Hương Sen fragrance in a strange land,
Her whole life, she devoted in the black mud,
A great bodhisattva, over a long way
Fearless, facing hardship and cold wind.
I got to know Venerable Bhikkhuni Giới Hương twenty-two years ago, when I was studying abroad in Delhi, India. The Vietnam International Student Association met to discuss plans to visit the Taj Mahal and scenic spots in Delhi before the fall course, in August 1997. Ven. Giới Hương had studied in India two years before us and joined the course for a bachelor’s degree in Buddhist Studies at Vạn Hạnh University one course before us (she was in the second course, while I attended the third course). My first impressions at that time of Ven. Giới Hương was that she was friendly, willing to help others, modest, fluent in English, always respectful of others, and observant of the eight rules for nuns (she respected young bhikkhus, even when they were younger than her in religion or age). Surely many of the nuns in our class dreamed and wondered: I don't know when I will know English and Delhi as well as Giới Hương. That trip created many happy memories and went really well; just over twenty years have now passed. I have now received an invitation to write a contribution for the collected writings, Forty Years in the Dharma: A Life of Study and Service—Venerable Bhikkhuni Giới Hương, so I have gathered here my memories, information, and feelings about this enthusiastic and energetic nun.
After arriving in India, I was determined to join the Mansarovar Hostel after choosing between many options, because at that time students chose either to rent a house on their own or to apply for the university's dormitory at Delhi University, and I also knew Ven. Giới Hương, who stayed at the P.G. Women's Hostel for ten years (1995–2005). In a hostel, “you are not free,” because you have to follow its rules according to the time, and you often have to ask for permission for many things when leaving or entering. It is not as comfortable or spacious as renting rooms outside; you must get used to eating Indian food. Those who want to spend more time studying (rather than spending time on cooking), want to have more chances to practice speaking English with native and international people, and do not spend much time entertaining guests just for fun—the best choice for such people is staying at a hostel. Ven. Giới Hương also decided to live in the multicultural environment of the hostel, which shows her determination to save more time for cultivation, study, research, and engagement with her new environs.
During that time in India, I was fortunate to write articles for Giao Điểm Newspaper (USA), whose editorial board also let me know that Bhikkhuni Giới Hương also regularly wrote articles for Giao Điểm and received royalties to help her pay part of her fees in India. It is practical and beneficial work: we can share knowledge about Buddhism and social issues, and we can also get royalties, rewards, and motivation to see if our cultivation has specific results and reduce the financial burden for sponsors. Writing is a way for Bhikkhuni Giới Hương to actualize her strongpoints in literature, since she finished a bachelor's degree in literature in Saigon before studying abroad in India. There is the saying, “review words and train in kung fu” (văn ôn võ luyện), which means writing more words, gaining skill in writing more fluently, is a means to convey compassion, the Buddhist way, and so on. . . That is the premise for the creation of many books, such as Ban Mai Xứ Ấn (The Dawn in India) (three volumes), Vườn Nai —Chiếc Nôi Phật Giáo (Deer Park—The Cradle of Buddhism), and many more.
After ten years of studying in India, worshiping the Buddhist holy places, and learning about Dharma experiences from many international student monastics, in 2005, through a predestined relationship, she came to the United States to start a new period: contributing to turning the Dharma wheel in a new land, where Buddhism is still new to Americans. I came to the United States a year before her, but very early in 2005, I heard that she gave Dharma lectures at Đuốc Tuệ Buddhist Association, which is a prestigious lay association in California and the USA. It was a great honor for her as a female or a nun to be invited as a teacher. I also know about her Buddhist activities in the first four years at Phước Hậu Pagoda, Wisconsin, USA. At that time, I was the owner of a forum sharing international Dharma through the Paltalk network; many Buddhists praised her and shared her lectures at the forum. I smiled joyfully and thought to myself: How could she so soon reach the mark of propagating Dharma in the United States like that, when the United States is a place gathering the talented? But after reflection, I realize that it was not by chance or luck, it was justified. After all, she became a nun when she was fifteen years old and ordained and studied under the most famous Vietnamese nun, Ven. Hải Triều Âm, at Dược Sư Pagoda, Đức Trọng, Lâm Đồng. There is the saying, "A famous master produces a high-ranking disciple," i.e., she demonstrates her abilities well because she received her basic Buddhist education from a discerning master. Moreover, she took much time to earn many degrees from secular educational institutions, such as bachelor of arts degrees in Vietnam and the USA and a doctoral degree in Buddhist Studies. With such knowledge, she can feel solid, full of confidence, when sharing her Dharma experience.
