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Sacrificing Personal Matters for the Greater Good
Phuong Khe has now turned thirty years old; the stream at the foot of the monastery is full of water every rainy season, and during walking meditation, one can hear the cool, refreshing sound of the flowing stream. In the early years, I, together with the organizing committee of “Bleeding Hearts,” rented boats to go out to the Southeast Asian sea to rescue refugee boat people, despite the fact that many countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore did not accept them. To expand the space for practice and study, Phuong Khe Center (1977) was established next to Phuong Van Hermitage, and gradually developed into several hamlets:
- Lower Hamlet
- Upper Hamlet
- New Hamlet
The strength of the Sangha arises from a core group of three or four harmonious people, like an “atomic nucleus” attracting those around them like electrons. Freedom is the precious art of a monastic; if two or three people are of one mind and collaborate in the role of abbot, leadership will be successful. Each mindful step not only liberates oneself but also heals our ancestors, transforming every small action—such as sitting meditation or brushing our teeth—into happiness and a means to help the world.
Young people who ordain often wonder, “Will I regret this?” But freedom and a strong bodhicitta will transform all energies—including sexual energy—into the power to save and serve. Each breath, each step, and each brother’s smile is truly the “Pure Land in the present moment,” right before our eyes, not something to be postponed into the future, because this is the opportunity to realize the aspirations of our ancestors, our parents, and ourselves.