Do you notice the reform with the establishment of this Trúc Lâm Thiền Monastery? All the rituals and chanting are in Vietnamese. Some may say that this change made it more complicated. For example, most temples usually chant “Nam Mô Bổn Sư Thích Ca Mâu Ni Phật.” But here I decided to change it into “Nam Mô Phật Bổn Sư Thích Ca Mâu Ni. “ Why so odd and different?
The Vietnamese use the main noun first, and the modifying noun/noun phrase after it. For instance, we say, “Thượng tọa Chân Tâm” (Venerable Chân Tâm), but never say “Chân Tâm Thượng tọa,” which would make people laugh. It is because Thượng tọa is the main noun, whereas Chân Tâm is secondary. This is Vietnamese grammar. Why do we have to be dependent on the Chinese characters, and on Chinese grammar? Aren’t we courageous enough to make the change?
As Vietnamese Buddhists, we must apply Buddhist Dharma, and should not be dependent on Indian culture in our practice. Nor should we depend on the Chinese. India, China, or Japan...each country has its own language and culture. We Vietnamese have our Vietnamese language, why do we have to use the Chinese language? We follow the Mahayana practice, but we must be independent, free from any foreign influence on our rituals and formalities. Our Buddhism has been so pitifully dependent. That is why my stance is that we must reform, and undo the ties and break the cultural, political and economic yoke. Why do we have to continue this servile practice? Again, this is my own view.
What’s more, Buddhism has major contributions to Vietnamese culture, which we sometimes ignore or neglect. If you pay attention, you will find it yourselves. At ten years old I already knew the story about “The Blind Touched the Elephant.” In Vietnamese whenever we did not complete any task thoroughly, our parents usually say, “ You did it as a blind man touches an elephant.” At that age I understood the expression in the statement,which means the task was not done thoroughly. Some version of the story goes like this: Once there were an elephant and some blind people who tried to feel it in order to tell what it was. One of the blind men said it was like a drum. Another said it was like a column. Still another thought it was like a broom. Because they could not see the whole elephant, each only talked about a part of the elephant, assuming it represented the whole animal. Hence, we may think the story came from our ancestors. Later, I studied sutras, and found it in the Agama.
In that sutra, the Buddha said there was a king who wanted to test those who were born blind. The king ordered his subjects to bring an elephant to the royal courtyard, and invited some blind people to line up on both sides of the elephant. One subject announced: “There is an elephant in front of you. You must touch the elephant, and describe it to the King. He who describes it correctly will be awarded." Each blind person reached out and touched one part of the elephant. The one who touched the elephant’s leg felt the elephant’s leg from the upper part to the lower part, and said, “The elephant is like a column.” The blind person who touched the elephant’s tail said that it was like a broom. The one who touched the elephant’s belly said it was like a drum. The one who touched the elephant’s ear said it was like a fan, and so on. The king and his subjects witnessed the scene and could not help laughing. But the blind person who said the elephant was like a column, and the one who said it was like a drum were obstinate, and did not want to give up. They both thought they were right, for they described exactly what they touched, and they started to fight against each other. The king then intervened, and explained to them, “Since each of you touched only one part of the elephant, you could describe that part of the elephant correctly, but failed to see the whole picture of the elephant. If your eyes were not defected, you would have been able to see the whole elephant.”
If those people had good vision, they would not have fought against each other. They fought because they could see only one part. The same with philosophers who see only the parts, not the whole, but think they have mastered the ultimate reality. Only the Enlightened One can see the whole truth. Then there is nothing to argue about. The Enlightened One sees the whole, like the Buddha.
That story is found in a Buddhist sutra, and it has penetrated into our Vietnamese culture. And there are more Buddhist stories like that, which our ancestors often used to teach us for generations. Thus, Buddhist culture has a strong influence on us. Today we value our national independence. In our religion, too, we must value the independence of our Buddhist culture. We should not depend on any foreign scripts, or Buddhist practice. Each nation has its own way. We do not have to imitate other nations, but must have our authentic Vietnamese Buddhism. Most of our ancient temples still follow the Chinese ceremony and formalities, and scarcely have any authentic Vietnamese character.
