Today, we celebrate the continuation of our beloved Sister Chan Khong by sharing a love letter from Sister Chan Duc and three cherished practices. We invite you to choose one that touches your heart and carry forward her spirit of healing, transformation, and service in your life and in the world.
A Love Letter from Sister Chan Duc
Dearest Sister Chân Không,
There are so many things for which I am grateful to you that I do not know where to begin, but I shall begin at the chronological beginning. I first met you face to face in 1986. Two years earlier, a friend and I had written to you asking to come to Plum Village. We were thinking of bicycling down from Dieppe, having crossed the Channel by ferry. You told us, however, that Plum Village was regrettably fully-booked for that summer opening.
In 1986, I was lucky enough to be asked to help organize a retreat and public talks for Thay to lead in England. Thay and you agreed to come. I had no idea of the needs of Thay and yourself and booked a retreat venue in a draughty castle in the north of England. It even snowed during the course of the retreat and the castle was impossible to heat. When I first saw you, it was at the airport and I felt somehow close to you before I had spent any time with you. Thay and you were very kind to me, not complaining in spite of my many ineptitudes as a retreat organizer.
As we drove north from London to the retreat, you sang songs. I remember it was the first time I heard you sing “My Awareness the Bright Sun” and you taught me to sing along. You also explained some of the Vietnamese language to me. I learnt from you that Vietnamese has no words for ‘I’ and ‘you’. You were ‘chị, elder sister’ and I was ‘em, younger sister’. It is one of the most difficult things for a brain that has been accustomed to ‘you’ and ‘I’ to grasp the fact that ‘I’ and ‘You’ have to change according to the person I am talking to.
Thanks to this encounter with Thay and you, I was able to go to Plum Village for the Summer Opening in 1986 and spent the last two weeks of that retreat in Lower Hamlet where you were in charge. You led the practice for the Vietnamese retreatants in the Lower Hamlet. The atmosphere was like that of one big family. Towards what should have been the end of my stay, you told me that Thay might ask if I wanted to stay on as a resident of Plum Village. I believe that the fact I could stay on as a resident had something to do with you. That was quite an amazing surprise for me. When I told Thay that I was more than happy to stay on, you told me that I would be an elder sister (chị) for a number of male refugees currently staying in Lower Hamlet. You entrusted me to a task which I did not perform well and you were absent for two or three months in the refugee camps of southeast Asia where the Vietnamese boat people were held. It was an opportunity for me to learn Vietnamese, since no one spoke English or French. After you came back, you would often bring me things to eat: French cheese, muesli, yoghurt. You taught me how to make yoghurt.
In 1987, I spent my first Summer Opening as a resident, rather than as a retreatant, under your direction. You did everything from organizing the programme to cooking. I followed along and learnt how to make a number of soups including canh bầu, canh rau muống (Vietnamese vegetable soups), and potato soup for one hundred or more people. I also managed to make lemon cake for tea meditation which earned your praise. 1988 was a special year, the year of our ordination as bhikshunis. I owe it to you in large part that Thay agreed to ordain me by your side. I think Thay was not so sure I would make it as a nun for my whole life, and the fact that you supported my ordination was very important.
You are of an inclusive and generous nature. You even let me have a share of the robes that had been made for you, since before we arrived in India I did not know anything about the proposed ordination and I had nothing prepared. From then on, you were my monastic elder sister and I certainly was not an easy younger sister. Although I had a deep-seated wish to be a nun, I had many habit energies that did not go along with being a nun – jealousy being one of them. I needed many reminders and, thanks to you, there was someone to remind me. When I was a young nun, you encouraged me to work in the kitchen and the garden. I had the privilege of being allowed to come and stay in the Hermitage where I was always made to feel so welcome and where I could learn so much from the way that Thay lived.
In 1989, Thay allowed me to be his attendant on the North American tour when you had to return to Europe. You taught me how to make a few basic dishes that Thay could eat; but, fortunately, there were many Vietnamese friends who wanted to help cook for Thay. As the years passed, you saw my weaknesses in administrative and organizational work, and you did your best to relieve me of these duties when I was in Green Mountain Dharma Center. You supported me wholeheartedly when I was in the EIAB and always allowed me to come back to Plum Village and spend time with you where you would listen to my problems with a kind and wise ear. You never blamed me for the difficulties I went through and accepted my weaknesses.
“Keep healthy for me,” you said recently. Yes, I will do my best. Since your fall in Czech, I have never ceased to admire your patience, your acceptance of your physical condition, and the perseverance and humour which go along with these qualities. I learn so much from you about how to let go and to rest in the present moment. Because you have spent so many years in the presence of Thay, your practice of mindfulness is your second nature. You must miss Thay sometimes after being at his side for so long, but you always remind yourself and others that Thay is there alongside us however difficult the situation may be. You are your own bodhisattva and your lamp transmission gatha says it all:
The true person transcends form and appearance
The nature of emptiness has always been bright and clear
Manifesting appropriately on hundreds of thousands
of paths in the world
Using love and compassion to rescue beings.
Thank you for making it possible for me to be and remain a nun, as your “sư em”.
– Sr. Chan Duc
Beloved Practices of Sister Chan Khong
In honor of Sister Chan Khong’s Continuation Day, we invite you to explore and practice one of these beloved teachings— you may feel inspired to take a moment to relax deeply, touch the Earth, or begin anew with a loved one.
All dharma teachers learn the basic practices, the basic framework. Then we’re encouraged to make the dharma our own—to allow the dharma to express itself through us. And Sister Chan Khong does that beautifully. One example is her beautiful singing voice, which she offers in total relaxation. She also has a great skill for improvisation. In touching the earth or total relaxation, she’ll pick up on energy in the room or something that’s been going on, and she’ll address that. Sister Chan Khong’s touching the earth and total relaxation are not scripted. She’s giving a living dharma talk. That’s the way that she expresses her caring.
Brother Pháp Hải
Deep Relaxation
During Deep Relaxation, we invite every cell in our body to rest. Guided by gentle words and the compassionate energy of mindfulness, we let go of tension, allowing joy and ease to flow naturally. In this state of deep rest, our body and mind have the chance to heal and regenerate.
Touching the Earth
This deep practice helps us release separation and return to our true home—the vastness of life itself. As we touch the earth, we surrender to the wisdom of our blood, spiritual and land ancestors. This practice nourishes humility, helps us harmonise our bodymind and restores our peace for the benefit of all.
Beginning Anew
Beginning Anew is a practice of renewal and healing in our relationships—with ourselves, our loved ones, and our community. Through deep listening, loving speech, and sincere reflection, we water the seeds of understanding and love, allowing healing and fresh possibilities to emerge.
Resources
- Biography
- Learning True Love Book Club via Parallax Press
- Beginning Anew: Four steps to restoring communication
- Deep Relaxation: Coming home to your body
On this occasion, we would like to invite you to write a note to Sister Chân Không, sharing how her presence and teachings have touched and impacted your life.
Join the conversation