[vn-families] (no subject)

[Brian Lee]

For the Past, I want to say goodbye
For the Present, I enjoy every second of its
For the Future, here I come for the challenge.
Brian Buu Lee
Tru+o+'c Di~ Va~ng, ta ha~y nga~ mu~ cha`o
Tru+o+'c Tu+o+ng Lai, ta ne^n xa(n tay a'o tie^'n.
Ly' Quo^'c Bu+?u 



www.english. vietnamnet. vn/lifestyle/ 2007/03/673546/

Expatriate French-Vietnamese monk: Vietnamese culture is spreading  

16:54' 15/03/2007 (GMT+7)  

VietNamNet Bridge – “Is it right for Vietnamese people to
abandon their own culture to run after strange things? Has a
market economy brought social ills rarely seen before?” asked
monk Thich Nhat Hanh

On the occasion of his second trip to Vietnam, which
started on February 20 and will end on May 9, 2007, renowned
French-Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh talked with
VietNamNet about conciliation, Buddhism and Vietnamese culture.

What do you think about the Vietnamese government’s policy
to “Close up the past and look forward the future?” And what
should each individual do?

This is an excellent policy. Whether the past can be truly
closed depends on whether each individual really wants to heal
and change. Our meditation sessions and sermons all have one
common theme: conciliating parents and children, husbands and
wives, Catholics and Buddhists, etc. Praying isn’t enough. One
needs practice too.

You emphasize living in the present. Will living in the present
make it easier to close up the past and head toward conciliation?

Yes. Many people are obsessed by the past. Others are trapped
within the future. For instance, businesspeople only see future
profits and thus don’t live in the present. Buddhism loosens
such trappings so that people can freely live and enjoy the
magic of the present moments. Such a way of living is very
attractive to Westerners. We don’t promise them a paradise in the
future. We say happiness and relaxation have to be right here
right now. You have to be thankful for your living relatives,
for the blue sky and white clouds over your head, and for the
birds and flowers all around you without thinking about the
money you will make in the future to buy you happiness.

Do you think that you have contributed to introduce Vietnamese
culture to the world?

In the delegation visiting Vietnam this time, there are hundreds
of Zen Buddhist monks from more than 30 countries in the
world. They feel that they are returning to their dear homeland
and are moved by the sight of temples in the Northern, Central
and Southern regions. All of them are imbued with the teachings
of Vietnamese Buddhism. Is it right for Vietnamese people to
abandon their own culture to run after strange things? Has
a market economy brought social ills rarely seen before? The
foundation of the family is now shaky. Young people feel unhappy
because their parents impose their wills on them. So they lose
their sense of purpose in life and seek relief in heroine, sex,
prostitution and robbery. You have to use the Oriental culture
and philosophy as weapons against such assaults on the family.

How can we find relaxation in the present while there are many
things waiting for us to do at every moment of our life?

It won’t do if you try to “catch fish with both hands.” One
shouldn’t take too many things upon one’s shoulders or one won’t
go far. Do one thing at a time. When you focus on doing one
thing, you will find happiness in doing it. For instance, when
you are driving, if you think about your destination, you will
feel tired. Yet, if you concentrate on the process of driving,
you will find happiness in the presence of friends or relatives
nearby, or beautiful sceneries or the vibrant life around you.

You have returned to Vietnam twice. What are your plans for
your future trips?

I live in the present, trying my best to do what I’m doing and
not being distracted by the future.

Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the best known Buddhist teachers in
the West. His teachings and practices appeal to people from
various backgrounds. He offers a practice of mindfulness that
is often adapted to Western sensibilities. His home is Plum
Village Monastery in the Dordogne region in southern France. He
travels extensively to give retreats and talks. Exiled from
Vietnam for many years, he was allowed to return for a trip in
2005 and again in 2007. He has published more than 100 books,
including more than 40 in English.


