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The Tale of Kieu – Through the Eyes of Mindfulness, Talk 15
The Tale of Kieu, in verse 3184, begins with the image of Thuy Kieu listening to Kim Trong’s promise to honor her deepest wishes: “heeding his words, she straightened her robe and fastened her hairpin, bowing her head in gratitude for his profound kindness,” and then she herself began to practice: “a worn body, yet she filters the muddy to reveal the clear,” thanks to her practice of transforming garbage into flowers. The foundation here is Kieu’s own practice and insight, while Kim Trong’s promise and understanding are merely supportive conditions, meant to help him maintain their shared aspiration. The concept of “mutual understanding” is explained as “a few heartfelt, intimate words” arising from the heart, creating deep understanding, and it is precisely the vow “to protect and shelter, lacking nothing” that makes him as the sky, the earth, the spring, the ocean—a condition binding him so he cannot turn back.
The Tale of Kieu also exposes the potential for art to poison the human heart through sorrow: the “Song of Ill Fate” once made Kieu’s heart break, but now, played again, it becomes a tune of joy and freshness, proving that “sorrow or joy is in this very heart.” From this, we see the essential need for the Fifth Mindfulness Training—practicing mindfulness in eating, drinking, listening, viewing, and consuming cultural works free from toxins. The image “remembering the vow to build a cloud hermitage, having trusted ones invite Master Giac Duyen” evokes the idea of the monastic being as free as a cloud or a crane, able to establish a hermitage with her younger sister for practice, but not caught in attachment. The story closes with the picture of a happy three-generation family, “blessings and prosperity in full, a thousand years of officialdom stretching on,” preserving the vow “from now on, even the string of sorrowful music will be avoided.”
Key terms:
- Filtering the muddy to reveal the clear: practicing to transform garbage into flowers
- Mutual understanding: deep understanding through “heartfelt, intimate words”
- Protecting and sheltering: the vow binding him as sky, earth, spring, ocean
- Ten five-word quatrains: the music of liberation, calling him to return his love to her
- The Five Mindfulness Trainings: the foundation of mindfulness in consuming music and culture
- Cloud hermitage – Giac Duyen: symbol of the freedom of practice, the teacher as a condition for enlightenment
- Blessings and prosperity in full: three generations reunited, abundant wealth and longevity
