Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Ỏng Trời (Mr. Heaven) is the most ubiquitous personage in the Vietnamese culture. We say “Heaven!” or “Mr. Heaven!” (Trời ơi! or Ông Trời ơi!) very often for all kinds of reasons. Or “Oh, Heaven and Earth!” (Trời đất ơi!) usually for great sorrow or mourning.

And we pray to Ông Trời : “Pray Heaven, please give us rain, so we have water to drink” (Lạy Trời mưa xuống lấy nước tôi uống), and talks about Him fairly often:

“Mr. Heaven has eyes” (Ông Trời có mắt)

“Heaven doesn’t disappoint compassionate people” (Trời nào phụ kẻ có nhân)

“Heaven blessing, better than worrying about work” (Trời cho, hơn lo làm)

“Heaven gives birth, Heaven nourishes” (Trời sinh, Trời dưỡng)

“Heaven creates elephant, Heaven creates grass” (Trời sinh voi, Trời sinh cỏ).

Heaven, or Mr. Heaven, is obviously the King of Heaven, the Maker of the Universe.

Heaven is the father of all, Earth is the mother of all. Father Heaven, Mother Earth. This also matches the Yin-Yang in Taichi (Âm Dương trong Thái cực). Father is Yang, Heaven, round. Mother is Yin, Earth, square. Round Heaven, Square Earth.

So, traditionally Vietnam had the Heaven worshiping religion. It was an organized religion at one point, although not as organized as other major religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam or Hinduism.

The Vietnamese, until today, usually have a “bàn Trời” (Altar of Heaven) in the front yard of their house. On which they have incense, a cup of water and some fruit.

Altar of Heaven

People usually keep eveything on the altar fresh every day. On New Year’s Eve, right at midnight, 0 am of the New year day, people make the year-changing offering (cúng giao thừa) to Heaven, or to Heaven and Earth, and then to ancestors.

In the old days, the King was called Son of Heaven (Thiên tử). For the New Year, the King, representing all people of the nation, made offering to Heaven at Nam Giao Altar (Đàn Nam giao, outside and south of the Royal Citadel).

So this Heaven-worshipping religion was the national religion of Vietnam during the monarchy time for thousands of years. Then more orgnized religions came – Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and then the super-organized Catholism and Protestantism – and many Vietnamese started thinking that Vietnam had no religion of its own. Today some Vietnamese say they follow the ancestor-worshiping religion or Heaven-worshipping religion, while some others say they have no religion, although they all have the same habit of making offering to Heaven, Earth, and ancestors.

Let’s agree on one thing: All Vietnamese worship Ông Trời to some extent. Whether you follow some religion or no religion at all, all Vietnamese talk about Ông Trời as the highest personage ruling the universe, who takes care of humans and all other creatures, rewards humans for their good deeds, and punishes them for their bad deeds.

Why is this important to us?

It is important because when you know and remember regularly that there is Ông Trời who follows you everywhere you go, to take care of you, and to keep you in the right path, you will be a much better and wiser person.

Yes, there is big benefit when you think about Heaven often.

Wish we all follow Heaven every day.

With compassion,

Hoành

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Trần Đình Hoành
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