Quang Lãng Pagoda

Quang Lãng Pagoda, with the formal name Viên Minh Tự and commonly known among the people as Ráng Pagoda, is located in Phú Xuyên District, Hanoi City. It was the residence of the Third Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Thích Phổ Tuệ.

There are no historical records documenting the founding date of the pagoda, but before 1900, the pagoda was built on the alluvial ground outside the Red River. By 1900, due to the risk of erosion, the villagers of the two communes Quang Lãng and Mai Xá made donations and invited Dharma Master Thích Nguyên Uẩn to become abbot and relocate the pagoda to its current site.

Once the construction was properly established, the Dharma Master gathered monks and nuns from the Sơn Môn Pháp Phái (Pháp Phái Monastic Lineage) to form a dharma assembly named Viên Minh Dharma Assembly for the teaching and practice of Buddhist dharma. Therefore, this place is also called "Viên Minh Tự".

In the year Nhâm Dần (1902), Dharma Master Thích Nguyên Uẩn established the Viên Minh Dharma Assembly, gathering more than 100 monks and nuns for teaching and practice over 12 years (1903–1915). The assembly compiled many Buddhist scriptures, carved woodblocks for printing to propagate the dharma.

While still studying at Bồ Đề Tổ đình (Bồ Đề Patriarchal Monastery), he transcribed the Avataṃsaka Sūtra (Kinh Hoa Nghiêm) in 81 volumes, illustrated the "Seven Places, Nine Assemblies" depicting the scenes of the Dharma Assembly where Śākyamuni Buddha taught, carved woodblocks for the Lotus Sūtra (Kinh Pháp Hoa) in 2 sets of 7 volumes, the Daily Recitation (Nhật tụng) in 2 sets, the Precepts Ritual Manual (Luật Nghi phạm thụ giới) in 3 volumes, and helped Tế Xuyên Patriarchal Monastery transcribe the Quy Nguyên Trực Chỉ in 3 sets, ...

Currently, at Giáng Pagoda, there are still preserved collections of woodblock scriptures: the Forty-Two Chapters Sutra (Kinh 42 chương), the Buddha's Last Teaching (Kinh Phật Di giáo), Commentary on the Admonitions of Master Quy Sơn (Cảnh sách Quy Sơn giảng giải), the Infinite Meaning Sutra (Kinh Vô lượng nghĩa), Treatise on the Awakening of Faith (Khởi tín luận), Lục trúc song, Bodhi Vows (Điệp văn Bồ đề), .....

Viên Minh Tự has been newly restored at the front, spacious and tranquil.

In 1915, Patriarch Nguyên Uẩn passed away, and the second patriarch Thích Quảng Tốn succeeded as abbot. He strove to maintain the solemn atmosphere, repair the pagoda, repaint statues, make canopies, ceremonial gates, and splendid decorations... preserving the cultural relics and documents of the Viên Minh Dharma Assembly despite his own illness.

In 1961, Patriarch Quảng Tốn passed away, and Venerable Thích Phổ Tuệ succeeded as abbot.

On 21 October 2021, Venerable Thích Phổ Tuệ passed away, and since then there has been no successor as abbot.

Ráng Pagoda, Viên Minh Tự, together with Đa Bảo Pagoda, are the patriarchal monasteries (tổ đình) of the Đa Bảo Sơn Môn (Đa Bảo Monastic Lineage), because the first patriarch Nguyên Uẩn Dharma Master was originally a disciple of Đa Bảo Pagoda. Đa Bảo Pagoda is itself a branch of the monastic lineage of Đọi Pagoda, as in the folk saying: "First Đọi, Second Đa (Đa Bảo), Third Khê Hồi".

Zen Master Viên Văn Chuyết Công Đại Hòa Thượng, Bút Tháp Pagoda, Phật Tích.

Zen Master Minh Lương, Phù Lãng Patriarchal Monastery.

Zen Master Chân Nguyên Tuệ Đăng (1647–1726), abbot of Long Động Pagoda, Quỳnh Lâm Pagoda.

Zen Master Như Trừng Lân Giác (1690–1733), first abbot of Liên Phái Pagoda, Hàm Long.

Zen Master Bảo Sơn Tính Dược (1674–1744), second abbot of Liên Phái Pagoda.

Zen Master Hải Quýnh Từ Phong (1728–1811), third abbot of Liên Phái Pagoda.

Zen Master Tịch Chiếu, first patriarch of Hoa Lâm Khê Hồi Pagoda, Thường Tín, Hanoi.

Zen Master Chiếu Thường, first patriarch of Đa Bảo Pagoda, Phú Xuyên, Hanoi.

Zen Master Phổ Thiền, second patriarch of Đa Bảo Pagoda, Phú Xuyên, Hanoi.

Zen masters of the Thông generation (exact dharma name unknown) of the Đa Bảo monastic lineage.

Zen masters of the Tâm generation (exact dharma name unknown) of the Đa Bảo monastic lineage.

Zen Master Nguyên Uẩn, first patriarch of Viên Minh.

Zen Master Thích Quảng Tốn, second patriarch of Viên Minh.

Zen Master Thích Phổ Tuệ, third patriarch of Viên Minh.

First Patriarch: Dharma Master Thích Nguyên Uẩn (1864–1915), founder of the patriarchal monastery in 1902 and abbot from then until his passing in 1915.

Second Patriarch: Venerable Thích Quảng Tốn (1883–1961), abbot from 1915 to 1961.

Third Patriarch: Supreme Patriarch, Elder Venerable Thích Phổ Tuệ (1917–2021), abbot from 1961 to 2021.