In terms of religious history, Zen master Tu Dao Hanh belongs to the lineage of the 12 Vinitaruci Zen sects, a Zen sect with strong Tantric elements.
The most ancient temple in the Tich River region
Dong But village, under the Le dynasty, in the 15th - 16th century, was called Dong But Trang, belonging to Liep Ha Trai, Ninh Son district, Quoc Oai prefecture, Son Tay town, now Ngoc Liep commune, Quoc Oai district, Hanoi city. Under the Nguyen dynasty, Dong But pagoda belonged to Phuc Liep commune, Liep Mai canton (Sep canton), An Son district, Quoc Oai prefecture, Son Tay province. Dong But pagoda, whose Chinese name is Thien Su Tu, was built on a high ground in the middle of the village (belonging to Trong hamlet, because the village also has Ngoai hamlet), facing the West - South, looking straight out to Vuon No area, where it is said that Saint Tu Dao Hanh was born. In the past, in Vuon No there was a small temple worshiping Tu Dao Hanh. In 2005, the villagers restored the temple.
According to legend, the pagoda dates back to the Tran Dynasty. The pagoda still preserves a bronze bell cast in the year “Gia Long Thap Bat Nien”, the 18th year of King Gia Long (1819). On the bell body is also inscribed the previous bell cast in the year “Dai Tri Thap Nien”, the 10th year of King Tran Du Tong (1369). Due to the war, the bell was hidden in a pond. After the bell was pulled up, it did not ring, so the villagers recast this bell.
After many restorations, Dong But Pagoda still retains the architecture of the Le Trung Hung and Nguyen dynasties. The overall layout of the pagoda is shaped like the letter Cong, with the front hall, the middle hall, and finally the upper hall. The pagoda was built of laterite, a typical construction material of the Doai region. Laterite is a material with very special properties. When soaked in water, this material is very soft and absorbent because laterite has many honeycomb-like holes; but when laterite is dug up from the ground and taken out of water, it is very hard and solid. Laterite, when used as a building material, also has the property of regulating the temperature of the architecture, being cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
The temple is decorated in the style of "Buddha in front, Saint in back", in the front part of the temple worships Buddha according to the Mahayana sect like many other temples in Northern Vietnam. In the upper hall (rear palace), the statue of Saint Tu Dao Hanh is placed in the shrine on the left side of the rear palace, it is a small statue, sitting cross-legged, hands on knees. Some say that because Dong But is the birthplace, the statue is a statue of a young man, compared to Sai Son, where the Saint practiced and achieved enlightenment, therefore the statue has the appearance of a mature person. In the area of the localities along the Tich River in Quoc Oai district (Hanoi), Dong But pagoda is considered a large-scale and long-standing pagoda in this area.
Through many documents at the pagoda and local folk legends, Dong But Pagoda has a close relationship with many large pagodas in Hanoi because they worship Tu Dao Hanh together such as Lang Pagoda (Chieu Thien Tu), Thay Pagoda (Thien Phuc Tu)... Not only pagodas but also many communal houses, temples, and shrines also worship Tu Dao Hanh or are related to him such as: Quan Thanh Temple, Thuong Dinh Temple, Kim Giang Temple (worshiping Mr. Tu Vinh - father of Zen master Tu Dao Hanh).
Hundred years old relic
Dong But Pagoda currently preserves many precious relics of our ancestors. From the entrance of the pagoda, on the left of the pagoda is the stele house, where 3 precious stone steles containing important information are preserved. Among them, the stone stele named "Ho Phap Tu Bi" (Stele inscription about the Dharma Protector of the pagoda), erected on November 9, the first year of Minh Mang (1820), mentions that this place is associated with the career of Duc Thanh Tu Dao Hanh. In the stele, there is a passage that reads: The relics of the holy Tang quan Do sat Tu tinh Dai Thien su, abbot Thuong phuong, meaning: The vestiges of the holy Tang quan Do sat Dai Thien su Tu who presided over this pagoda are still worshiped above.
Dong But Pagoda still preserves 10 royal decrees from many different dynasties. Under the Le Trung Hung Dynasty, the pagoda still retains 2 royal decrees, the earliest of which were in the 44th year of Canh Hung (1783) and the 1st year of Chieu Thong (1787). Under the Tay Son Dynasty, the pagoda was granted 2 royal decrees, in the 1st year of Canh Thinh (1788) and the 5th year of Quang Trung (1792). Under the Nguyen Dynasty, the pagoda was granted 6 royal decrees, granted in the following years: the 2nd year of Minh Mang (1821), the 4th year of Thieu Tri (1844), the 3rd year of Tu Duc (1850), the 2nd year of Dong Khanh (1887), the 3rd year of Duy Tan (1909) and the 9th year of Khai Dinh (1925). The content of the royal decrees all aimed to honor the Zen master - Saint Tu Dao Hanh. Currently, Dong But Pagoda still preserves many small wooden Buddha statues, dating back to the 19th century. Among them are a system of three statues of the Three Worlds Buddha, a statue of the birth of Sakyamuni... However, the wooden statues are all in a state of termites. In addition, the pagoda also has three gilded terracotta statues dating back to the 18th century. The pagoda's relic system also includes ancient books, ancient incense bowls, ancient architectural materials and a bronze bell dating back to the 18th year of Gia Long (1819).
Every year on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month, the villagers of Dong But village and the monks and nuns of Dong But pagoda organize a village festival. According to custom and tradition, the people here have a folk song: "On the 7th day of the Thay festival, on the 10th day of the Sep festival, remember the day to go" (the Sep festival is the Dong But pagoda festival). Here, the festival is organized in two parts, the first is the ceremony, the second is the festival. The elders in Dong But village shared that: According to the village custom from ancient times, only on the day of the village festival is the gate opened (the back palace) to welcome the statue of the Zen master - Saint Tu Dao Hanh to Quan Thanh (this is a temple located in the middle of the field on the way to Thay pagoda). With the special values of Dong But pagoda, the pagoda has been ranked as an architectural and artistic relic by the Ministry of Culture - Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) according to Decision No. 1460/QD-VH dated June 28, 1996.
