Dear Venerable Bhikkhunī Giới Hương, Head of Hương Sen Temple, USA,
I remember that eight years ago, the Unified Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation in Australia and New Zealand organized the sixth Về Nguồn (Return the Source) Ceremony at Pháp Hoa Temple in Adelaide, South Australia. You attended, and then Venerable Thích Tâm Phương and Venerable Thích Nguyên Tạng, abbot of Quãng Đức Monastery in Melbourne, invited you to visit and give a Dharma talk at the one-day retreat, which is often held monthly at the temple.
That time I had an opportunity to greet and guide you to your room for rest. Unfortunately, when you were giving lectures, I was busy working in the kitchen, so I couldn't attend.
In 2020, you ask me to check the Vietnamese dictation for your collection. Wow! I have had an opportunity to read more than100 articles, including literature and poems of venerable monks and nuns, monastic students and lay Buddhists from many places to make a collection called Forty Years in the Dharma: A Life of Study and Service - Venerable Bhikkhunī Giới Hương. These writings are simple and sincere without flowery gimmicks and they convey to the readers your noble conduct in the monastic life for over forty years.
The Saṅgha's compliments, the monastic students’ and lay people’s admiration made me notice and generate respect to you. The resilient will, strong energy and devoted belief hidden in a small physique are the factors that make Venerable Bhikkhunī Giới Hương, the Tathagata’s daughter, possess all the virtues of compassion-wisdom-power.
We know your past journey was very arduous and difficult, but thanks to continuous efforts and diligence, you have overcome to achieve success today. I suddenly feel ashamed with mixed regret for my case, because it has been more than twenty years, and I have not been ordained as I wished. So,I must choose a way to practice as a upāsikā (lay female Buddhist).
Quy Sơn Patriarch reminded Buddhists to "Keep mindfulness inside as the merit. Avoid arguing outside as the moral.” It seems that I can only perform the second part of the sentence, while I fail to follow the first practical part, so that I really feel sad! I remember Master Nguyên Tạng said, “Cultivators consider wisdom as a main career,” but over the years, I have not devoted myself to it. Thinking about the remaining time of my life, I'm really worried. How many leaves of knowledge in the teachings of the Tathagata will I collect? The way to the old hometown will surely be far away!
Miles back to the old hometown
I can not imagine the hardship
Luckily, the wise have opened my mind
Understand the true core of Mahayana.
Everything has been illusory for a long time
Gossip and ego are changed like sunshine and rain,
Please remember the advice,
Keeping mindfulness inside as the merit without laziness.
In this year 2020, Quảng Đức Monastery will hold the twelfth Về Nguồn (Return Source) Ceremony as well as the thirtyieth Anniversary of Quảng Đức Monastery Establishment. According to the plan, that the ceremony will be from October 15 to 18, 2020. I hope that you will come to Australia to attend the ceremony, giving Buddhists here a Dharma talk, so that our practice can be enriched.
I pray to the Buddhas to bless your Dharma body. May it be peaceful and always be a shining torch to fuel our small light, so that we can take steps on the way back to the old spiritual hometown.
Melbourne, Australia
Winter Season
January 14, 2020
Best regards,
Lay Buddhist Thanh Phi
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Thanh Phi arranging flowers at Quảng Đức Monastery in Vu Lan season 2019
Venerable Tâm Phương, Venerable Nguyên Tạng, Bhikkhunī Giới Hương
and the Buddhists of a one-day retreat at Quảng Đức Monastery, Australia, 2012
Please read all articles and view all photos:6.15.Way_back_to_the_old_hometown_-_Thanh_Phi.pdf