Then, just like her, depending on my predestined relationships, I met her again at Buddhist festivals at Quang Thiện Pagoda (Ontario) and Đại Bi Quan Âm Pagoda (San Bernardino) in California. Then, she invited me to visit Hương Sen Temple at Fir Avenue, Moreno Valley, which was founded by her and was later relocated to Perris. That day, I was asked to help with special "library work," arranging a considerable amount of books both in English and Vietnamese on the bookshelves in alphabetical order by title, so that they could be located easily. This was a test of my patience, meticulousness, care, and accuracy, but because I wanted to help her, someone so fond of reading and knowledge, I tried to arrange the books. It was very difficult to transport those valuable books from India and Vietnam, passing through many places to finally reach the library at Hương Sen Temple. I can imagine her often spending day and night, whenever she has free time, just sitting at her desk, wearing glasses, attentively reading, writing, thinking, and making friends with books.
Bhikkhuni Giới Hương feels “knowledge is the main career” (Duy Tuệ Thị Nghiệp); despite it being a lot of work, she still continued to go to college to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree at the University of California, Riverside. Many people wonder: why did she gain a PhD in India and come to the United States to study again for a bachelor's and a master's degree, why go backward? In fact, she has a PhD in Buddhism, but when she enters the field of US literature, she has to gain new knowledge for a bachelor's degree in the United States. For example, you may have a PhD in mechatronics, but if you enter the field of philosophy and religion, you would have to go to school again—you need to have new basic background and learn again from a bachelor’s degree or consider what gaps need to be filled for the bachelor's. The ocean of learning is large; it is hard to know when we reach the destination. Thus, learning is just the process of discovering our ignorance. Do we know how many great writers there are in English and American literature? Going back to university like that, she can return to the beautiful days of a student: pure, humble, ready to learn, receiving good things and beauty. Moreover, it is a good opportunity for her to communicate with indigenous and international people, improve her English, sharpen her writing skills, and absorb and penetrate the culture of the United States and other countries. This is very important in promoting the Dharma because a good preacher should give a lecture suitable for the listeners’ ability, customs, time, culture, place, and so forth. Describing the same subject to a Vietnamese and an American, the preacher should deliver the topic in different ways according to the level and culture of that person. Otherwise, it may be ineffective, rejected, or obsolete.
Ven. Giới Hương strives to establish Hương Sen Temple in Perris, California, USA. This is truly marvelous and full of challenges. Depending on the conditions, lay Buddhists have busy lives in the United States, so the monastic is the direct owner of the temple land who takes care of everything: bill-paying, repairs, building, clearing the garden, decorations, etc. To save money, she often drives to Home Depot to buy building materials and repair the temple (there was a period her father visited and gave her a hand). So much sweat has been shed on the land of Hương Sen Temple. Surely most people no longer believe the United States is a paradise on earth, where people come to enjoy themselves or pick up money. On the contrary, America is a place where an abbess or abbot must hold a crowbar, hammer, or shovel, doing the labor, taking action on all sorts of things because of a lack of attendants and helpers. On Sundays only, some Buddhists have time to come to temple to chant. The establishment of a temple signifies the patience and hard work of the abbess. Day after day, she has tried to continue maintaining the temple as well as manage the finances to develop it. Many churches of other religions have had to be sold because there was not enough financial support for maintenance. When we plant a Bodhi tree at the cross (build a Buddhist temple in the USA), things are not that simple. The masters spreading Buddhism abroad have to make a 200% effort with their strength, and every precious hour and moment that they forget their ego for the sake of many can create such success.
