THE GREAT PURELAND MASTER

VÔ-NHẤT THÍCH THIỀN-TÂM

1925-1992

(Cultivation: 48    Lifetime: 68)

VÔ-NHẤT 

 (Lấy ý câu: Nhất sự vô thành thân tiệm lão)

 

INTRODUCTION

 

This book, "THE GREAT PURELAND MASTER VÔ-NHẤT THÍCH THIỀN-TÂM: A VENERABLE BUDDHIST MASTER IN MODERN TIMES," was written by Upasika BẢO-ĐĂNG after a year of research in which a lot of time and dedication was necessary.

 

As one of my followers (for the past 10 years), she is also looked upon as a disciple, a part of the THIỀN-TÂM Dharma family, of the late Venerable Master ĐẠI-NINH THÍCH THIỀN-TÂM. Over the years, she has become a prominent member of this family. From 1985 to the present day, under my guidance, she has courageously taken the responsibility for bringing the proper teachings of Pureland Buddhism of the late Venerable Master THÍCH THIỀN-TÂM to the Tucson, Arizona area.

 

ĐẠI-NINH: Is the name of a village near ĐÀ-LẠT Vietnam (LÂM-ĐỒNG Province-Central Vietnam).

 

She was never fortunate enough to meet the Venerable Master, yet this misfortune did not hinder her from wishing somehow to show respect for and to repay the late Venerable Master for all that she has learned from his Dharma teachings. There is a saying:

 

Success is built on a solid foundation.

And everything must have a point of origin.

 

Over a year ago, following the guidance of this wise saying, she proposed to me her intention of writing this "extraordinary" book to show her gratitude to the late Venerable THÍCH THIỀN-TÂM. At the time, I told her that this was no ordinary task and it would be extremely difficult. I also told her, even for me, this task might be too overwhelming to complete. Yet she kept on insisting that it must be done, saying:

 

"I'm absolutely certain that my Grand Master approves of this, and his spirit will help and guide me toward achieving all that I hope for this project."

 

Seeing that she was so persistent and determined, I told her that I would do all that I could to support her on this journey.

 

In attempting to find information and documents for this book, she had to go to Vietnam twice. In doing so, she experienced many hardships since she was constantly on the move back and forth between Saigon and the Central Vietnam area. In addition to that, she had to go to MỸ-THO, BẾN-TRE, GÒ-CONG, CHỢ-GẠO, etc. These are important places that hold a special memory of my uncle's life, the late Venerable Master ĐẠI-NINH THÍCH THIỀN-TÂM. When he was alive, he used these places as stepping stones to further his Cultivation of the Way. In later times, he was able to propagate widely the Philosophy of Buddhism, particularly of the PureLand School.

 

After visiting these places, she was able to collect much information concerning the Cultivated Life of the Venerable Master. Immediately following her return to the United States, she began working intently toward organizing the material for this book. At the same time, she respectfully asked me to help her with additional facts that I might have heard or remembered in order to make the life story of the Venerable Master more complete and accurate.

After a while, it was clearly evident that her heart was "TRUE" toward her Grand Master. Even though she had never seen the Venerable Master, her devotion toward him was a strong as that of many of his disciples. I couldn't help but be extremely moved and proud of this sentiment toward my master. Consequently, I supplied her with all the details I knew of the Venerable Master from childhood to becoming a BHIKSU (Buddhist Master) and beyond. With this, I hoped to help her reach her goals more quickly and easily.

 

One year later…

 

She presented the finished product and asked that I look it over and make the necessary changes. After reading, I was absolutely stunned, bewildered, and delighted with this phenomenal presentation of the life of the Venerable Master THÍCH THIỀN-TÂM. Even for me, a book of this caliber would have been very difficult to do, let alone a person who had only studied the philosophy of Buddhism for ten years! Suddenly I thought:

 

The Spirit of the late Venerable Master ĐẠI-NINH must have been the driving force that quietly guided her, giving her the wisdom and support to finish this project in this way. Undoubtedly, without such nourishment, it would have been impossible for this book to turn out as well as it has.

 

Can it be "If you ask you shall receive"?

I would now like to take time out to say a few things. Foremost, for my family, the sides of both my father and mother, the close disciple of the late Venerable Master-Buddhist NUN PHƯƠNG-LIÊN THÍCH-NỮ THANH-NGUYỆT, the THÍCH THIỀN-TÂM Dharma family--BHIKSU as well as lay Buddhists, close and afar, in the country and out… and including myself, a nephew and a disciple of the late Venerable Master, on behalf of everyone I would like to thank UPASIKA BẢO-ĐĂNG for bringing us this rare and valuable book. I also want to recognize her outstanding talent and ability for being able to complete this task. It is doubtful that any of us could have done this strenuous job as well as she has.

 

In creating this work, she has produced something that is rare and unequaled, either in the past or present. With this work, brilliantly and cleverly, she has also accomplished the feat of repaying to the fullest the Venerable Master THÍCH THIỀN-TÂM for all his kindness. In wanting to show her thanks and appreciation, she put all her heart and soul into this book, and this is the way it should be, words go hand in hand with actions. It is crucial for Buddhists to follow this guideline if they hope to be enlightened and achieve liberation. There are many people in this world who have much to say but little action to show for it

 

As a Buddhist Master, I am extremely proud to have her as my disciple. And in the last ten years we have, hand in hand, collaborated together to bring the proper teachings of PURELAND Buddhism to this small and isolated desert area of Tucson, Arizona.

 

I would like to send her this poem as a token of appreciation for her loyalty and support, for being a devoted Buddhist, and for all her contributions of the past, present, and future to the DHARMA FLOWER TEMPLE in the Tucson area.

 

PRAISE UPASIKA BẢO-ĐĂNG

 

Congratulations, BẢO-ĐĂNG UPASIKA!

For the THIỀN-TÂM biography she tirelessly wrote

Feeble the body but not the spirit,

Willingly repaying her Grand Master's kindness.

Starting and long working with Dharma Flower Temple,

In countless ways spreading the Dharma,

One of the Ways of a Bodhisattva,

Following the footsteps of Buddha as she goes.

 

 

Winter of 1993

Venerable Dharma Master

THÍCH HẢI-QUANG

 

 

I hope that Grand Master ĐẠI-NINH, VÔ NHẤT PURELAND Great Master THÍCH THIỀN-TÂM disciples will only increase with time, and may all of them have the faith, respect and devotion equal to that of UPASIKA BẢO-ĐĂNG.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Written in winter of 1993

Omaha-Nebraska

(Buddhist Calendar 2538, S.C.1994)

 

THÍCH HẢI-QUANG

 

 

UM! BÚT RUM!  HÙM!