Thank You, Thay! A letter from a Buddhist in Germany

Thank you Thay, 07:50 AM, March, 04 2020

Aachen, 23 February 2020

Dear Thay,

Your 53rd birthday is coming so I am writing this letter to express my gratitude to You and to everything You have done for us. I am so deeply grateful that You have come to this life, and with Your compassion, You have touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, including me.

It has been more than one year now since the day I listened to Your teachings for the first time, one year with a lot of miraculous changes and much self-reflection. Your teachings have completely changed my life and opened up new horizons. Now, the way I see myself, people and the world around me is just not like it used to be.

Many years ago, there were moments I wanted to give up the idea that I would find a true Master of life, someone who could give me the answers to all the why-questions and help me become a better person. I thought maybe I had to travel to Himalaya, Myanmar, Sri Lanka or somewhere else, but then I didnt look any further because surprisingly right in my homeland – the beautiful S-country Vietnam, there is a true Master of wisdom. It is You, dear Thay!

After listening to Your teachings on the Internet, I decided to fly back from Germany to Vietnam solely just to visit Ba Vang Pagoda. Fortunately, I had a chance to stay there for a few months, which was a time I would never forget. I didnt meet You in person. I could just see You from the distance when I attended Your Dharma talks at the Main Hall, but everywhere in the Pagoda, I could feel Your presence! Your compassion and loving-kindness spread in every little corner of the Pagoda. You make sure that everyone has enough food and good food to eat, enough water to drink, comfortable place to sit to listen to the Dharma talks, that every visitor will feel the best when they visit the Pagoda.

Once I heard that You wished everyone to feel at home when they visit the Pagoda. And yes, Ba Vang Pagoda is a warm big home for everyone that never rejects anyone!

The biggest lesson I have learned from You is the lesson of gratitude. I have tried to see everything with the eye of causes and conditions: What is the cause? What is the condition? From whom can I achieve success? Thinking this way, I usually see myself just as small as a grain of sand in the desert, and so its easier for me to feel grateful. Without Your teachings, I could have been just an ungrateful and arrogant person. Without You, maybe I were sinking into countless sufferings now.

On this occasion, I wish You health and longevity so that there will be more and more people benefiting from Your Teachings!

Thank You Thay and best wishes,

Nam Phuong Chu.