an offering

"Our world is at a very interesting age. In the West, people are studying yoga, karate, meditation-Eastern things. In the East, people are studying science, business, Western art and philosophy-Western things. This is now the time when Yin and Yang are changing very quickly. So if you are holding on to any idea-of what is Eastern, what is Western, how things are, how things ought to be-holding any idea, any opinion at all, then you have a problem; you cannot connect with this world. But, if you lay it all down, all your ideas, all opinions, then the truth is right in front of your eyes."

-Zen Master Seung Sahn

Since the new year began, a portion of each day has been spent at Duc Son Pagoda and Orphanage. 20 Buddhist Nuns, 10 volunteers and 207 children are the members of this great family.

Since the new year began, I have been trying to orchestrate some prose to do any bit of justice to the experience of being at Duc Son. Each time I sit before this computer-it becomes more and more difficult.

So for right now, what I can say is this...

When I ride my bike down the hill from Duc Son's front gate...my heart has broken open a little bit more. As Minh Tu says, "this is quiet work, the children are the flowers, we (nuns) are the water and you are the sun... There are three kinds of nourishment that these flowers need to develop- phyisical nourishment from food, mental nourishment from an education, and nourishment for the soul that comes with giving love and affection. These children are all missing a piece of their heart without love from their parents. There is a hole, like a hole in the ground. But we can all work together to fill that hole. I (Minh Tu) am the first to throw a rock into that hole with the love that I give. If we all bring forth some love, if we all throw rocks into the hole as well, then we can fill the empty space that exists."

The other night we were following our friend, Lien Chien. She was on her motorbike a 50 CC supercub. We were on our newly purchased motorbike, weaving through concrete paths in a small area off the main road. It was dark, the only light was the warm glow from our headlights and some stray rays coming out of houses along the path. as we turned one corner there was a crippled man unevenly walking with a crutch. In an instant, there was Lien Chien, donned in the grey/blue robes of a Buddhist nun poised on her smoothly running motorbike, juxtaposed with the man on the side of the street-slowly making his way, with much effort. In that instant I thought of the stories of the Buddha experiencing suffering for the first time-because at that moment there was a stark contrast between the clean robes of the nun- the clarity, peace and detachment of monastic life against the rough edges of the path, the dirty clothes of the man, the worldly pain of the long walk home.

Being here, there are many questions about how to help effectively. Buzz-words easily slide off the tongue when talking about what should be done in Vietnam...development, self-sustainability, NGO work...
Duc Son is an entity that does not generate its own income, but has been and will continue to take great care of their children by working off of donations and support that comes from the outside. Their existence is a sort of homage to the relationship of lay practitioners giving alms to the dhudanga. Our hope is to be able to assist them with what they need to facilitate the continuation of what they are doing now.

I asked Chuong (a 13 year old at Duc Son) what she thought was the most important thing in the world, she said "love."

here is an offering for love, for unity, for compassion.
here is an offering for putting theory into action-to do whatever you can to work towards filling holes in hearts.


As long as space endures
As long as sentient beings remain
May I too live
To dispel the miseries of the world.


Minh Tu has given us Dharma names...
Paul is now Quang Tan which means, one who is quick to help and bring many people happiness.
I am Quang Tam or big heart that sees everything as equal.

I hope we live up to them.