharma heirs. His body was cremated, and only the root of his tongue remained intact. People from eight villages brought flags to receive his relics, and the sangha built stupas to enshrine them in various places; his relics are placed in the stupa to the right in front of Liên Phái Pagoda.

Linh Quang Third Patriarch: Dharma name Phổ Sĩ, Dharma title Zen Master Từ Tuyên, from An Cốc village, Thượng Phúc District, Hà Đông Province, surname Phạm.

Linh Quang Fourth Patriarch: Dharma name Thông Toàn, Dharma title Thuần Hiệp. The fourth patriarch succeeded in 1866 and passed away on the 30th day of the first lunar month, year Đinh Tị (1917), having lived 72 years and served as abbot for 52 years. His body is enshrined in Vĩnh Quang Stupa, Dharma title Zen Master Thích Minh.

Linh Quang Fifth Patriarch: Dharma name Tâm Hoãn, from Bá Khê, Văn Giang, Hưng Yên. He served as abbot from 1917 until his passing on 2 September, year Nhâm Tuất 1922, having lived 56 years and served as abbot for nearly 6 years.

Linh Quang Sixth Abbot: Dharma name Thích Tâm Thịnh, Dharma title Zen Master Vô Trụ.

Linh Quang Seventh Abbot: Hộ Quốc Sa Môn Tăng Cang Thích Tâm Hỷ (Thích Thanh Thao), secular name Đỗ Văn Hỷ (1890–1968), served as abbot until 1968.

Eighth Abbot: Most Venerable Thích Thanh Doãn, also known as Tâm Cương (disciple of Patriarch Tâm Hỷ, who later passed away at Ngâu Pagoda, Hanoi), born 1912 in Nam Định, ordained in 1919, in 1922 went to Hanoi to become a disciple of Most Venerable Thích Thanh Lễ of Yên Ngưu Pagoda. In 1929, Patriarch Thanh Lễ passed away, and he followed Patriarch Thanh Thao Tâm Hỷ at Bà Đá Pagoda, receiving full ordination in 1932. In 1956, he was entrusted by Patriarch Tâm Hỷ to look after Bà Đá Pagoda, and in 1968 officially succeeded as the eighth abbot. In 1979, he resigned and handed the pagoda over to the Hanoi Buddhist Sangha at that time. He passed away in January 2013, aged 101, at Yên Ngưu Pagoda, Thanh Trì, Hanoi.

Ninth Abbot: Most Venerable Thích Thanh Thành (passed away in 2009 at Vẽ Pagoda, Đông Ngạc, Từ Liêm, Hanoi).

Later, from 1958, Bà Đá Pagoda became the representative office of the capital's Buddhist community and subsequently the first office of the Hanoi Buddhist Sangha, with the following leaders:

Most Venerable Thích Đức Nhuận (1897–1993), first Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, from 1958.

Most Venerable Thích Quảng Dung (of the Đa Bảo sangha), vice president of the Unified Buddhist Association, head of the administrative committee until January 1981, when he passed away.

Most Venerable Thích Nguyên Sinh, Chief Secretary of the Council of Elders, head of the administrative committee from January 1981 until October 1983, when he passed away.

Most Venerable Thích Tâm Tịch (1915–2005), second Supreme Patriarch, head of the administrative committee of the Hanoi Buddhist Sangha from 1983 to 2002.

Most Venerable Thích Thanh Chỉnh (1919–2009), deputy secretary of the Council of Elders, head of the administrative committee of the Hanoi Buddhist Sangha, abbot from 2002–2008.

Most Venerable Thích Bảo Nghiêm (born 1956), vice president of the Executive Council, head of the administrative committee from 2008 to present.