02-TIỂU SỬ ĐỨC TRƯỞNG LÃO THÍCH THÔNG LẠC:
A
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
Of The
Fully Enlightened Master THICH THONG LAC
The
Fully Enlightened Master and Abbot of the Chon Nhu (Tathata) Monastery Thich
Thong Lac, whose secular name is Le Ngoc An, was born on 28 May 1928 in his
mother’s village of 18 Vuon Trau Village, Tan Thoi Nhi Commune, Hoc Mon
District, Gia Dinh Province (now Ho Chi Minh City).
His father,
Le Van Huan, whose Buddhist name is Thich Thien Thanh, was a doctor dedicated
to Vietnamese traditional medicine. He was born into a Confucian family from
Trang Bang Town, Tay Ninh Province.
His mother,
Nguyen Thi Nhung, a primary school teacher, was also born into a Confucian
family. Her father was a chief at Tan Thoi Nhi Commune, Hoc Mon District, Gia
Dinh Province.
During his
early childhood, Master Thich Thong Lac enjoyed learning Buddhist practices
from his father, who gave him the Buddhist name Thich Tu An. In 1936, at the
age of 8, his parents allowed him leave home to study and practice Buddhism
under the guidance of the Venerable Thich Hue Tanh at the Phuoc Luu Pagoda in
Trang Bang Town, Tay Ninh Province. The Venerable Thich Hue Tanh gave him the
new Buddhist name THICH THONG LAC.
In the
beginning, he was taught canons and Sinology by several masters: the Venerable
Thich Hue Tanh, the Venerable Thich Long An, the Venerable Thich Thien Tai, and
the Venerable Thich Thien Hoa. The Venerable Thich Thien Hoa sent him to the
Hue Nghiem Buddhist College and the Van Hanh Buddhist University to further his
education.
Later, he
was encouraged by several other Venerables to teach in Bodhi Schools. During
that time, he also studied at the Saigon University of Literature, prepared to
study abroad. Besides, he also participated in patriotic movements fighting for
independence and freedom of Vietnam, his homeland.
In 1970,
while studying and teaching at various Saigon schools, his father became
seriously ill, so he returned to Trang Bang to care for him. Three months
later, his father passed away. Witnessing his father’s illness and death, he
thought, “This worldly life is nothing but suffering. So why do we seek fame
and fortune in this material world?” He abandoned all worldly aspirations of
glory and wealth and decided to follow the Venerable Thich Thanh Tu in the practice
of meditation.
After a
three-month rain retreat in the Chan Khong Meditation Monastery, he went to Hon
Son Islet, off the Rach Gia Coast, Kien Giang Province, and stayed at the
summit of Ma Thien Lanh. He ate forest leaves, drank stream water, and fully
devoted himself to solitary meditation for nine months. However, he missed his
mother to the extent that he could not be consoled, so he went back to his home
town of Trang Bang to live with her and continue his cultivation.
Despite his
determined and continual practice, he could not free himself from all earthly
suffering because he had not been taught the true, original teachings of the
Sakyamuni Buddha. Fortunately, he obtained a copy of the Nikaya Sutra,
translated from Pali into Vietnamese by the Venerable Thich Minh Chau. After
thoroughly studying and understanding its contents, he began to independently
practice the Sakyamuni Buddha’s original teachings according to its unique
precepts. Six months later, in July 1980, he attained full enlightenment and
was able to master life and death.
At the end
of 1980, his mother passed away peacefully, after practicing the original
Sakyamuni Buddha Dharma under his guidance for three month. From then on, the
master surrendered his whole being to the revival of Buddhism:
– The first
activity was to restore the ancient AM (Hermitate) Pagoda with the new name
CHON NHU Monastery.
– The second
was to revive the spirit and direction of the original teachings of Sakyamuni
Buddha. Building upon the experience of his Buddhist practice, he wrote a great
number of books on human morality from the perspective of the law of
cause-and-effect, the way to live without causing suffering to oneself, other
people, and other sentient beings, and the only path to master BIRTH, AGING,
SICKNESS, and DEATH. His books were read by Buddhists in Vietnam and overseas.
Master Thich
Thong Lac’s spent more than 44 years of his life practicing and spreading
Buddhism and overcoming hardships and challenges. There were also many ups and
downs at Chon Nhu Monastery, but he always kept on rowing firmly in a state of
INNER PEACE (no desire, no anger, no ignorance). He piloted the Chon Nhu boat
to the shore safe and sound. As a result, Chon Nhu Monastery has stood proudly
and imposingly, and developed unceasingly.
At midnight
of 2 January 2013 (the 21st day of the eleventh month of the Vietnamese lunar
year of the Dragon), the Fully Enlightened Master Thich Thong Lac departed this
earthly existence and entered Nirvana, after having entrusted future
generations with the mission to preserve the Sakyamuni Buddha’s original
teachings. With his zeal for this cause, “Chon Nhu will always remain a place
for reestablishing morality based on humanity and the law of cause-and-effect,
the way of living without causing suffering to oneself, other people, and other
sentient beings. This place will always be remembered as a landmark in the
history of the Vietnamese people and all humankind!”
Now and for
thousands of years to come, the light of the Sakyamuni Buddha’s original
teachings, restored by the Fully Enlightened Master Thich Thong Lac, will shine
brightly on this planet. In the serene magnetic field (no suffering) here and
everywhere, long live Master Thich Thong Lac!
With respect
and regards,
Thich Mat Hanh
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