As a messenger of the Tathagata, a practicing bodhisattva, Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương actively engaged with prisons to point out the way of happiness and alleviate suffering for inmates, especially in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As the Buddha always taught: “The greatest bankruptcy in one's life is despair" (the 9th) and “The greatest accomplishment in one's life is reaching up after falling” (the 8th).[1] His Holiness the Dalai Lama also declared the same idea: “We are all potential criminals, and those whom we have put into prison are no worse, deep down, than any one of us. They have succumbed to ignorance, desire, and anger, ailments that we all suffer from but to different degrees. Our duty is to help them.” Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương often visits, gives books as gifts, comforts, advises, and then often write letters to guide inmates in Buddhism. “When a person falls, let us extend our arms and give them more motivation, more faith, more strength to stand up, rebuild their lives, and turn their gaze to the safe and happy shore.”[2] These words are from her diary, which narrates interactions between her and inmates, under the title, A Nun and American Inmates (Thích Nữ Giới Hương).
These are my first impressions when I think about her. However, in order to summarize more systematically her forty years of practice and service to the Dharma, we see highlights that can become lessons for following generations:
- Having a solid foundation in the early stages of ordained life
We often recite "Sám Quy Mạng" (A Whole Life Confession), in which there is the saying: “Born in the center of the country, grow up to meet a virtuous master, and ordain while young with true faith.” This is true for her case, ordained at fifteen years old with Master Hải Triều Âm at Đại Ninh Dược Sư Pagoda, Bảo Lộc, Lâm Đồng. She penetrated so many beautiful, awakened things or thoughts during the time she approached her venerable master, as Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương expressed in a memorial poem when her master passed away:
Although mountains and river have to move,
Heavy gratitude cannot fade,
I promise to inscribe the Master’s teachings,
As spiritual luggage for me throughout life.
(Thích Nữ Giới Hương, Hương Sen Temple, USA, August 1, 2013)
The majestic manner of her first spiritual teacher created and nurtured the noble characteristics affecting the whole life of the disciple. The pure teacher-student relationship, the sweet homeland, and the Buddhist cradle are boundless motivations for practitioners to overcome many obstacles on the journey back to the ultimate destination. Therefore, when renouncing, practitioners should choose a good environment that suits them, find a good master, and abide by strict rules, even if the place does not have enough accommodations, supplies, and comfort. Moreover, the abbots and monastics must solemnly conduct themselves and the environment for the welfare of monks and nuns, as instructed in the handbook “Thiền uyển tập Anh” (The Core of the Zen Garden). They must not use the excuse that they are too busy with rituals, ceremonies, building projects, and so forth while neglecting their duty to bring up young, newly ordained generations.
2.Focusing on spiritual cultivation
We have seen that it is no coincidence that Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương has achieved so many significant accomplishments. It is the result of a long training process: when she was at the Dược Sư Temple, Tổng Hợp University of Arts (literature), ten years studying Buddhism in India, the US bachelor’s and master’s programs in literature, self-study through books in libraries, and so forth. . . Don't be complacent by saying, "My knowledge is enough to use." We must have good and complete gear to have assurance we can travel far. To be able to save the drowning, firstly, we must know how to swim firmly, to avoid being in a state where “a blind man leads a group astray from the road and falls into a pit.” Those who have completed their intermediate studies or bachelor’s in Buddhist Studies and then return to their temple after a month without opening up a page of sutras, only concerning themselves with the two main recitations and funeral services, or Buddhists who go to the temple, mainly doing "merit from service," "reciting" without caring about studying or listening to the Dharma—that is regrettable. We are still ignorant and should develop wisdom through the method of listening, thinking, and practicing, until we reach enlightenment and attain the ultimate, perfect wisdom.
3.The merit from building monasteries
As described above, Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương is patient and courageous, determined in establishing temples and decorating Zen gardens to create a tranquil religious place in the world for those who have the opportunity to visit and attend retreats at Perris, California. She chose a remote place to create a temple because she realized that some places in Southern and Northern California have many Vietnamese pagodas, while remote areas such as Perris and its surroundings have no Vietnamese pagoda, and the local people, including the Vietnamese, Americans, and Mexicans there, need a spiritual guide. As the Buddha himself taught his first sixty bhikkhu disciples: “Go forth, o bhikkhus, for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, benefit, and happiness of gods and men. Let not two go by one way. Preach, O Bhikkhus, the Dhamma, excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, excellent in the end, both in the spirit and in the letter.”[3] If we are teachers of the Dharma but feel disdainful of other monks or nuns who only pay attention to building pagodas, without considering the work of Dharma, the question must be asked: who will create the basic infrastructure for teachers to come to teach? Therefore, depending on the conditions of each person in which there are a hundred-thousand paths, each person should make his or her best contribution to the Dharma according to ability, and the Sangha members must mutually support one another. In the United States, some states are very cold—how can monks stay in the forest, go for alms, or sleep under trees (as they did in the Buddha’s time)? Thus, depending on predestined conditions, there must be suitable accommodations for study and practice over a long time.
