The young Vietnamese man need your help

Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật

Dear Thầy Thích Thông Pháp

I hope my letter finds you well. I’m really happy to hear from you.

Now we have been going to the temple every second week continuously.

Serco guards are very friendly and after the prayer meeting they have lunch with us together and they always say the people here are very warm and friendly ... we are like that because we are sons of BUDDHA. He teaches us to be so.

Your dog is really cute and she looks very healthy, you must have been taking care of her very well. She is very lucky to have you as a owner.

I taught them what I have learnt through my master monk, my monk friends, you. We watch Buddhist monks preaching DVDs and we follow their words. We also chant the same thing.

I enjoy the gardening I do. It make me happy, keep me busy and helps me keep calm. It make me pleased to plant my own vegies, what them grow and eat it with my friends as we don’t really get to eat fresh vegies from the kitchen.

My english is getting better every single day because now I have friends from english speaking countries who are willing to help me. But my writing is not as good as my speaking.

I have not decided what I’m going to do in future, I have never worked before. I’m willing to learn new sklills.

I hope I won’t be here for long. I’m always positive and I know future have more plans for me.

Thankyou for writing to me all the time and your support.

I wish you all the best.

VVV

Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật

This is a letter from the young Vietnamese man I met when another meber of Buddhist Contemplative Care Tasmania and I were going out to Pontville in 2013. We have written to each other for over two years now. I have encouraged him in his practice and to remain calm and strong. He has and look how well he is doing. He has practised strong determination, what the Buddha called Adhiṭṭhāna which is one of the Paramis. Already he is practising to be a Buddha.

He has been moved from Darwin to Hobart to Melbourne to Perth to Christmas Island to Darwin in about two and a half years. He hopes to be given a protection visa soon and come back to Hobart to live with me. But that doesn’t guarantee PR or citizenship under either political party.

He has done so well. I am not sure I could have done this well especially when I look at how impatient and uncertain I get about doing a Ph D. Could I last all of this time in detention without being certain of when or if I will be free again?

And he is practising the Dharma and growing plants. He is letting this land of Australia get under his finger nails. He is sharing both the Dharma and the fresh vegies with others. He is giving the Serco guards the opportunity to experience Sangha.

Will you write to him too and let him know that he is remembered and cared for by more people than just me? Will you encourage this, our Dharma brother, who is putting all of the time he has to good use, who is clearly transforming his suffering.

If you would like to write to him, please contact me and I will give you his contact details. It is clear how important consistent support is to another human being, even from such a distance.

Best wishes

Thích Thông Pháp

 thongphap@y7mail.com