Namo Sakyamuni Buddha.
Respectfully present to the Venerable Sangha,
Dear friends, fellow Buddhists and brothers and sisters in the Buddhist Family,
To the entire audience attending today, directly in this hall as well as indirectly through the global media.

Dear all.

In the solemn yet extremely cozy atmosphere of today's Great Memorial Ceremony, imbued with the love and spirit of the Dharma, I am very fortunate to be allowed by the Venerable Head of the Committee, as well as the brothers and sisters in the Organizing Committee, to say a few words of gratitude to the spirit of the late Venerable Elder, and also to express some of my personal feelings to share with the audience.

In this speech, please allow me to use only one word, TEACHER, to mention the late Venerable Elder, with all the most profound, respectful and affectionate meanings that a Buddhist can use to talk about the Teacher.

Dear everyone,

Just mentioning the Teacher, each of us here today must remember many memories, many unforgettable impressions. Because the Teacher's life of practicing the Dharma, in reality, is not limited to the spaces where the Teacher was present, to the times when we were lucky enough to be able to come to the Teacher. Beyond all those spaces and times, the Teacher is a tall and shady tree with a profound influence on the four groups, on all levels of Vietnamese Buddhists, even when the Teacher's physical body is no longer there.

This, each of us has clearly seen over the past half century. From the lecture hall of Van Hanh University in the past, where knowledge and virtue were nurtured for many generations of Buddhists, of which the Master was one of the masters attached to the school; from the harsh prisons he leisurely passed through, revealing the great power of a virtuous monk, illuminating the path for a whole generation of Vietnamese Buddhists; and until the last moments of his life on his sickbed, the Master was still attached to the work of translating the Tripitaka and the responsibility of running the Church. The Master still smiled leisurely before passing away, even when his body was emaciated and in pain due to illness.

In those short months and years of a human life, with so many ups and downs of history, what the Master sowed in people's hearts, left for posterity, both spiritually and physically, is truly immeasurable.

The Master's shadow shaded us

The Master was like a cloud shaded us, each of us could feel that shade when the Master was around. In the Lotus Sutra, the chapter on the Parable of Medicinal Herbs talks about a large cloud that covers the entire world. In my own mind, the Master is that cloud. We are each in a different place, thousands of miles apart, but during the days when the Master was still alive, we all felt the peace coming from the Master. Work was difficult, life was busy, the road of life was bumpy and stormy, but just thinking about the Master, hearing his advice, or even just remembering the times we met the Master, seemed to be enough to strengthen our faith, to be energized, and to immediately feel the warmth and peace in our hearts. Why is that? Because at that moment we remembered that, in the midst of this chaotic world, the light of the Buddha Dharma still continuously shines from a truly virtuous master.

I remember one time, the first time I circulated the translation of the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, around mid-2009, the Master reached out to support me when I needed it most.

After nearly ten years of persistent translation, I fell into a state of mixed joy and worry when the Mahaparinirvana Sutra began to circulate. As a layman with shallow knowledge, I only dared to translate this massive sutra because of my deep sympathy for the Dharma. But when the sutra began to circulate, my heart was filled with worry, afraid that I would not be able to express the Holy will and might distort the Dharma. As soon as it was published, I went to Già Lam to respectfully offer the sutra to the Master. Only a short time later, when I had the opportunity to visit, the Master told me: “I have read the Introduction. Your way of doing it is correct, just like that.”

Surely the Master did not know how important that sentence was to me at that time! The Master said it lightly when I was walking beside him, as if it was just a casual friendly exchange. But I knew right away that it was not a casual exchange. You have hit on the core point that I wanted to present in the Introduction, which is the method that I have applied throughout the translation process. And more than that, you agree with that method. Your encouraging comments have lifted the burden of worry and lit up the faith so that I can confidently pursue the translation of the scriptures. Many years later, I continue to receive much encouragement from you, but it was your initial support when I needed it most that was the motivation and faith that helped me to keep going.

I know that many other brothers and sisters have also received valuable advice and lessons from you, in other private situations. But above all, the peaceful life and virtuous example of the Master is the cloud that covers everywhere, because any of us can feel it.

In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha compared the Dharma to rain falling from the clouds, watering the whole world, from the big trees to the medium and small trees... depending on their needs, all will flourish. For me, the Master is the cloud that pours down the rain of Dharma. The direct teachings from the Master, the scriptures that the Master compiled and translated, are so numerous that none of us can hear or read them all. However, each of us, in one way or another, has received a part of it, has been nourished by that stream of Dharma milk. And not only the big trees, medium-sized trees, small trees... are watered by the Dharma rain of the Master, even the weeds by the stream like me are also imbued with green leaves and flowers.

