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I have been reading the journals of Thich Nhat Hanh Fragrant Palm Leaves which really provides an insight into how he has had revelatory moments at different times in different places. It also makes me realise how lucky I am to be in Vietnam at a time when the sanghas following him can come out in the open- the one at Dien Quan practiced in secret before his visit here last year.
I miss my husband a lot and the sangha provides me with the emotional support to stay here. To be gentle with yourself and to show yourself compassion is a lesson I have learnt here. I had my own quiet moment of reflection waiting for my Vietnamese class looking into a pool of water. I’ve been dwelling on impermanence and how everything inter-be that in death we are still part of life and vice versa. I’ve been thinking of ways to write this into my fiction and finding it rather difficult.
I suppose the interaction I have with ghosts, spirits with humans has this interlaced through it.
This picture is of a gatha carved in rock from the Thay pagoda. I’ve been told that it is about impermanence and the reflections of life in water.

Because I drink and eat meat. I also have not fully embraced total compassion for all beings.
I cannot extend compassion to rapists – but the teachings of Thay have modified my position on the death penalty.
It takes a great heart to be able to transcend and extend compassion past hatred and I’m not there yet.

This blog is about my Buddhist discoveries in Vietnam. I am an author and this is not my main blog- it is here for people whom are interested in the dharma, the sangha and matters of the spirit. First I thought I would outline my interest in Buddhism to date and then as my discoveries with the sangha of Hanoi Compassionate Living goes on I will add additional posts.

I was first made forcibly aware of my Buddhist roots when my grandfather died ten years ago. It was the first time I visited a Buddhist temple and my brother and I did a lot of reading around the heart sutra since my brother had to read it at the funeral ceremony. I tried to reach an understanding of ghosts and spirits then- part of my journey is in the play and book – 49 Ghosts which you can access from my website at www.hoapham.net

Since then I had only attended Linh Son temple in Reservoir for special occassions- the anniversary to celebrate the dead, my grandfather’s and grandmother’s death anniversaries and for Tet.

I had tried to start meditating with the University of Melbourne Buddhist group but found myself falling asleep- the lunchtime schedule just did not suit me!

My father gave me Thich Nhat Hanh books to read and I started investigating Buddhist psychology. A book I highly recommend is Emotional Alchemy which is written by Tara Goldman- the wife of the man whom wrote Emotional Intelligence. This engaged my mind and I started trying to meditate again.

Then I went to Vietnam where I stumbled across the Community for Mindful Living in Hanoi which follows Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings in English! This was a real find for me- not only did it provide me with a network of support and friends which I needed- but also provided me with Thay’s teachings in a real live suppportive community space.

So this was the beginning for me and the journey with the sangha begins here.

went on a tour yesterday to nim binh. Saw two ordinary looking pagodas dedicated to early kings of Vietnam- they were not fully restored and not as spectacular even compared to the Chua that I went to for mindfulness day. Then had a lovely rowboat ride through three caves past limestone mountains. it was a bit of a tourist trap after the third cave we were rowed straight into a flotilla of boats selling drinks and fruit and weren’t left alone until we bought something. Then on the way back our rowboat produced clothing and tablecloths for us to buy! It pissed one tourist off so much she didn’t tip the women when we got back to the pier. I’m sort of resigned to this stuff, I regard it as part of the deal when you go on a tour. But we also saw water buffalo, goats (yum!) ducks waddling along the road with the traffic, and a basket of dogs on the way to a restaurant (one assumes!)

Went to a talk by the author Y Ban whom is also an editor of a newspaper the education times. It was very interesting when asked whether she dared write against the party or the mainstream she said that as a writer she had to follow the party since the party is pro democracy. She appears to be a feminist writer from her stories but her answers to some tougher questions was a bit vague- which may have been due to the male professor who was doing the translating.
She invited myself and Karen Turner to her house for dinner this time with Karen’s female translator so we may be able to ask deeper questions.
This reading was held at the Bookworm- and they are going to have an author night featuring me as well!
I also will be residing in their room above the bookshop from December. Looking forward to having a kitchen and a balcony- the shop is run by two Australians whom are left leaning and very literate. Thanks heaps to Rose Moxham for putting me on to this- it should be great!