Zen Master Thích Thiện Minh - An Eternal Guiding-Light
In the memorial of the 35th passing of the late Most Venerable Thich Thien Minh.

The late most venerable was one of the Zen pillars
of Vietnamese Buddhism;
His vows were to liberate suffering of all beings
with his wisdom, courage and compassion.
He was a symbol of the national heroism
with extraordinary leadership talents.
He was from the village
of Bich Khe, Trieu Phong, Quang Tri.
In 1933, he became a novice monk at the age of 12;
And after many hard years of studying and practicing
the teachings of Buddha,
he became the president of Da Lat Buddhist Association and a Dharma teacher at the age of 27,
He was an exceptional monk, and had high-regards with senior leadership ranking within the Buddhist Revival movement.
He helped build and strengthen the infrastructure
of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam from Southern providences to the Highlands.
He then established many Buddhist schools, including Buddhist Bodhi Academy of Nha Trang, as well as founded many Vietnamese Buddhist Associations (GDPT).
His teachings have transformed many generations
of Vietnamese youth to dedicate their lifetime
to the greater good.
The venerable fought for religious equality and social justice by non-violent means.
He was the symbol of wisdom, consciousness,
courage, sacrifice, and peace.
He was a resilient leader, indomitable and intelligent.

He held many positions from Director General for Youth
to the Acting President of the UBCV’s Institute
for the Dissemination of the Dharma.
He traveled and shared Dharma from East to West.

His endless works and efforts were for the welfare of all Vietnamese people, Dharma, and for the country
of Vietnam... ...
In the state of shocking, touching, loving and respecting

of a great honorable Master,
He was the symbol of Bodhisattvas in the modern Vietnam Buddhist era,
A great frontier, a compassionated Buddhist teacher.
He was a “white cloud floating in the vast sky...”
“Like the moon shining upon Mount Lanka,
Like the perfume rising from the Prajna lotus.”

Remembering Zen Master Tuệ Sỹ in Springtime

A religious man, a highly moral and dignified person.
You have made extensive contributions to Buddhism
and Literature both in Vietnam and the world
through your research, writing, poetry and translations,
your teachings of Buddha Dharma, Buddhist Laws and principles, and Eastern and Western philosophies.
You are the pillar of Buddhism of Vietnam.

But to you, Being or not Being
is “as impermanent as comes and goes a horse galloping by, as the green moss imprint still lingering in the corner of the eyes;”
or as “the fragrance dispersing upon silence,
perfect harmony of transient existence.”
Forever, you are
“The snowy crane soundlessly flapping its wings
Across rivers uncontaminated by either human nobility or dregs of humanity.”

Spiritual Eyes

Those glittering eyes
emulate dark night stars;
Those taciturn lips
betray an everlastingly gentle smile.

In this ephemeral world He arrives.
In the Void He exists,
Beloved by millions
in unanimity without fail.

Always thunderously silent,
Always magnificently ethereal,
and yet distinctly compassionate,
He incarnates Bodhisattva.

Those glittering eyes
bring joy and hope:
A frail dew perches
upon the sweetness of love.

Without Title

A golden sunny ray,
a fresh white cloud
freely sauntered.
The leaves of bamboo

dancing with the gentle wind,
Their shadows reflect on the ground—
No beginning and no ending.

An Ordinary Teacher

A Zen master with the deep-set eyes,
His whole life is a living example,
His body and mind are awakening,
Engaging the world without leaving his true home!

Leisurely Stroll across This Transient World

Your steps send surges of fog through the air.
Where to, in this earthly world,
will this leisurely crane fly?
Thoughts as resolute as iron, will as beautiful
as diamond sūtra;
You enter and exit the void of Nirvana at will,
Your compassionate heart embraces humanity,
Your great love nurtures the homeland;
You saunter down all paths of life—
Wealth and fame, nothing but a span of sun rays
or dew on a tree branch.
You stroll leisurely across this transient world
into the Universal Truth inside your Heart of emptiness.

Thanksgiving Day, 2011, Sacramento, CA.

