I have been searching for the World-Honored One since childhood, through countless perilous paths, from wilderness, strange seas, high mountains to deserts, once dreaming of drinking dewdrops from distant planets. On an autumn afternoon, as leaves fell and the moon hung at the gate, the stirring of my heart signaled the presence of the World-Honored One. Throughout the stormy night, as the heart was torn, when the clouds dispersed and the moon shone bright, the moon’s mirror reflected both myself and the World-Honored One present together. The World-Honored One sits there, solid as Mount Meru, peaceful as the breath, smiling—neither born nor dying. To find the World-Honored One is to find myself, the original pure love, undivided by birth and death. The World-Honored One is peace, solidity, freedom, is the Tathagata Buddha, nurturing mindfulness and sharing it with all beings.
In the following Dharma session, the sangha will listen to poetry and anti-war songs by:
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Trinh Cong Son
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Van Cao (“Ben Xuan”)
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Doan Thi Lam Luyen
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Tran Quang Quy
with the theme of first love—sometimes sweet as honey, sometimes shattered; the cramped space of a small house and the vast aspiration like a sail offering itself to the wide ocean. Next is the practice of Touching the Earth—returning to embrace Mother Earth, Bodhisattva Thanh Luong Dia—taking refuge when panic and weariness arise, helping us to let go of suffering. The Earth is the common mother of all beings, embracing, non-discriminating, creating countless species, and is the Pure Land manifested in the present moment. The sangha will chant the Repentance Gatha of Touching the Earth, turning toward Bodhisattva Thanh Luong Dia, vowing to live joyfully in each moment, to protect and safeguard life and our green planet.
