Khosa Rangsay Pagoda is located in the center of Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City. Currently, Venerable Ly Hung is the abbot and also the person who has the merit of preserving the ancient bookcase at the pagoda.
To date, the Venerable has collected over 4,000 books, including 30 books written in Pali, ancient Khmer on palm leaves and palm leaf books hundreds of years old.
Venerable Ly Hung said that these are books that record customs, rituals, and education for children and grandchildren. The books written on leaves are divided into many parts, with content written about the meaning of each ritual and ceremony.
Khosa Rangsay Pagoda still preserves many sets of Tripitaka, sutras, vinaya, and treatises, including 110 volumes and many sets. Each volume is composed of 3 sets, of which sutras have 24,000 statements, vinaya has 24,000 statements, treatises have 44,000 statements... These books help monks study the Buddha's teachings.
Venerable Ly Hung added that the ancient books written on leaves were in ancient Pali and ancient Khmer. Later monks could not access this ancient language. Most of the books were kept by the Board of Directors and Buddhists for many generations, then donated to the pagoda for preservation.
“Leaf books are different from palm-leaf books. This type of ancient book is made from straw, pressed into a volume 15-20 cm wide and 60 cm long. The books are arranged in Pali on one side and Khmer on the other, written with a steel pen, very beautiful. The oldest book in the pagoda is over 100 years old,” Venerable Ly Hung shared.
Not only does the temple preserve ancient books, it is also a place that shelters and nurtures many poor students to become successful.
Venerable Ly Hung said that at first, due to difficult conditions, the pagoda only supported a few Khmer ethnic students when they went to Can Tho City to study at universities and colleges. Later, after mobilizing funds, the pagoda was able to help more students.
“The children live in the temple completely free of electricity, water, food, and living expenses... For those in difficulty, the temple will give them scholarships during festivals; for those who don’t have a vehicle, they will give them bicycles to go to school. The children live like members of the temple,” Venerable Ly Hung shared.
When living at the temple, children are also taught about rituals, customs, lifestyle and culture of the nation.
From 1996 to now, with the guidance and support of Venerable Ly Hung, more than 1,000 students have graduated and become famous and established their careers, many of them have studied for master's and doctoral degrees or studied abroad...
