By Thanh (Ted) Nguyen
Thanh Nguyen is a Vietnamese immigrant in the USA, working as a director for a healthcare company. Writing is his hobby that transforms his negative energy and suffering into words. His language can be condensed and weighty. Readers will see compassion and empathy as primary emotions throughout his stories.
Vietnamese social values are waning due to materialism, and faith in traditional Buddhism has been shaken because of the corruption of the majority of state and spiritual leaders. Thich Minh Tue’s appearance has had an enormous social effect on spiritual belief, and has inspired many disoriented people.
Millions of Vietnamese people, regardless of religion, region, or social class, have been following the master as he travelled along the nation. Where he went, tens of thousands of residents warmly welcomed him to pay respects. Domestic and overseas monks and Buddhists have kept joining his unofficial sangha. Elderly and seriously ill people scramble to meet him in person.
Thich Minh Tue has been walking barefoot from the south to the north of Vietnam and back for six years to practice dhutanga. It includes feeding on alms one meal a day before noon, sleeping sitting in forests or cemeteries, and renouncing all material possessions. His 4th round this year has become an unprecedented internet phenomenon due to massive social media broadcasting. It overshadowed national political events and even noisy showbiz.
Hundreds of Tiktokers and Youtubers are trailing him night and day to stream to millions of eager viewers. A Facebook group for Thich Minh Tue’s fans was created about one month ago, with tens of thousands of members joining daily to share information about him and his teachings. Some people who used to be brash now always speak politely and behave more gently. Isn’t that a good transformation for society?
According to Wikipedia, some people used his image on social media to increase interaction for online business. Even on e-commerce platforms and social networks, there have been clothes and accessories designed in the colors of his attire. Intellectuals and artists also expressed their feelings about this barefoot monk. World-famous mathematician Ngo Bao Chau confesses he adores and respects him. He wrote: “The crowd trailing the monk is probably not simply motivated by social media but perhaps, like me, believes that this is a true master.”
Nguyen Quang Thieu, chairman of the Vietnam Writers Association, posted on Facebook: “. . . People exalt him, and he still goes. People curse him, and he still goes. People sprinkle flowers, and he keeps walking. People scatter nails, and he also keeps walking. And people continue to live as they have lived in the world for thousands of years: eating, sleeping, cursing, fighting, killing, betraying, cheating. . . .”
Poet Do Trung Quan followed every step of Thich Minh Tue, praising and defending him when the Vietnam Buddhist Association issued a document claiming that Minh Tue was not a true monk. He noted: “In the past, Prince Siddhartha did not need anyone to grant him a license to become a monk. Buddha also wandered, without a house or temple, and ate whatever he was given.”
In a sermon to his followers, Christian priest Pham Quang Hong from Australia talked about the spiritual reward that monk Minh Tue got due to his devotion. Father Giuse Pham Quoc Van questioned his parishioners about what made him respected, saying that it was due to his spiritual aspiration. People found a true master who they had been seeking for a long time. Thich Minh Tue gave up everything to gain all.
RFA journalist notes that people have noticed the contrast between the luxury and misconduct of many monks of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and the simplicity and renunciation of Thich Minh Tue. Minh Tue used to practice at a temple but found it hard to attain liberation with so many attachments, so he left. Several renowned monks are preaching things that go against Buddhist teachings and taking advantage of Buddhists’ faith to extort money. Their practice of going on alms is more of a performance than a sincere practice. When a certain Association monk found people admiring the patched-robe monk, he could not restrain his negative emotions. He called Thich Minh Tue a villain, saying that those who supported Thich Minh Tue had wrong views. This monk did not foresee the furious response from millions of netizens.
A psychotherapist can only help one individual, a family, or a small group. Without saying much, the patched robe monk has been healing the traumas of millions of torn souls. This is a true miracle!
Thich Minh Tue has inspired people to become kinder. Those who are easily discouraged have become much more resilient because they reflect that their difficulties and challenges are nothing compared to the obstacles that Master Minh Tue has overcome. Many people who have followed Master Minh Tue disclose that through practice, they learned to appreciate every drop of water, every piece of potato, a breeze, or the shadow of a tree. Due to their hectic lives, people become indifferent and fail to enjoy everything. Through his example, Thich Minh Tue reminded us to enjoy and appreciate what we have.
The therapist helps change others’ thinking to make them more correct and positive. Thich Minh Tue, through the actions of a true practitioner, has helped many people understand what the right view and thought look like. His way of facing and overcoming suffering conveys a positive message to many people. Under the baking hot sun and the burning Foehn wind in Quang Tri province on days when the temperature reached 40 degrees celsius, Thich Minh Tue walked barefoot and hatless among the boiling crowd, still unusually calm.
Human endurance is mammoth if he does not give up too early. Determination, commitment, and confidence will help us raise our limits.
Therapists help change actions and conduct as well. His commitment to observe the precepts and to overcome adversity has inspired many people to follow. When thoughts and behaviors shift in a positive direction, trauma is healing.
Actress Tina Tinh, a home-practice Buddhist, shared on her YouTube channel that the monk is a flesh-and-blood testimony to the practice of enlightenment. The little monk’s actions brought her unprecedented emotion and a strong belief because previously, people only instructed the recipe to make the cake. Thich Minh Tue was the first person to make a complete cake so that followers could visualize what it was like. Some people think that Youtubers, Tiktokers, and Facebookers have been following Thich Minh Tue’s pilgrimage for views, but Tina Tinh has different thoughts. The mainstream and social media have been reporting too much negative news for a long time, so we should be happy with healthy information surrounding this wandering monk.
To answer the question about what Thich Minh Tue contributed to society, Dr. Vu The Dung, founder of Thinking School, gave a convincing presentation on his YouTube channel. He believes that Thich Minh Tue’s contribution is invaluable. The monk is a powerful and inspiring example of practicing Buddha’s teachings. He is a living Dharma that shows the more you let go, the more free you become. When one renounces everything, nirvana will come. His calm walking journey moved millions of hearts, giving the people faith in Buddhism and life. His image has gone beyond the scope of religion and helped to unite the Vietnamese people.
An article on BBC Vietnamese also mentioned the million-dollar brand that Thich Minh Tue has created from social media and spiritual products. His patchwork robe sewed up from discarded fabric scraps collected during his travel, and his rice cooker inner pot used as an alms bowl become priceless embodiments to people of all faiths. The appearance of Thich Minh Tue created a period of “renaissance” in the view of religion and monks and the inspiration for the creation of various forms of art comprising poetry, music, sculpture, painting, and even fashion. He restores the divine image of Buddhism from bygone days.
The author of this article is a therapist himself and also has experienced psychological problems. Thanks to watching the monk’s journey remotely, his symptoms are improving. Friends in the US and Vietnam say they get the same benefit from Thich Minh Tue’s lively Dharma. It is a good omen for the Vietnamese people, who have experienced so much trauma and loss. He is a new wind blowing into Vietnamese society that has become morally corrupt and has lost faith in Buddhism. Thich Minh Tue is the right therapist at the right time for Vietnamese people.
