Gratitude

When I read the book "Gratitude" written by Master Nhat Hanh about his Master, I had deep emotion. He talked about happy and sad memories with his Master, "How beautiful it was!" And now I have to write down my feelings about Him, that's what I feel with all my heart through what I've seen and heard from Master.

Please allow me to call him with the loving words "Master", because he never forces anyone to accept him as Master, but everyone can feel his virtue and ask for refuge. I am a female Buddhist, women at the pagoda are not allowed to interact with or be close to Master much, but it does not mean that his love for us is limited. He always cares about Buddhists, especially "women doing merit" through all activities in the pagoda related to studying, merit, illness, etc. Master said that women were not like men, so they had many difficulties from psychological to physiological issues. Hearing this, I admire him very much. What a psychological person! He always instructs the women to be careful, not letting their minds wander, so they do not have a tendency to become Matanga. Here, he truly loves us, and he doesn’t blame us. He said that women had to bear a heavy burden in giving birth, which was very difficult, but they still had to take care of everything in the house, making them suffer more. If they are unlucky enough to meet husbands who are abusive or beat them, their whole life will be ruined. He always guides the girls, women and grannies to cultivate and practice the Dharma to be liberated and not create conditions for suffering.

It doesn't stop there, when Buddhist families have problems such as funerals or illness, Master always sends monks to the house to help thoughtfully. I remembered one time a staff member in the film room was sick and had to stay in the hospital. Master was very concerned and even asked the manager of the monks if he had visited yet. When he knew that the manager of monks had not yet visited, the Master taught that he left his family to go to the pagoda doing merits, so he was like our own family member. If we didn’t worry and care about illness, who would take care of him? After hearing that, my heart was deeply moved. How kind the Master was!  Then, when there were monks or Buddhists who were seriously ill and needed a large amount of money for treatment, the Master instructed the monks in the medical department to provide support. Also, he himself contributed more and encouraged the public to support. I feel Master is like my father and the pagoda is like my family! I think so, and I am sure everyone else thinks the same as me. It is because the Master's love for the masses is very deep.

Even the practice of the Dharma, Master is well taken care of. He often says, "Cultivators must use wisdom as their career," so the public's study sessions are given high priority. Every morning, Master gave the crowd a "dharma food" in addition to a "food" so that everyone could be imbued with the Buddha Dharma. I remembered many times Master talked about people who would like to share the Buddha Dharma by asking for tapes, discs, books... from the pagoda and bringing them to the countryside to let people know about Buddhist teachings. Not only did he compose books, stories, etc. that were easy to understand, but he was also willing to let people come and request a few or a lot depending on their circumstances. Thanks to that great compassion, I had the opportunity to ask for many tapes, discs, and books to give to people in the countryside. Master is also very observant! Every time Master releases a book, he calls me up to take it. This situation usually happens. Master taught that as long as people needed and were eager to learn, we could create conditions for them. Thanks to reading the book "Short Story of Shakyamuni Buddha" in the past, Master became a monk and brought great benefit, so now he wants to bring that happiness to everyone. I once heard the manager of the book room say that sometimes the pagoda lacked a lot of money for printing. I felt so sorry to hear that! The more I feel pity, the more I love Master.

I really love why he always thinks about sentient beings without any consideration for himself. The clothes the Master wore were all worn out, but he still refused to throw them away. Even traveling to serve Master's Buddhist work is economical. Even though he is old and has many illnesses, the Master still keeps his habit. One day when I went with monks to give books to schools, I was in the car which often takes the Master to preach Dharma. Oh my god! I'm thirty years old and I'm in pain and car sick, even though I'm someone who never gets car sick. Buddha! What kind of car is like an iron horse running on the mountain? Young people like me want to die, but Master still uses it to do Buddhist activities regularly. What a frugal Master!  Then, in the recent time when the group went to a retreat in Da Lat to visit Master, on the day of their return, Master came home together. I thought the Master would take a separate car. But no, he went with the crowd and when I mention this, I remember the iron horses of our pagoda, every vehicle is almost expired. I can't stand sitting in the car, but Master doesn't mind at all. How simple he is!

In this life, I can practice and study under his guidance. I think it is a worthwhile lifetime! Although having a human body is difficult, I have now obtained it. Also, Buddha Dharma, which was difficult to find, has now been found.  It is worth my life because I can approach  the Dharma and Master, which are very difficult to have. "Intelligent" Master is truly worthy. He teaches clear and specific methods of practice, with practice and attainment such as Three Refuges, Five Precepts, Ten Virtues, preserving body - speech - mind... as well as for human morality, he also teaches clearly, specifically through the image of the Night of Gratitude. Being grateful is a mindset that the Master always upholds. He did something that no one had ever done, which expressed gratitude to both monastic and lay disciples. Master has ignited faith in many hearts that lost and confused about Buddhism and practitioners. Many people who are in high positions and have power, fame and money, treat Buddhists and everyone like servants, only knowing how to order and take advantage. Master has sounded the moral alarm bell for both practitioners and monks. Be grateful to him! Venerable Thuong Chan Ha Tinh - a noble teacher who gives me so much love. His kindness was, is and will grow many "seeds of Bodhi" so that they will bear fruit for a life like him - a true practitioner of Precepts and Virtues.

The key person of raising me in the Dharma circuit is Master - Venerable Thich Chan Tinh

Best regards

Phước Huệ

Translated into English by Huynh Thi Khanh Phung