Having such a Hương Sen Temple, she can easily continue to go to graduate school, read books, practice, and create good conditions for monastics and laypeople who come to Hương Sen Temple to practice. She also has taken responsibility for a small temple in Binh Chánh, her home town. These duties create more work, need for arrangements, and fatigue.
- Contributing to creating harmony in the Sangha
Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương arranged time for and participated in retreats held at the International Buddhist Institute (Phật Học Viện Quốc Tế), Bảo Quang Pagoda, Huệ Quang Pagoda, Điều Ngự Pagoda, etc. in the United States to support and contribute to the presence of the pure Sangha and the four harmonious Sangha groups. In the United States, Vietnamese Buddhism has many different sects or congregations. The monastics are based in the Sangha: "Mutual respect, mutual harmony, mutual education, and mutual confession" (the instructions of the late Most Venerable Thích Đôn Hậu). If a Buddhist Sangha is not harmonious and supportive, it would be very funny; how can such a Sangha be a good role model and guide for laypeople? Thus, religious conflict and world wars are filled with anger, sorrow, defeat, and suffering.
In addition to Buddhist work in the United States, Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương often returns to Vietnam to teach the Dharma at many provincial monasteries and Vietnam Buddhist University in Saigon, regardless of whether the congregation be domestic or foreign. We take refuge in the Buddhist Sangha, but political parties, institutions, and secular forces contribute to divisions. All wars arise from greed, hatred, ignorance, distrust, and misery, etc. within us, so take care of them, transform them in order to contribute to strengthening the Sangha's harmony.
5.The role of converting nun disciples and laypeople
I was destined to lead rituals and preach for the Ullambana (Vu Lan Báo Hiếu) ceremony at Hương Sen Temple in Perris, California, in 2017. At that time there were quite a number of nuns ordained under Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương, and some from other temples came to ask her to be their teaching master. She also has some monastic disciples at Bình Chánh Temple, Vietnam. She follows the example of her master by dedicating herself to converting nun disciples.
The monk/nun cannot, with the rationale of there being much work to do for the temple and society, neglect the responsibility of cultivating new monastics. There is the saying, “Bamboo is old, young shoots grow,” i.e., pass on the light, generation by generation. In ordinary life, each family tries to nurture two good children to contribute to society. Likewise, in the monastery, each monk/nun must try to train his or her disciples to continue to inherit the Dharma tradition. There is nothing more important than creating a human resource because our strength is definitely limited and only lasts a certain amount of time. Each abbess creates a successor, and more monastics would be better because the merit is vast as the ocean. If the temple has no successor or a bad successor, then will what the previous abbot has done be destroyed? The abbot should have time to have lunch, practice, and attend meetings with the laypeople, so that he/she can remember the name, situation, mind, education, difficulties, needs, and aspirations of each person in the temple to help him/her progress and to guide him/her to diligently endeavor on the right path. . .
I see the nuns at Hương Sen Temple have all kinds of members, of all ages, and there are people who are difficult to treat. One must have a mind like Ven. Giới Hương to be able to touch them. When they ordain, they send both body and soul to us, so we have to make sure their dependence is sure, peaceful, and developing in the right direction.