We must have our own standpoint in Buddhism. With wisdom we must choose what is useful and substantial to apply. Whatever is inappropriate to our culture we must abandon, so that our Buddhism is Buddhism for the Vietnamese. That way we Vietnamese can read, chant, understand, and practice. That is the true Mahayana spirit. Otherwise, we would follow the Mahayana in a dependent way, not independently like the Japanese, or the Chinese.
In my view, only the Trúc Lâm Yên Tử Thiền School is the appropriate way to practice Buddhism in our present day society. It is a Vietnamese Buddhist practice. Why? As you see, in the Trần dynasty, the beauty and substance of the Thiền schools brought into Vietnam by Tỳ Ni Đa Lưu Chi, Vô Ngôn Thông, Thảo Đường from India and China had been selectively learned and developed by the Vietnamese Thiền masters in order to create Trúc Lâm Yên Tử Thiền School, which is an authentically Vietnamese Thiền school. Its patriarch was a Vietnamese king who learned Thiền selectively and creatively to teach the Vietnamese for generations.
If we did not select this milestone in our Buddhism history, what else could be better? That was why my focus has been on Trúc Lâm Yên Tử School, and on its spirit and Dharma practice, for I believe that in Vietnam there have been Buddhists who practiced Thiền, and attained enlightenment within their lives-- those sages who, fully awake, passed away calmly, and whose lineage still continues.
History has proved that Vietnam Buddhism is valuable, and we must learn from our past, not from Thailand, Burma, Japan, or other countries, as if we had nothing to learn from our country. If this School were not of true value, how could it have survived until the 20th century? It may have become extinct already, instead of being able to maintain its standing so solidly. Regretfully, Vietnamese Buddhist successors did not recognize the value of what their ancestors had done, and thought our nation had nothing to learn from, and neglected the beautiful heritage from within, while searching for something from others.
Are we dependent? We are, even in Buddhism. Therefore, I have advocated for a strong standpoint that embraces the beauty of Vietnam Buddhism for the Vietnamese. A possible ambition: once other countries find Vietnam Buddhism a bright torch, they may come and learn from us. What a great national pride! Why abandon ours, and learn from others?
We must rekindle the bright torch our ancestors bequeathed to us. This is what I wish all of you to understand. My aspirations are to see an independent Vietnam, a solid and long-lasting independence, and to see an independent Vietnam Buddhism. We must apply Buddhism to train our mind, not relying on rituals and formalities from other countries such as India, China, Japan,etc. This is the goal of my life. I have to share it with you; otherwise, in five or ten years from now, some may ask the question, “Why did the Master name this monastery Trúc Lâm Thiền Monastery?" Or, “Why do we, in our monastery, chant differently from the phrase ‘Nam Mô Bổn Sư Thích Ca Mâu Ni Phật’ that is often heard in most temples?”
It could be a danger if I did not share what I have been doing, expecting, and wish to achieve all my life to my successors. So today, the first day of the Lunar New Year, I have shared my aspirations to all of you. The name I selected for this monastery embraces all my aspirations. It was not done without any goal. Nor was it a mere imitation, or reckless improvisation. With it I expect my successors, all monks and nuns here, to understand and continue to brighten what I have done, so that it will last long.
My talk on the New Year Day should come to an end now. I hope monks and nuns remember what I said, and make efforts to carry it out. We have a definite path to follow, and to pass down to our younger generations. That is my expectation.
Source:
Most Venerable Thích Thanh Từ. All My Life(Tron Mot Doi Toi)
http://www.thientongvietnam.net/kinhsach-thike/dirs/tmdoitoi/index.pdf
