Prayers for the Fallen Heroes: The Message Left by President Ho Chi Minh Sixty-Four Years Ago

Have you ever wondered if fallen soldiers truly receive anything when we place a bouquet of flowers on their graves? During a prayer ceremony in Vinh Long, Venerable Thich Chan Quang awakened the entire assembly with a story about President Ho Chi Minh and a message that has been waiting to be understood for sixty-four years.

### The Mysterious Message in Thai Nguyen

The Venerable shared that upon visiting Thai Nguyen, he was invited to see the temple dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh at the very site where the President chose to hold the National Day of War Invalids and Martyrs on July twenty-seventh, nineteen forty-seven. Beside this temple stands an ancient pagoda. When asked, local people confirmed that the pagoda had existed for hundreds of years, long before the President selected this location.

"This is clearly a message President Ho Chi Minh entrusted to future generations, though he did not speak it aloud at the time," the Venerable said. "Why did he not choose another place, but one rooted in Buddhism? He intended to convey that in the future, the spirits of our martyrs must find refuge in the spirituality of the Buddha's teachings."

"If anyone can argue against this, I concede defeat. President Ho Chi Minh left us with the instruction that we must guide our fallen heroes to take refuge in the spiritual path of Buddhism."

### Buddhism Walking Alongside the Nation

Therefore, the first reason for praying for our heroic martyrs is that Buddhism walks alongside the nation. "Buddhism came to this land to beautify it," the Venerable emphasized. It did not come to take away, but to become a precious asset of the country. Through many ups and downs, Buddhist disciples, both monastic and laypeople, have shed blood and poured effort into building the nation. When peace returned, they continued to contribute. This is why, on July twenty-seventh, monks from all over visit cemeteries to chant sutras and offer prayers, a practice widely supported by society.

### Gratitude

The second reason stems from gratitude. "To have a peaceful and unified country, we passed through bloody wars. Many people fell. Some of their remains were found; others were not. Their merit is immense, yet their reward is minimal, often non-existent." The Venerable reflected that while we can repay the living through policies and care, we can only express gratitude to those who sacrificed their lives through prayer ceremonies.

"Besides occasionally visiting the cemetery and placing flowers—which our brothers cannot eat—prayer is the most worthy gift we can offer."

"Their merit is great, but their recompense is almost nothing. To show our gratitude, the ritual of prayer is the most appropriate response."

### Death Is Not the End

The third reason lies in the truth that death is not the end. The departed still exist, merely in realms invisible to the naked eye. The living can influence the dead through chanting sutras and making offerings, and conversely, the dead can bless the living. The Venerable told the story of a woman whose husband died in a traffic accident. Later, he appeared in her dream saying he was hungry. Upon investigation, she realized the family had stopped offering food after the forty-ninth day.

"Sometimes, souls do not reincarnate for thirty years and require daily offerings. The living assist the dead in ways the dead cannot do themselves."

"Death is not the end. When we pray with sincere hearts, the divine power of the Buddhas strongly impacts the spiritual life of our heroic martyrs, uplifting them."

### Merit Does Not Erase All Faults

The fourth reason is profound: having merit does not mean one is free from faults. The Venerable gave an example: a devotee who donated ten taels of gold to build a temple gained great merit, but this did not necessarily eliminate greed, hatred, and delusion. Our martyrs fought with intense patriotism, yet they were also young humans, full of afflictions (kleshas). They need prayer sessions to hear the Dharma, open their minds, and clear their errors.

"People in the realm of the dead understand spirituality better than we do. They comprehend sutras three or four times more easily, so they can practice more readily. But they can only listen if we chant for them."

### Practice Together and Create Blessings in the Invisible Realm

Finally, the fifth reason: having merit does not mean one has sufficient blessings. Many martyrs died young, unable to repay their parents' kindness or accumulate merit. They may still suffer in the invisible realm and need support. Through prayer ceremonies, we invite their spirits to listen to the sutras and make offerings, helping them gain blessings. Moreover, we invite them to continue creating merit in the invisible realm by protecting good people and stopping evil ones. The Venerable recounted how a security officer admitted that in difficult cases, suspects would sometimes be compelled to reveal weapons, concluding only that ancestors and deities must be protecting them.

"In the prayer ceremony, we ask our brothers to help the good and stop the bad. This reminds them of their duty to continue accumulating merit to protect the country."

Today, as we sit here, our fallen heroes are surely listening and watching. "The living do much but know little; the dead know much but can do little." Therefore, let the prayer ceremony be a moment where both realms practice together, harmonizing heaven and earth. Show reverence to our heroes and to the Three Jewels, and in every line of the sutra, send your deepest love and gratitude.