Father,

New Year, I pray for this suffering world – Russia v. Ukraine, Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, Sudan conflict with 4 million people on the edge of starving, migrants at US borders, migrants die on the boats to Europe, the stateless Rohingyas from Bangladesh and Myanmar, war everywhere from the Middle East to Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and Europe, everywhere is conflict, injustice, death and famine… This is such a sad scene for the human race.

My heart is so hurt. Continue reading The New Year Prayer →

Chào các bạn,

Tiền ảo là tiền không có thật, chỉ là những con số (1).

Tiền ảo giúp tội phạm chuyển tiền khắp thế giới để rửa tiền (2). Tháng 3-2023, Việt Nam có một tiến sĩ bị Cục Điều tra Liên bang Mỹ FBI truy nã vì rửa tiền Bitcoin 3 tỉ đô (3). Tháng 6-2023, Việt Nam bị đưa vào Danh sách Xám của Lực lượng Đặc nhiệm Tài chính về chống rửa tiền (FATF) (4). Nếu không nhanh chóng thoát ra Danh sách Xám thì dễ có nguy cơ bị đưa vào Danh sách Đen (5). Continue reading Chơi tiền ảo thì trái tim có trong sáng không? →

Dear Brothers and Sisters

Happy New Wood Dragon Year of 2024!

New Year, a new chapter of our life. We Vietnamese have a very good custom of cleaning everything very well at the end of the old year – from the house, to the garden, clothing, pots and pans, tables and chairs, beds and bed sheets and pillows… and many folks get new hairdo, new manicure and pedicure, in addition to new clothes for the new year. That is to start another year anew. A new chapter of our life.

Each Tết is a major opportunity for us to start again wholly fresh. Continue reading New Dragon Year Resolution →

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Your personality is the way you think and act. Each of us has a personality that we know and many other people know, even though each person will look at our personality a little differently.

Your personality, for example, may be described as easy going, pleasant, friendly, disciplined, serious, highly principled… You agree to that, and many people would agree to that too. Continue reading Your personality →

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We have so many faces that writers and philosophers have talked about each person wearing a dozen of masks in a day, as an actor playing many different roles in a drama. The implication is that our life is not real, we are only acting, presenting different faces to different people in different situations – we are not honest, no one knows our true self, true face. Continue reading Always the same person →

Chào các bạn,

Thở và cười được xem là pháp môn đặc trưng của thiền sư Thích Nhất Hạnh, thực hành bằng cách tập trung vào thở và cười. Dĩ nhiên, để quá trình thở và cười được đạt kết quả cao, ta thường ngồi thiền hoặc thiền hành hoặc nói chuyện nhẹ…

Mình đã nghiêm chỉnh thực hành pháp môn này, trong nhiều năm, và nhận ra rằng, dù pháp môn đó cho mình cảm giác vui vẻ, thoải mái, bình yên, nhưng đó chỉ là cảm giác nhất thời, không bền vững và lòng mình vẫn còn nhiều điều không được giải quyết dứt điểm. Continue reading Thở và cười – có được bình an? →

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We all know that everything in the world requires right timing. Since you were very little, you have learned that if you want to ask mom for some money to buy something, you have to wait for the right time, till she is happy and ready to hear your request and your explanation for the need, and hopefully she would agree to pull some bucks out of her pocket. You may have a very good idea, but doing it at the wrong time, you will fail. Continue reading Wait for the right timing →

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Do you know people who tell you something and you simply don’t count on it. A guy tells you: “Whenever I come to Hanoi, I will call you,” and you thought: “Liar. That never happens.” Or, “Can I borrow this book? I’ll return it in three days.” And you answer: “Sorry, I am doing some work with it now,” because you know that the book will never get returned unless you come to the borrower’s home and knock on his door. Or, “I am a Buddhist”, except that for the last 3 years, he has set foot into a pagoda twice, to eat fasting meals (cơm chay) on two major holidays. Continue reading Can people count on your word ? →

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We all know that there are lots of corrupted officials – some are vacationing in jail, many others are still undiscovered by the government. I am using corruption as an example, but this article is really for every other sin of the society.

Do you know the reason for corruption to run rampant out of control? Weak law? Weak law enforcement? Continue reading The root of corruption →