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| Poster: Phattu Reply Post Message Date: Thu Oct 5 23:53:05 2006 |
| Subject: The trip is a reality |
| Post No: 3341 |
December 6, 2004 by Sr. Chan Khong It is a great joy for us to announce that Thay will go back to Vietnam in the year 2005. Earlier this year, officials from the Vietnamese Embassy in the US came to Deer Parkonastery in California and officials from the Vietnamese Embassy in France came to Plum Village to practice in the retreats and to invite Thay to visit Vietnam. Thay’s only requests are that he be able to teach a large audience there, as he does here in the West; and that twelve of his books be published before his return, to be used as text books for the teachings. He wishes to travel with 100 monastics and 90 lay friends in our four-fold sangha. There is a need for spirituality in Vietnam as in many socialist or former socialist countries opened to the West. Thay wishes to bring back the best of his teaching to offer to the people there. You are among the best part of the gift Thay wants to offer to his homeland. We wish to invite you to join Thay in this trip because you have been a student of Thay for many years and have tried your best to practice. Now we ask you to come and offer your practice to your Vietnamese new friends. The trip will be from January 12 till April 11 and we will visit 4 main areas. It is possible to visit other places separately. We have divided the trip into 4 segments. If you can join all four, it will be great. It is advisable that you stay for the entire 20 to 24 days of each segment; but if your time does not allow you this, then after a minimum stay of 2 weeks in your trip segment you may leave by your own transportation to the airport. You would need to prepare your tickets by yourself. You must arrive on the specified arrival day. During each 20-24 day segment, there will be 6-7 days of sightseeing for you, our lay friends, organized by our hosts. The remaining days you will be with Thay offering our respect to the patriarchal temples. You will have a chance to see many temples, meeting with senior and younger monks and nuns as well as many wonderful lay Buddhist friends in Vietnam. Those occasions will be in a retreat-type atmosphere. Around Hanoi, the capital, there are many historical places which are deeply marked in the heart of Vietnamese people that you will learn about during the trip. Please be aware of a few important points as you consider joining in this trip. Buddhism as practiced in Vietnam is different from Thay’s teachings that you have received in Plum Village. We would like to help make it alive and relevant through your practice. 1. You are invited to join Thay as joining a retreat, -- having peace and being peace in every step, practicing mindfulness in everything we do. 2. You will stay in a hotel near where Thay stays. A bus will bring you to join sitting meditation or to visit patriarchal temples. You will be invited to wear the Aó Tràng ( Buddhist grey robe) when you accompany Thay. 3. Thay’s talks could be very profound because he has so much to share with young generations of Buddhist practitioners in his homeland. All Dharma Talks will be given in Vietnamese, with simultaneous translation into English and French. We also will try to organize small teams of Vietnamese who could translate orally for you in some temples. You will need to bring your own earphones and a 10-meter (30-foot) long extension cord to hook up to the translation system. Trich tu Web: http://www.plumvillage.org/tnhvntrip/index.htm |