6.Setting an example and creating conditions for nuns in the United States
In the United States, Buddhism is still young; the number of nuns and elders nuns is very small. The first generation who came to the United States before 1990, such as the late Most Ven. Bhikkhuni Đàm lựu (Đức Viên Pagoda), the late Most Ven. Bhikkhuni Diệu Từ (Diệu Quang Pagoda), the Most Ven. Bhikkhuni Nguyên Thanh (An Lạc Pagoda). . . The second generation of the Vietnamese Buddhist nuns’ Sangha is here, including Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương, who came to the United States after 2003. The first generation of nuns, due to the Vietnam war and harsh conditions, did not have formal education or much preparation before coming and practicing in the United States, but they were able to create a Buddhist career with temples and disciples and demonstrated a lot of dedication. Therefore, the second and later nun generations, who must have a lot of opportunities for study and for approaching and interacting with the world, continue to inherit and promote the significant achievements of the overseas Vietnamese Buddhist nuns’ Sangha. Buddhist needs, such as spiritual practices, advice regarding education, precept masters in ordination, administering nuns in summer retreats, and others, are increasing, and nuns like Ven. Giới Hương present in the United States came at the right time and met those urgent needs. We do not have to wait for people to leave the world (pass away) to praise and respect them as ancestors. Indeed, based on the historical fact of the development in overseas Buddhism, the fully qualified image of Venerable Bhikkhuni Giới Hương really is a high mark adorning the Zen garden.
7.Integrating with the local culture and engaging in social welfare activities
To propagate the Dharma well overseas, the abbot or abbess must have creativity, sensitivity to time and place, and suitability. For example, the main hall is not so big, which direction should be worshiped, what is worshiped, which ceremony is celebrated on which day of the week, at what time, which sutra should we recite, what should be taught? We should know what the local Buddhists are thinking, what they want, and what they fear and abstain from so that the abbot or abbess can organize well. While propagating the Dharma, the true doctrine must be suitable for the listeners’ background, culture, customs, interests, level, and capacities, etc., so that they can receive it effectively. Sometimes it can't be 100% Vietnamese style: "the previous generation showed us the plan, the present one takes action." For example, the Zen model of Master Nhất Hạnh is very suitable for European and American culture so has great influence—where can we find a Vietnamese monk like him? Although we are not equal to him, we try to imitate, adapt, and integrate with the native culture as much as possible. Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương has been to visit the prisons and played a role as a spiritual engineer who comforted prisoners to help them to reform and become good people in society. She has made great contributions to the overseas Vietnamese community, skillful and flexible in accordance with the local culture.
8.Depending on invariant grace in using the musician’s skillful means for propagation
“Abstaining from entertainment, singing or intentionally listening to it" is the seventh of ten precepts of the Samanera (male novice)/Samaneri (female novice) and the sixth of eight precepts for lay Buddhists who join a retreat for one day. But in real life, Buddhists are neither Samanera/Samaneri: they don't have to join a retreat every day, and their nerves need to relax. Otherwise, they will become stressed out. Without Buddhist music, they would listen to other music. So, instead of listening to "worldly love songs of men and women” or “golden music,” which is used to express lovesickness, grief, tragedy, numbness, dreamlike states, and so on, we should orient laypeople to listen to the songs of ethics, Zen, piety, and Buddhism, which help their bodies and minds become calmer, more tranquil, and less stressed. Let us look at all of the ceremonies for the New Year, Buddha’s Birthday, Ullambana, or other Buddhist festivals: almost all Mahayana temples organize Buddhist art programs to provide music for Buddhist followers. In addition, many overseas Buddhists, who usually drive to work and spend more time on the road, sometimes in traffic jams, listen to pleasant Zen music to relax and to approach the meaning of Buddhist theory (as in a lecture). The song is a companion on their hard journey. Làng Mai Monastery of Zen Master Nhất Hạnh also has Zen music, which even replaces chanting in the main hall. Obviously, Zen music is a spiritual dish needed by the lay Buddhist community. Thus, Hương Sen Temple has published eleven music DVDs using Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương’s poetry. I had the opportunity to be the host (MC) on the occasion of introducing and performing a DVD of her music. She is a nun who has made outstanding contributions to this difficult field because it requires energy, patience, time, meticulousness, inspiration, poetic proficiency, musical rhythm, lyrics, etc.
Please visit the music DVDs of Ven. Giới Hương at the website address:
http://huongsentemple.com/index.php/am-nhac
9.Exemplary virtue, obeying the eight respectful rules specifically for nuns
As the first part mentioned above, Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương is harmonious, friendly, humble, ready to learn, caring, generous, diligent in the Dharma, reverent of the Sangha, and observant of the eight respectful rules for nuns. Despite her achievements, she is not conceited or disrespectful to monks, even when they are younger than she is. The more ostentatious people are, the more they perform; the more they encroach on others, the emptier they are, lacking devoted inner practice. With juniors, if we keep distant as strangers, they respect us but avoid us. As a consequence, we don't have many chances to contact, understand, and help them.
