The teacher 'sowing letters' at the Zen gate

(CLO) At the quiet Zen temple of Phuc Hung Pagoda (Trieu Viet Vuong commune, Hung Yen province), for many years, nun Thich Nu Tinh Nhan - the abbot of the pagoda has persistently opened free classes for children in the area.

Not only does she open free literacy classes for local children, nun Thich Nu Tinh Nhan also persistently teaches them lessons about lifestyle, gratitude and love according to Buddhist teachings. Over the years, under her leadership, Phuc Hung Pagoda has always maintained a spirit of compassion, spreading the value of sharing to the community.

From the flood-affected countryside in the North to the Central provinces or the difficult villages in the highlands, the charitable footprints of Phuc Hung Pagoda as well as the nuns have been deeply imprinted through many journeys. Each trip is an effort to share, bringing necessities, warm clothes, books and the hearts of Buddhists to those in need.

To better understand the motivation that made the nun choose to accompany children and the community for many years, the reporter had a conversation with nun Thich Nu Tinh Nhan.

Nun Thich Nu Tinh Nhan - who opened a free class at Phuc Hung Pagoda, is dedicated to teaching children life values.

+Sir, what made you decide to organize free classes for children right at the temple?

- In 2010, when I had the opportunity to become the abbot of Phuc Hung Pagoda, the first thing I focused on was the children and Buddhist families. Since that year, I established the Buddhist Family of the pagoda and started to maintain activities for the youth.

The reason I opened free classes came from the lectures and stories about the life of my master - Venerable Hai Trieu Am. She was a teacher, the first person to establish a Buddhist family and had opened free classes for children since ancient times. Her thoughts and enthusiasm inspired me to continue and maintain those values ​​at the temple.

+Maintaining the class must require a lot of time and effort. What makes you persistently pursue this activity all this time?

- As a monk, I have a daily practice schedule, and I also have to support Buddhists in many spiritual activities, so my time is already limited. When I opened more classes, my time became even more limited. But even though I am busy, I still try to maintain it because every day I see the children change a little - more polite, know how to greet, know how to maintain discipline in class, I feel very warm.

My biggest motivation is the positive feedback from parents. When they say that their children are making progress, are more obedient, and more self-disciplined, I know that what I am doing is right. Although it is hard work, seeing the children grow up day by day, seeing the class become more organized, I have more confidence to stick with this activity for a long time.

+In the process of organizing the class, what difficulties did you encounter in terms of human resources, space or time?

- Determining whether to practice religion in any position will have some difficulties. In the early days, we encountered many difficulties in terms of management staff and facilities. Classroom space was taken advantage of from the available space in the temple. There were few teachers, some days I was absent, some days the teacher was busy, we had to ask this person or that person to come and support.

Despite the difficulties, we are compensated by love and understanding. In addition to our own efforts and the dedication of the teachers, we always receive the care and support of our parents. Thanks to that, we have overcome everything and built a loving classroom.

+Are there any memories or stories from the children that make you feel like you are on the right track and give you more motivation to continue this work, sir?

- Every day in class is a memorable experience for me. There is one memory that I will always remember, it is the story of a child who was psychologically affected and had difficulty concentrating. In the first few days, he constantly lost concentration and could not sit still for more than a few minutes. But after a period of persistent tutoring and encouragement, he was able to concentrate better, hold a pen, and then read the first numbers and letters. The moment he spelled a complete sentence, I was really touched and proud, feeling like all my efforts and everyone else's were rewarded.

This journey is still full of hardships, but as long as each child changes a little bit and progresses a little bit, I will have more motivation to continue maintaining this charity class.

Buddhist nun Thich Nu Tinh Nhan during a free class.

+In your journey of teaching children, what makes you feel that this is not just a classroom, but also a part of your monastic life?

- When I meet the children, I feel like I am back to my own childhood, carefree and carefree. They help me reflect on myself, learn to stop and enjoy each present moment. For Buddhists, that is practicing Mindfulness, living fully in the present moment.

Therefore, for me, this class is not only a place to teach, but also a natural part of my monastic life. Through it, my soul is nourished and I live in the spirit of Mindfulness in every moment.

Moreover, teaching the children every day is also a way for me to do small but lasting good deeds. When I see a child progress, or a child know how to love and share with friends, I clearly feel that I am sowing good seeds in the children's souls as well as in myself.

+After many years of maintaining the class, it is known that some former students have returned to accompany you in children's activities at the temple, sir?

- That's right. Up to now, the students I taught have grown up, got married and are working in many different fields of society. Some have become teachers, some are police officers, some are lawyers... and many other fields. When I see them grow up, I see clearly that they not only have knowledge but also have good heart, good morals, and know how to love and care for the people around them.

In particular, many children, after growing up, still return to the temple to accompany me. Some were once young students, now kindergarten teachers, often participating in summer retreats and supporting free classes. Seeing the values ​​and spirit that I sowed in them continue and spread makes me very happy. It is this return that makes me believe that the educational efforts at the temple not only impart knowledge but also nurture lasting seeds of goodness in the children.

Nun Thich Nu Tinh Nhan on a charity trip in the highlands.

+What do you hope students will get from your class and what message do you want to send to the community about creating more space for children to develop healthily?

- The biggest wish I want to send to the children is that no matter where they go or what they do in the future, they will still remember that they had a beautiful memory at this village temple. That is where they learned their first letters, where they were taught about love, how to be grateful, how to remember and repay their grandparents, parents and those who raised them. At the same time, when they step out into life, they will be kind, gentle and responsible people.

To everyone in society, I just want to send a very simple message: children need to be loved and cherished. If each of us opens our hearts a little more, gets closer to them, whether at home, at school or in the community, they will have the conditions to grow up in peace and more completeness. I believe that when adults sow love with sincerity, children will grow up to be people who know how to love and spread goodness in return.

- Thank you very much for sharing!

For many years, Phuc Hung Pagoda has always practiced the spirit of compassion, actively sharing and accompanying the community. In response to the damage caused by floods in Thai Nguyen and Bac Giang , the pagoda and donors quickly supported 500 gifts including drinking water, dry food, bread, milk...

Soon after, when Nghe An continued to be affected by storms and floods, the charity bus set off again with 300 gifts including instant noodles, rice, basins, necessities and books. The charity program in Ha Giang also gave 300 warm clothes, 3,000 notebooks and many necessities to support people and children in the flood-affected areas.

Source: https://congluan.vn/nguoi-thay-gioo-chu-noi-cua-thien-10318591.html