“When I was a child we didn’t have enough food, so my parents argued every day. Whenever I left our house, I felt light and happy, but as soon as I returned I felt very heavy because of all the arguing. Twice a month, we went to the temple. At the temple, I always felt good and very comfortable. I loved being around the monks and looking at the statues of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, especially the Avalokiteshvara statue with the thousand arms. Eventually, my parents allowed me to stay at the temple and become a monk. I still remember the first night I slept at the temple, because it was so quiet and calm.”
“I am a monk, but that doesn’t mean I do not suffer. It is easy for me to become aware of what makes me suffer and then let it go. I breathe in and out slowly, I tell myself it is a small thing, and then I direct my mind to something positive. When others hurt you and make you suffer, you need to remember that they too are suffering. The Buddha says that when we are angry, it’s like living in a house on fire. When we get angry at each other we make ourselves and others suffer, and it is like living in a personal hell. Try to understand why people act like that and forgive. We need to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes, then it is easy to forgive.”
“I lived with my Master in Vietnam for ten years. He has had a great influence on my life. I always observed his actions, his behavior. After some time, I realized that I had adopted a lot of his ways, without really intending to do so. My Master taught at a Buddhist College in Vietnam. One day, one of the monks he taught came to visit my temple here in the United Sates. We didn’t know each other, but he immediately recognized my Master in me. He said that in many ways I act, speak and joke just like him.”
“We need to actually read the teachings of the Buddha and make sure we understand them because if we do not clearly understand them, we might not practice the right way.”