The shadow of the Master in front lights my way

Indeed, when I stepped into the Buddhist forest, I was just like a bunch of weeds lying by the stream. Because when the Master stood on the podium of Van Hanh University, I was just a little boy in high school. However, reading the Master's books, listening to the older brothers and sisters talk about the Master, I was extremely admiring. When I imagined the Master as small as a novice but standing on the podium of the University, my immature mind drew a picture of a talented, extraordinary, and outstanding young Master that I always wished to meet. Then when I grew up, being exposed to the Master's teachings, through his works, my admiration increased over the years. In each step of my Buddhist studies, it seems that I have never lacked the illumination of the image of the Master.

After 1975, books gradually became scarce and Buddhist scriptures were no exception. However, it is miraculous that the Master's works are still preserved by many people, and his teachings are still quietly shared. Therefore, it is not surprising that later on, when I came into contact with many brothers and sisters in the Buddhist community, I always saw that they were all more or less influenced by the Master's thoughts and actions. With his honest, straightforward teachings and his adherence to the Right Path in the face of worldly power, the Master was truly a Master (導師) in the true sense of leading and illuminating the way. During a long period when society was in decline and darkness, the Master's mere presence was like a torch illuminating the way in the night.

On the bumpy road that sometimes seems uncertain due to the changes of the times, we always see the image of the Teacher ahead, helping us to continue moving forward with peace of mind. Many people of our generation still maintain their faith in the Dharma, and still firmly follow the teachings of the Buddha, thanks to the guidance of the Teacher's image. The Teacher not only teaches us through words and books, but also through daily expressions, even in the seemingly small actions of the Teacher.

Although I have admired and been influenced by the Teacher since childhood, I still remember that it was not until the end of 1999 that I met the Teacher in person for the first time when I went with Do Quoc Bao. That day, the Teacher talked with us all morning and I had lunch with the Teacher in the small attic. The meeting was short but left me with many impressions that have not faded to this day. During the conversation, the Teacher talked a lot about his experiences in translation and research. Most of them are important lessons and standards that I still try my best to follow to this day.

I still remember very clearly, while discussing the issues, the Teacher carefully went to the bookshelf, took out the right book in question and opened the right passage to show us. He did all of those things with certainty and natural familiarity, as if everything was already in his excellent memory, but he still meticulously showed us each page of the book to prove each issue.

The Teacher's carefulness has greatly influenced my own research and translation methods up to now. I am very lucky, not only to learn from the Teacher's teachings, but also from the Teacher's small actions. Perhaps that is why a whole generation of young people has been greatly influenced by the Teacher, not only through the teachings or books, but also through the image of an intelligent, strict but tolerant and approachable Teacher. Anyone who has ever known the Master can easily feel these qualities.

The Master's warm shadow surrounds me

The Master's tolerance and closeness are clearly shown in the way he interacts with us. Even though he is a great Master, right from the first time I met him, I still felt that he had given me a close affection, without any distance. In the following years, I met the Master more often, and there were times when he even asked me to stay overnight in Huong Tich so that I wouldn't have to ride my motorbike home because the road was too far. Thanks to that, I was able to talk and interact more with the Master. The compassion he had for me remained unchanged. Many years later, after I have been far away, I always remember the times I met you as the most peaceful and warm memories in my life.

In the Lotus Sutra, the chapter on Belief, Venerable Kasyapa gave an example of a noble elder who, out of love for his humble son, took off his pearl necklaces and fine clothes, and put on rough and ugly clothes so that he could approach and teach his son. Your compassion is no different. You abandoned the majestic appearance of a great monk, and became close to all of us so that you could kindly teach and advise us. Until today, I still have not gotten over the strange anxiety every time I remember the times I met and was close to you. I really did not dare to think that a dignified and virtuous Master like you would compassionately give me the opportunity to sit at the same table, share the same plate of food, and even sleep under the same roof. The closeness that you have given me is truly immense. How precious is the compassionate heart of a Master towards his students! Even though many years have passed, I have not forgotten. Every time I remember him, I still feel like I can see his warm image always beside me in the projects I am pursuing.

Conclusion

Dear Master's Enlightened Spirit!

Your appearance in this world is a great and rare blessing for all of us. The eighty years of your life in this world, which seems so short, not enough to satisfy our thirst for the Dharma milk, are more than enough to light the immortal lamp for many generations today and tomorrow.

Dear Master's Enlightened Spirit!

You are like a cloud that covers us, like a rain that waters the dry land!

You are like a torch that lights the way in the night for those who are lost!

Master is like a cool breeze, like warm sunshine, like the air that is always present around me. Because even though Master has gone far away, his teachings and image will always remain with us.

As if by a premonition, in the introduction to the book Record of the Western Regions written by Master not long before his passing, Master left us a will that every time I read it, I still cannot help but feel moved. Today, before Master's spirit, I respectfully repeat the last words recorded at the end of this Introduction. We vow to obey the Master's words and will always strive to "find the true path for ourselves, for the peace of many people, in this life and in many future lives."

Respectfully remember the Master's Enlightened Spirit!

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