THICH MINH TUE'S WORDS:

*****If anyone asks you about Thich Minh Tue, please tell them with admiration what the whole world knows about this special Vietnamese monk.*****

THICH MINH TUE'S WORDS:

1. In mid-July 2015, I suddenly heard Buddhism while at work. I vow to eat one vegetarian meal a day, read Buddhist scriptures and keep the precepts for 6 months.

2. I see that the purpose of Buddha's teachings is very noble, I want to become a monk and decide to become a monk.

3. At first my parents didn't let me. After that, they also agreed. I received a share of the property from my parents like my brothers in the family, but I refused. I only asked my parents allow me to become a monk.

4. At the beginning, I didn't understand much. I'm like in first grade, then, second grade, slowly I learning more and more, people also taught me, so I understood more.

5. I studied at the temple for a while, my Dharma name is Thich Minh Tue. After that, I felt it wasn't right for me, so I left the temple and went to the mountain to live alone in a rock cracks, begging for alms every day.

Even though Buddha didn't say it, I chose to sleep sitting up for 3 years, not lying down. When I sleep sitting, I want to give up sleeping. When you're too tired, you can sit against a tree or a wall.

6. After staying in one place for a while, I found that I had no opportunity to touch and challenge greed, anger, and ignorance, so I decided to walk from South to North, and vice versa. I can't dare say in advance when I will stop.

7. I want to keep my old Dharma name, so I say my name is Thich Minh Tue, instead of saying my given name (Le Anh Tu).

8. Before becoming a monk, I had a job like many people, but I was not happy, because I thought that no matter who you are, a civil servant, and a stable life, they would eventually get sick and get old, and die like all of them.

9. I want to learn the Buddha's sublime, wonderful, optimal teachings, meditation, wisdom, freedom from suffering, peace and happiness.

10. Whatever the Buddha explains, I follow it to have peace and happiness, not knowing for myself. I have not yet reached concentration. I'm still studying.

11. I became a monk to seek liberation. When you reach the right path and enlightenment, you will be able to repay your parents' kindness.

12. Every day I ask for no more than one meal a day to support my practice. I don't hoard anything to save, or ask for more.

13. I absolutely do not accept money, gold or items from anyone, in any form.

14. The clothes I wear are made from fabric pick up from the cemetery or roadside trash.

15. I do not use robes of the same color as the monks, and do not say which temple I am in, because, I do not want to borrow images to offend the monks and the temples. People may say that I am using that to cheat, or do wrong things, to influence them.

16. The "Binh bat jar" to receive donated food was an old rice cooker. That is not the monk's "bowl and robe".

17. Life is impermanent, no one knows if you live today and die tomorrow, so you must soon become a monk. If you die tomorrow and lose this body, you will have no chance.

18. Someone asked me if I slept in a cemetery and saw anything? (ghost). It's not true that I said, I didn't see them. Sometimes I see a dark shadow passing by, but it doesn't affect me, so it doesn't matter whether I see it or not.

19. I consider everyone are my brothers, or my parents.

20. There is no longer selfishness or hatred in my heart. I consider everyone are equal in this world.

21. If you curse me, I still consider you are my friend.

22. Even if people beat me, I still wish them all the best.

23. I wish for everyone to be happy.

24. Normally, when you have not yet developed the mind to practice righteousness and enlightenment, it is okay, but when you have the mind to practice, all kinds of beatings, cursing, and illness come to test your heart to see if you can overcome it. Can you overcome the four sufferings: birth, old age, illness, and death?, pain is the first thing that comes up to see if you are afraid of it.

25. People should not learn fortune telling, because some things are right and some are not. Buddha did not teach fortune telling. Furthermore, if they were talented, they would have already told their own fortune. Instead of learning divination, people should learn morality and precepts.

Keep the 5 precepts: don't kill, don't steal, don't commit adultery, don't lie, and do not addict on alcohol and drug and you will be happy.

26. Keeping the precepts is the first important thing. If you don't keep the precepts, you won’t become a Buddha.

27. If you are vegetarian and keep the precepts, you will also succeed in cultivating Buddhism.

28. People gave me all vegetarian and meaty food. When I eat, I choose vegetarian food.

29. Everyone, please, do not bow me, but bow to Buddha - Dharma - Sangha.

30. I did not call anyone to follow me and film me. But I don't chase them away either.

31. If they benefit from filming me, then I also wish them happiness.

32. For me, everywhere is a temple. So I don't care why this temple is open and that temple is closed.

33. I walk, not ride, to exercise.

34. I walk barefoot to feel what's under my feet. Do I step on insects and creatures? Moreover, shoes and sandals deteriorate faster than our feet.

35. Those who don't have anything valuable are happy, because, they don't have to worry about loosing it.

36. I don't have anything so I'm not afraid of anyone beating me or killing me for. I'm not afraid of death, because I don't have anything I need to live to keep.

37. Someone asked me if I sleep in a leaf hut, in a cold, bitterly cold forest, how can I get better sleep than in a room with warm blankets on soft mattress? I say it's still good, because according to the Buddha's teachings, sleeping anywhere is good, if there is no lustful mind.

38. Reading the Great Compassion Mantra must have some purpose. If for the sake of peace, it is necessary to recite the Great Compassion Mantra, for example, to ward off a demon, then we have behaved evilly towards it. I don't want to take away anyone's place or security (for example from a demon), so I don't learn the Great Compassion Mantra.

39. If anyone speaks bad of me or curses me, I'm not angry at them and wish them luck. If anyone says good things to you or compliments you, you should calm down, don’t let yourself get caught up in pride, and I also wish them happiness.

40, Say good things or bad things, praise or criticize someone, will all be the same. But we discovered two moods: the person who gives something to someone, are very happy, but the person who curses anyone, we see them blushed unnaturally.

41. I am not a monk or a master. I am a Vietnamese citizen like everyone else. I just want to learn to practice. I have no intention of propaganda or preaching at all. All Buddha's teachings are available online.

42. Only when I achieved perfect enlightenment I would be able to teach the Dharma to everyone. Now, who wants to learn can go online and listen to many monks' lectures. All Buddhist scriptures are available.

43. For those who want to practice Buddhism, there are many elderly or poor anywhere, you should give them food, clothes, or something. Those who are fallen, dissatisfied, and corrupt, I ask them not to kill, steal, live honestly, keep all 5 precepts, that is the Dharma of alms giving.

44. For the past six years, I have not been a member at any temple. I am not from the Southern or Northern Buddhism, nor a monk of the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha, because, I feel that my morality has not reached that level yet.