For a long time, all sentient beings, parents, and friends have been close, and she has brought many good things to others without discrimination based on class and level. I have seen many monastics who are very attached to their names and positions, "fame" and "rank." If the host accidentally places them in a wrong seat, introduces the wrong positions, welcomes them with improper greetings, does something unsatisfying, etc., their temper quickly explodes to protect their prestige. The Buddha removed his royal attire and put on a hundred-piece patched robe to beg for alms and be a monk. We want to become monks/nuns, disciples of the Buddha, rather than officials or administrators. Learn the virtue of the Never Looking Down (Sadeparibhute) Bodhisattva, who lives and shows what he is saying, teaches, preaches, and gives kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, and egolessness to everybody. Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương has been molded in and embodied these fine virtues, and perhaps this is why the temple in Perris, California is named "Hương Sen"—only virtue with the scent of the pure lotus can fly against the wind.
10.Dedicated wholeheartedly to missionary activities to benefit beings
With the aspiration to be a messenger of the Tathagata, “propagating Dharma as one’s duty; benefiting beings as one’s career” (Hoằng Pháp vi Gia vụ, lợi Sanh vi sự nghiệp), Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương has been to many monasteries, Pure Lands of this world, and temples to preach. She had to overcome the harsh and hot weather of California, travels to many states and cities of the United States, and also goes to many temples in Saigon and provinces in Vietnam, responding to the requests to sow predestined Dharma. In addition, she reseeds regularly to share her experience on what is essential for practice with the young student monks and nuns of the faculties: Buddhist Philosophy, Preaching Arts, and Dharma Course in English at Vietnam Buddhist University in HCM City (previously known as Vạn Hạnh University). Knowing her wishes and abilities, every time she returns to Vietnam, I invite her to take a few classes for me in the Department of Buddhist Philosophy when she can fulfill her function as lecturer about topics such as general philosophy of Buddhism, religion, Mahayana, compendium of the Shurangama Sutra, experiences of practice and Dharma propagation, etc. Her teaching and communication methods are easy to understand, new, practical, beneficial, and a great source of inspiration for students.
Because of her aspiration to propagate the Dharma, her strong Bodhi mind, her artistic ability to express literature, skillful words, and fresh ideas to penetrate the mind and the suttas and to meet the thirst of the Buddhist masses, she has a large volume of Dharma teachings, which can be found and heard at the following addresses:
http://www.trangsuoitu.org/MP3-gioihuong.htm
http://huongsentemple.com/index.php/huong-sen-online/phap-am-audio
http://huongsentemple.com/index.php/huong-sen-online/phap-am-video
In addition to preaching, as mentioned above, she is passionate about reading and writing. Reading is inheriting the thoughts of others to enrich our knowledge; writing books is our turn to provide fragrant, sweet, spiritual flowers or gifts from our thoughts. She has written for many journals, such as Điều Ngự News, Bảo Quang Magazine, Chánh Pháp Newspaper, Hương Sen Magazine, Giao Điểm News, and so on. During her fourteen years in the United States, she has written forty-two valuable books, i.e., three books a year on average. I have not written a book for many years, but she has forty-one books in Bảo Anh Lạc Bookcase, Hương Sen Temple. Just making a simple comparison like that, we can see the level of her attention to work with efficiency and style. What rich thoughts and accomplishments she has! Whether propagating the Dharma through speaking or writing, which is a means for language to enter one's heart, she inspires people and shines the Dharma light on every step of life, for the sake of readers and listeners.
