Ta Dung - Đak Nong

 Each of us certainly will come to a stage where we have to stop experiencing life, reflect on the truth that there is suffering and the origin of suffering (The Four Noble Truths. If impermanence comes, it will give us the opportunity to learn about impermanence:

 

 Don't wait until you are old to learn the Dharma

Practice to attain peace and enlightenment right now

 (Collected)

 

Those who live to be 60 (sixty) years old or more are said to be blessed and enjoy longevity. In fact, the road of life is like a race. The first half is a race to degrees, power, position, achievements, and salary. The second half is a race to blood pressure, blood fat, blood sugar, liver enzymes, cancer, etc. The first half is listening to superiors and following orders. The second half is all about fate.

On the path of religion, the pace of life is somewhat lighter and more pleasant, but there are also many fatigue, hardships, and challenges on the journey of propagating the Dharma to continue the Buddha's lamp of wisdom, helping all beings to be peaceful and happy.

  

We would like to ask for permission from the Master (Most Venerable Chan Tinh - Head of the Hoang Phap Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City) to express our feelings and sincerely express our deep gratitude to him for his past merits and spiritual love when we had the opportunity to meet him.

 

We know that he practices meditation and retreats in Ta Dung, Dak Nong, a remote and isolated area of Vietnam. Everyone respects the Master and wishes to visit him.

 

On September 25th, 2022, we, the Buddhists of Hoang Phap Pagoda, were guided by Master Thich Tam Do and did not mind the long and dangerous road, so our car traveled 250 km, passing through beautiful and peaceful roads with two rows of green trees, cool and endless. The wild nature "grass and trees intermingled with rocks, leaves intermingled with flowers", with clouds tilting the mountain tops in the evening, the land and sky were in harmony, extremely beautiful, truly proud and loving of our homeland Vietnam.

 

Coming to the steep, winding, twisting, and tortuous-like roads, we found it interesting and attractive. We felt like we were going to Da Lat, as a result, our hearts were less nervous and fearful because there was less danger. 

 

I was really impressed with the majestic beauty of the overlapping mountain slopes covered in green layers of forest, by the clear, babbling streams, we heard the streams flowing like a harp, and were stunned by the gentle, poetic and picturesque Ta Dung Lake. Perhaps those towering, majestic cliffs symbolize strength, challenging people to conquer and master nature, master their own destiny.

 

This is a red basalt land, so the life of the people who work in the fields, grow coffee, pepper, rubber, fruit trees... is very suitable but quite hard. They believe that the land they live on is a sacred, mysterious land. Dak Nong is located in the Central Highlands, known as "sacred forest, poisonous water" (the poisonous water here comes from streams that are contaminated with toxins from leaves, insects, bacteria... so if you drink it, you have to boil it to avoid getting sick).

 

After 6 hours, we arrived at Master's stilt house - where he stayed to meditate and practice. The spiritual house - the happy house was simple and plain like his own style of continuing to nurture the Bodhi mind, bringing happiness to himself and others. A great and noble love.

He became a monk at the age of 15 (1973) until now (2022) with a life age of 65 years, a religious age of 49 years. His heart is in harmony with the joys and sorrows of everyone. His wish is to reduce human suffering by using his body as an example of sacrifice for love to fill the world. He hopes to repay the gratitude of enlightenment to anyone, to devote all his heart to life, to devote his whole life to religion and the nation.

 

Life is so short, it seems like yesterday that he was once glorious and dedicated to spreading the Dharma, sacrificing for the ideal career of "Above to become Buddha, below to save sentient beings". Now he is old and only stays in his stilt house, enjoying the natural scenery, the scent of the fields and the wind, going through a long journey of "the bamboo withers and the young shoots grow" according to the natural law of life. A challenge of human life is like a gem in a stone, if it is not polished, how can it be called a diamond? Likewise, if a person is not challenged, does not train, does not improve his body and mind, does not have will, does not have courage, how can he mature, how can he achieve his ideal ambitions.

  

Thank you Master for letting us calm down and think about “gems in rocks”, “finding gold in the sand”… a process of selection, separating the turbid from the pure to find a true practitioner who can shine the two words Hoang Phap and at the same time make Buddhism last forever in the hearts of all people through all ages:

 

 Traveling to light the lamp of truth

 Transforming human life with the will to transcend the mundane world

(Venerable Thich Chan Tinh)

 

The afternoon gradually fell, the sky entered autumn, the yellow leaves flew all over the path, mixed with the remaining summer rains. The simple wildflowers covered the wide red dirt roads. We said goodbye to the Master and returned to the house of Dharma propagation with our hearts filled with feelings of respect and appreciation, mixed with worries about human fate. The trip gave us moments of peace and awareness, the noble taste of the Dharma treasure.

 

We kneel at his feet and respectfully pray for the grace of the Three Jewels to bless him with good health, peace of mind, and to be a source of strength and abundant spiritual energy that spreads to the children who are always looking forward to him, waiting for him to return so that we can be close to him like in our childhood days, so warm in our hearts.

 The fragrance of flowers does not travel against the wind

 The fragrance of virtuous people spreads everywhere

(Venerable Thich Chan Tinh)

  Hoang Phap, September 26th, 2022

 

Nguyễn Thanh Thảo

Translated into English by Huynh Thi Khanh Phung