On Wed Mar 14 22:22 , sent:


Trong ba`i ghi la.i mo^.t cuo^.c pho?ng va^'n Thie^`n su+ Nha^'t Ha.nh,
nhu+~ng ca^u ho?i du+o+'i dda^y dda~ ddu+o+.c ne^u ra:

---
* Ne^'u ngu+o+`i Vie^.t mi`nh kho^ng tra^n quy' va(n ho'a tinh
tha^`n Vie^.t Nam ma` la.i cha.y ti`m nhu+~ng chu? nghi~a
xa la. thi` co' ddu'ng kho^ng\? Hay mi`nh la.i ddau
kho^? ho+n\? Ne^`n kinh te^' tie^u thu. cu~ng dda~ ddem theo
nhie^`u te^. na.n ma` tru+o+'c dda^y ta i't co'\. - Thie^`n su+
Thi'ch Nha^'t Ha.nh\.

* Co' ngu+o+`i cho ra(`ng thie^`n ho.c cu~ng co' su+' ma.ng ho`a
ho+.p da^n to^.c, go'p pha^`n ga('n ke^'t ngu+o+`i Vie^.t Nam
trong va` ngoa`i nu+o+'c tha`nh mo^.t the^? tho^'ng nha^'t\. Theo
thie^`n su+, hie^.n co`n kho' kha(n gi` khie^'n cho su+. ho`a
ho+.p dda'ng mong muo^'n a^'y chu+a ddu+o+.c nhu+ y'\? Pha?i
la`m sao dde^? su+. ho`a ho+.p na`y die^~n ra nhanh ho+n\?

* Thie^`n su+ nghi~ gi` ve^` chu? tru+o+ng khe'p la.i qua' khu+',
hu+o+'ng to+'i tu+o+ng lai cu?a Nha` nu+o+'c Vie^.t Nam\? Va`
mo^~i ca' nha^n ca^`n pha?i la`m gi` \?

* Phu+o+ng pha'p thie^`n cu?a thie^`n su+ chu' tro.ng ra^'t nhie^`u
dde^'n vie^.c so^'ng trong hie^.n ta.i\. Va^.y ne^'u mo^~i ca'
nha^n tha^.t su+. so^'ng trong hie^.n ta.i thi` su+. ho`a gia?i
va` khe'p la.i qua' khu+' kia co' de^~ ho+n kho^ng\?

* Thie^`n su+ co' nghi~ mi`nh ddang go'p pha^`n truye^`n ba'
ddu+o+.c va(n ho'a Vie^.t Nam, hi`nh a?nh dda^'t nu+o+'c Vie^.t
Nam ra the^' gio+'i\?

* Thie^`n su+ luo^n nha^'n ma.nh dde^'n su+. an tru' trong
hie^.n ta.i€, ra(`ng pha?i theo do~i ho+i tho+? dde^? ca?m
nha^.n va` na^ng niu hie^.n ta.i trong mo.i hoa.t ddo^.ng\. Co'
the^? thu+.c ta^p nhu+~ng ddie^`u na`y khi dde^'n vo+'i nhu+~ng
buo^?i thie^`n, nhu+~ng kho'a tu\. Nhu+ng trong cuo^.c so^'ng
vo+'i vo^ so^' vie^.c pha?i la`m trong cu`ng mo^.t tho+`i
ddie^?m\. Va^.y thi` pha?i thu+.c ta^.p €œan tru' trong hie^.n
ta.i†nhu+ the^' na`o, trong nhu+~ng hoa`n ca?nh nhu+ va^.y\?

* Thie^`n su+ dda~ 2 la^`n ve^` Vie^.t Nam, va` nhu+ thie^`n su+
no'i ddo' tha^.t su+. la` nhu+~ng chuye^'n tro+? ve^` co^.i
nguo^`n\. Va^.y thie^`n su+ dda~ du+. ddi.nh gi` cho nhu+~ng
chuye^'n tro+? ve^` tie^'p theo\?

---

Xin va`o
www.langmai. org/ChuyenDiViet Nam2007/HTML/ tintuc/Vietnamne t_phongvan. html
dde^? xem ca^u tra? lo+`i\.


 
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