Holy Eyes
Dedicated to Zen Master Tuệ Sỹ

Your profoundly deep eyes
of a faraway and peaceful
illuminated avatar
imbibe myriad secrets
along with invaluable quintessential truths
from an infinitude of sahalokadhātu.
Oh! Those equanimous eyes
That incarnate immeasurable brahmaviharas.
You are a person of magnanimity:
In you I found faith, love and hope.
What a leisurely gait You have:
Quiet, yet majestic.
You embody brilliance;
Your mien, the vicissitudes of the Nation;
fragile, yet indestructible,
stoic, yet sapient.
Vietnam will resurrect,
owing to the country’s talents;
whose morality and compassion are incommensurable,
whose tolerance and forgiveness
are likened to those of Yours.
You are the embodiment of Bodhisattva:
As long as You are alive, life is singing
a song that is brimmed with hope.
With your profoundly deep eyes You reveal
“Above all summits
sits but silence.”

Walking in the Emptiness of This Cosmic
To Abbess Thuan Tue and Thuan Chanh

Just like that, it has been nearly two years,
We are half a world apart—
you, sister Thuan Chanh,
are in a cold yet beautiful England,
We are in the U.S., still remembering you;
still remembering that lovely voice—
sweet, deep and eloquent,
still that lovely smile—
indestructible, absolutely fresh and inspiring.
The dharma talk you gave today,
reminded us to look deeply at ourselves,
the sparkling stars—
Dieu Nhan’s sky is vast.
Remember to be aware of your own mistakes
as well as the mistakes of others,
Understand your opponents and understand yourself—
You might win all of the matches…
Which match?
Yet another lesson from Sister Thuan Tue:
The lesson of the trap,
the shallow pain of the trap.
Which trap is for you and which trap is for me?
The eagle catches his over-sized prey
or the mouse chewed her prized cheese,
Don’t be a fool and die helplessly
in the trap of talent, beauty, fame, food and sleep.
Be proactive
and find ways to ease your desires.
What road are you going to take?
What are your strategies?
In life, as a Buddhist practitioner,
we should keep the mind clear and positive,
and aspire to become Bodhisattvas.
Balance your life and keep it harmonious
or practice the middle path,
Be permanent in the realm of impermanence.
In our Buddhist way,
we must lay the foundation of compassion and wisdom.
The primary pillars are the Eight-fold path
from the Right View to Right Concentration.
Going back to the shallow trap,
find the way to ease your attachments—
any method you choose.
The main solution
is still the PRACTICE.
Even if it takes only five or ten minutes each day,
Whether you recite the Buddha’s mantras or chant
or meditate diligently,
or just simply breathe,
or practice mindfulness—
You must find the subconscious answers.
It is a chilly and tranquil night,
The sky is sparked with countless stars.
Which flower in you is fragrant
diffusing in all directions for mankind?
We are walking in this empty realm.
Your passionate dreams and desires are just illusions.

Rescue, CA.
February, 2012.

Speechless
For Thay Thich Minh Dat

In the Buddha hall, the fragrance of frankincense effuses
The late night moon illuminates his thin body,
Master sits in his full lotus position in the immovable meditative state,
What a beautiful and speechless scene.

A Lotus Realm

Yellow leaves are displaced above a calm river,
Autumn forest is so quiet with a colorful cloud.
Why worry about the Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter?
A cloud is leisurely floating as freely as steps walking home.

Not Coming, Not Going
For Thay Thich Dao Quang

The rays of sparkling sunshine, a calm dawn.
Raindrops are shimmering, a melancholy heart.
The rays of sparkling sunshine, a peaceful stone statue.
The Master is neither coming nor going—
Still the sparkling raindrops.

Spring Perspective
Translated from a famous poem, Xuân Vãn, of the late famous Vietnamese King and Zen Master Trần Nhân Tông (1258 – 1308)

The young don’t understand existence or emptiness,
Their inner spring arrives and hundreds of flowers
start to bloom.
A clear understanding and realization
of the true path arises.
Sitting and reflecting on the falling of the rose petals.

Or:

The Inner Spring

When I was young, I didn’t quite understand
existence or emptiness.
The spring comes and I am still excited
as hundreds of flowers start blooming.
Now, I realize the inner spring is always here;
It is the true path.
Sitting on the Zen mat, I acknowledge
the falling of the rose petals.

(Phe Bach translated)

Indestructible Bond
To Thay Dao Chi

The long-distance traveler comes back,
He stands by the Buddha, chanting
to cultivate ultimate compassion and wisdom.
How immense and beautiful the monkhood bond (revival),
A compassionate boat, a temporary dock—
the impermanence of a lifetime.