In the life of endless greed, defilement, and envy, we sometimes assume that we are prisoners of relentless competition. The whirlwind of fame keeps us away from the right track and our souls are also enclosed in evil and selfish thoughts. We keep walking without finding the light source for our lives. Like those who have lost their way in the dark, exhausted, we wonder:
Where to find the light of truth amid a dark life?
Where to find the road among thousands of turns?
And then…
You have come to give care to me
As the sun shines on all sides
From the heart, the ego lacks love
Take me out of selfishness.
Although life's whirlwinds can sweep everything away, Master has illuminated our lives with the sun of truth. She gave us a warm place, including a sacred, spiritual guide. Master has given us her loving heart and generous helping hands in the fragile and temporary sea of life.
Meeting her is the most fortunate thing I have experienced in my life; since then, the defilements of ups and downs, losses and gains have stopped. When I came to her, I felt gently peaceful. I reflect that our parents gave me this shape in flesh but it is Master who gave us our spiritual birth so that I can follow the right way to the supreme shore of enlightenment. We are like homeless children who suddenly burst out when they found a place for refuge. In that place, Master is as the beloved mother, carrying Buddha’s heart inside, as well as an ideal, living by the Buddha’s enlightenment and breathing with the Buddha's faith.
We grope along every step under Master's guidance and enjoy our life due to the fortune of having our Master around. Thus, the immensity of Master's love, as vast as the universe, cannot be measured.
Throughout her life, Master has gone here and there without becoming tired, moving through so much hardship and effort to instill the source of spiritual life, from the smallest to the highest ideals, for the sake of many.
Despite the hardships and worries, Master still radiates a wonderful peace inside, like an artist singing an unnamed song. Those who come near can hear the holy spirit from the singer’s heart. Even though she is female with a slender body, her mind is as solid as a firm pillar. Therefore, she can receive and tolerate all of our negativities and shortcomings. Master has a special courage, an overwhelming will, timeless thoughts, and infinite compassion. Master's virtue, from the bright moonlight, from the tranquil lake, gives us eternal aspirations.
The weather turns warm or cold quickly; winter ends to receive the spring; every phenomenon revolves in cycles of impermanence, but our respect for Master is forever unshakeable. A moment is also immortal; once we have become her disciple, then we will be her students forever, over countless lives. And no matter which life we live and what our position, we vow:
Share hardships with Master,
Together build the truth for life.
In the sky, the compassionate Buddha blesses
With faith, we eagerly go ahead…4.4.A_Place_for_Refuge-_TN_Vien_Tien.pdf
We vow together with Master to build a peaceful, happy, holy world as in her aspiration.
To repay our debts to Master, we will be diligent,
Patiently stepping over difficulties,
Or when temptation appears,
Remembering you, we are determined to avoid it.
Imagining a loving smile on your face,
A dignified, solemn appearance,
We offer you all our hearts,
Following your virtue forever.
Huong Sen, Early Winter in November 2019
Truthfully,
Bhikkhuni Viên Tiến
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Bhikkhuni Viên Tiến cutting oranges in Huong Sen Yard
Bhikkhuni Viên Tiến walking while reading the Buddha’s names
Under the pink cherry blossoms in Philadelphia
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