We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track. If this problem persists help us by reporting it so we can investigate it.
Watch this talk
Login or create a free account to watch this talk and discover other teachings from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Log in or create an account
Politics and Ethics
King Trần Nhân Tông (Trần Khâm) ascended the throne at the age of 20, reigned for 14 years, and then in 1299, at the age of 41, he ordained—not out of disillusionment, but “out of love for life, wishing to serve life more deeply.” Under his leadership, the Mongol army—even after conquering China—was still defeated in Vietnam, demonstrating that ordination is an act of courage and love for life. He practiced for five years under Zen Master Huệ Tuệ on Yên Tử Mountain, building a stone hut, preparing nourishing medicine, and practicing walking meditation for many hours; even when returning to visit his son, King Anh Tông, he quietly let go of all resentment, maintaining a serene mind.
He founded the Trúc Lâm Zen school, encouraged the people to uphold the ten wholesome precepts—the foundation for the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings and the modernized Five Mindfulness Trainings—and urged the abandonment of superstition. Yên Tử Mountain became a center of meditation for everyone, once attracting 15,000 young people to ordain in 1329 (compared to nearly 1,000 at Plum Village today). In this retreat, there are 13 people ordaining (on July 3rd), reminding us that to ordain is not to run away from life, but to enter life more deeply.