In short, the value of life does not rely on how long we live but how to live for the benefit for others—what have we contributed to life? After fifty-six years of human life and forty years of monastic life, she has dedicated her life to Buddhism through so many products and accomplishments, which many people in life have not been able to match today. Her image is an endless source of inspiration for students (student life), unfortunates (miserable prisoners), teachers, preachers, abbesses, writers, poets, musicians, Buddhist masses, and subsequent generations. I congratulate Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương on making a book of collected writings, Forty Years in the Dharma: A Life of Study and Service—this is not a time to be proud, complacent, and boastful, but a time for self-reflection, to draw more from her lessons and experiences to share with those in similar situations or about to step on such journeys. If every one of Buddha’s disciples was aware of diligence in studying, practicing, and contributing like Ven. Bhikkhuni Giới Hương, the treasure of Buddhist literature would be more abundant, Zen poems and music would have more flavors for listeners to enjoy, more Dharma sounds would share, and greater harmony would exist in the Sangha. As the ancestors taught, "That person is a great being, how about us?" From the references to her books, I hope the readers will gain many benefits, inspired by Ven. Giới Hương to be more diligent, enjoy more successful achievements, and receive all of the good Dharma practice for the sake of Buddhism and life. May the Three Jewels bless and protect Ven. Giới Hương's body and mind always, peacefully, for many good conditions, unshakable Bodhicitta, and successful Buddhist works, to make possible more auspicious contributions in the upcoming period of her life, such as self-effort, other-effort, self-enlightenment, other-enlightenment, and further enrichment of truth, good, and beauty for this world.
Lotus scent spreading everywhere
The will to save beings immovable
Forty years even, reflect back
Lotus step by step, making life beautiful. . .
London, December 16, 2019
Thích Đồng Trí
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Lecturer of Philosophy Faculty in Vietnam Buddhist University, Saigon
Director of English-Vietnamese Buddhist Interpretation Center
Vietnam Buddhist Studies Institute
BẢO ANH LẠC BOOKSHELF
- Boddhisattva and Śūnyatā in the Early and Developed Buddhist Traditions
- Bồ-tát và Tánh Không Trong Kinh Tạng Pali và Đại Thừa
- Ban Mai Xứ Ấn (The Dawn in India), (3 vols)
- Vườn Nai – Chiếc Nôi Phật Giáo (Deer Park–The Cradle of Buddhism)
- Xá Lợi Của Đức Phật (The Buddha’s Relic), Tham Weng Yew, translated into English by Bhikkhunī Giới Hương
- Quy Y Tam Bảo và Năm Giới (Take Refuge in Three Gems and Keep the Five Precepts)
- Vòng Luân Hồi (The Cycle of Life)
- Hoa Tuyết Milwaukee (Snowflake in Milwaukee)
- Luân Hồi trong Lăng Kính Lăng Nghiêm (The Cycle of Life in Śūrangama Sūtra)
- Nghi Thức Hộ Niệm Cầu Siêu (The Ritual for the Deceased)
- Quan Âm Quảng Trần (The Commentary of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva)
- Sen Nở Nơi Chốn Tử Tù (Lotus in the Prison), many authors, translated into English by Bhikkhunī Giới Hương
- Nữ Tu và Tù Nhân Hoa Kỳ (A Nun and American Inmates), (2 vols)
- Nếp Sống Tỉnh Thức của Đức Đạt Lai Lạt Ma Thứ XIV (The Awakened Mind of the 14th Dalai Lama), (2 vols)
- A-Hàm, Mưa pháp chuyển hóa phiền não (Agama – A Dharma Rain transforms the Defilement), (2 vols)
- Góp Từng Hạt Nắng Perris (Collection of Sunlight in Perris)
- Pháp Ngữ của Kinh Kim Cang (The Vajracchedikā-Prajñāpāramitā-Sūtra)
- Tập Thơ Nhạc Nắng Lăng Nghiêm (Songs and Poems of Śūraṅgama Sunlight)
