Most Venerable Thích Trí Tịnh was born at Mỹ An Hưng (Cái Tàu Thượng), Châu Thành District, Sa Đéc
Province (Đồng Tháp nowadays) on October, 17, 1917 (September 2, the Lunar Year of the Snake) under the name Nguyễn Văn Bình. His Dhamma names were Thiện Chánh, Trí Tịnh, Hân Tịnh, Nhựt
Bình, and he belonged to the 41st lineage order of the Linchi School. His first spiritual master was the Late Most Venerable Thích Thiện Quang, Abbot of Vạn Linh Temple on Cấm Mountain, Châu Đốc Province. He was the youngest in a family of 6 children.. His father, Nguyễn Văn Cân, was a simple peasant who passed away when he was only 3 years old. His mother, Nguyễn Thị Truyện, also demised when he was 7. He lived with his eldest brother Nguyễn Văn Đặng. He did not start schooling until the age of 10. But he was an intelligent and fast learner who would first learn, then teach his nieces and nephews later. At the age of 15 he finished his 6th grade, and started to learn Chinese characters with his uncle, and Oriental medicine with his cousin. He got tired of family life and wanted to denounce the mundane life, so he explored various religions such as Catholics, Cao Đài, Theosophical Society, and became interested in Buddhism. Since then he began to chant Buddhas' names, mantras, and contemplated on compassion. However, he could not be interested in the ways Buddhism was practiced at the time with too much emphasis on rituals for the deceased and superstitions. He preferred to go to mountains to find genuine Buddhist masters to learn the Dharma from them.
At the age of 18, he started to become a vegetarian. One night in his dream, an old man said to him,"You have had the Dharma seed from previous lives, so you should seek for a master to learn the Dharma, to fulfill your wishes." The old man added,"When the tiger dies, the snake will return to the mountain" (He was born in the year of the snake). In 1937, at the age of 21, he went to Saigon with a friend. They rented a room, hoping to start a new life in the city. A member of the landlord's household where the two friends rented had gone on a trip to Tây Ninh, and brought back home a tiger cub. After 9 or 10 days the cub died. Recalling the dream, Nguyễn Văn Bình decided to denounce the mundane life to become a monk. However, since his elder sister had not yet gotten married, he waited until she did. Then when the time came, he left notes and his own photos to his siblings to start looking for a Dharma master.
(To be continued)
Source:
From The Fragrance of Van Duc Lotus
(Hương Sen Vạn Đức)
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phatgiao-vn/con-nguoi-vn/14880-tieu-su-dai-lao-ht-thich-tri-tinh.html
At the age of 18, he started to become a vegetarian. One night in his dream, an old man said to him,"You have had the Dharma seed from previous lives, so you should seek for a master to learn the Dharma, to fulfill your wishes." The old man added,"When the tiger dies, the snake will return to the mountain" (He was born in the year of the snake). In 1937, at the age of 21, he went to Saigon with a friend. They rented a room, hoping to start a new life in the city. A member of the landlord's household where the two friends rented had gone on a trip to Tây Ninh, and brought back home a tiger cub. After 9 or 10 days the cub died. Recalling the dream, Nguyễn Văn Bình decided to denounce the mundane life to become a monk. However, since his elder sister had not yet gotten married, he waited until she did. Then when the time came, he left notes and his own photos to his siblings to start looking for a Dharma master.
(To be continued)
Source:
From The Fragrance of Van Duc Lotus
(Hương Sen Vạn Đức)
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phatgiao-vn/con-nguoi-vn/14880-tieu-su-dai-lao-ht-thich-tri-tinh.html