- Chùa Việt Nam Hải Ngoại (Overseas Vietnamese Buddhist Temples), Vol 2, Võ Văn Tường & Từ Hiếu Côn, translated into Englishby Bhikkhunī Giới Hương
- Việt Nam Danh Lam Cổ Tự (The Famous Ancient Buddhist Temples in Vietnam), Võ Văn Tường. Translated into English by Bhikkhunī Giới Hương
- Rebirth Views in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra
- The Commentary of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva
- Phật Giáo-Một Bậc Đạo Sư, Nhiều Truyền Thống (Buddhism: One Teacher Many Traditions), Bhiksu Tenzin Gyatso the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and Bhikṣunī Thubten Chodron. Translated into Vietnamese by Bhikkhunī Giới Hương
- Nét Bút Nơi Song Cửa (Reflections at the Temple Window)
- Bản Tin Hương Sen (Newsletters), Blingual Language: Vietnamese-English
- Máy Nghe (Hương Sen Digital Mp3 Radio Speaker)
- Phóng Sự về Chùa Hương Sen (Introduction on Huong Sen Temple)
- Famous Words in Vietnamese-English: Danh Ngôn Nuôi Dưỡng Nhân Cách -Good Sentences Nurture a Good Manner collected by Thích Nữ Giới Hương
- Hương Sen, Thơ và Nhạc, Nguyễn Hiền Đức -Lotus Fragrance, Poem and Music, Nguyễn Hiền Đức, English Interpreter: Thích Nữ Giới Hương
- Cách Chuẩn Bi Chết và Giúp Người Sắp Chết-Quan Điểm Phật Giáo-Preparing for Death and Helping the Dying – A Buddhist Perspective, Sangye Khadro, English Interpreter: Thích Nữ Giới Hương
- The Key Words in Vajracchedikā Sūtra
- Văn Hóa Đặc Sắc của Nước Nhật Bản -Exploring the Unique Culture of Japan (Bilingual Language)
- Take Refuge in the Three Gems and Keep the Five Precepts
- Sống An Lạc dù Đời không Đẹp như Mơ -Live Peacefully though Life is not Beautiful as a Dream (Bilingual Language)
- Sārnātha - The Cradle of Buddhism in the Archeological View
- Hãy Nói Lời Yêu Thương -Words of Love and Understanding (Bilingual Language)
- Văn Hóa Cổ Kim qua Hành Hương Chiêm Bái -The Ancient-Present Culture in Pilgrim (Bilingual Language)
- Cycle of Life
- Nghệ Thuật Biết Sống -Art of Living (Bilingual Language)
- Tuyển Tập Ni Giới trong Thời Hiện Đại – The Contributions of Buddhist Nuns in Modern Times (Bilingual Language)
- Tuyển Tập 40 Năm Tu Học & Hoằng Pháp của Ni sư Giới Hương
- Forty Years in the Dharma: A Life of Study and Service - Venerable Bhikkhuni Giới Hương
BUDDHIST MUSIC ALBUMS
from Poems of Thích Nữ Giới Hương
- Đào Xuân Lộng Ý Kinh (The Buddha Teachings Reflect in Cherry Flowers)
- Niềm Tin Tam Bảo (Trust in Three Gems)
- Trăng Tròn Nghìn Năm Đón Chờ Ai (Who is the Full Moon Waiting for over a Thousand Years?)
- Ánh Trăng Phật Pháp (Moonlight of Dharma-Buddha)
- Bình Minh Tỉnh Thức (Awakened Mind at the Dawn; Piano Variations for Meditation)
- Tiếng Hát Già Lam (Songs from the Temple)
- Cảnh Đẹp Chùa Xưa (The Magnificent Ancient Buddhist Temple)
- Karaoke Hoa Ưu Đàm Đã Nở (An Udumbara Flower is Blooming)
- Hương Sen Ca (Hương Sen’s Songs)
- Về Chùa Vui Tu (Happily Go to Temple for Spiritual Practices)
- Gọi Nắng Xuân Về (Call the Spring Sunlight on)
Please read Bảo Anh Lạc Bookshelf at our website: www.huongsentemple.com.
[1] 14 Lời dạy của Đức Phật (Fourteen Teachings from the Buddha), from Thiếu Lâm Temple, China, translated from Chinese to Vietnamese by Most Venerable Kim Cang Tử in 1998-1999, Hồng Đức Publishing House, 2014, http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/tu-sach-dao-phat-ngay-nay/15874-14-dieu-phat-day.html. English translation of this quote by Bhikkhuni Giới Hương.
[2] Bhikkhuni Giới Hương, A Nun and American Inmates, http://www.huongsentemple.com/index.php/kinh-sach/tu-sach-bao-anh-lac/1910-nu-tu-va-tu-nhan-hoa-ky-tn-gioi-huong.
[3] Mahavagga, Vinaya Pitaka. Ven. Nārada Mahāthera, The Buddha and his Teachings, https://www.budsas.org/ebud/budtch/budteach07.htm.
Please read all articles and view all photos:2.2._Spreading_lotus_flavor-_Thich_Dong_Tri.pdf
