The Heart Sutra -- A prescription for self-transformation

"Ga-the', Ga-the', para-gathe', parasam-gathe' , bodhi svaaha" when translated in to English states "Going, Going, Gone forever, Gone forever fully, Enter Divine Buddha". The accented letter e' is pronounced as the letter  "a" in the English alphabet. This is the Manthra to achieve a crystal clear state of Mind. It is so pure and so divine as that described in the Heart Sutra.

One must ask what is that which is going away, or that which is gone, or that which is gone forever. Gone are the five senses.  With vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch all gone, there can be no perception of any kind. This is a void, a state of emptiness in which nothing can be perceived. It is a state in which the concept of the Mind itself does not exist. The commonly understood notion of Form, which in Sanskrit is called Roopa, does not exist. There is nothing ugly or beautiful. There is no notion of shape or size, and no concept of color including black or white. There is nothing. It is a state of absolute emptiness within the conscious Mind. In fact, the conscious Mind itself is the void, and void is the conscious Mind. Such is the state of Mind described in the Heart Sutra. A state of Nothingness.

Anyone familiar with systems science knows about a unique phenomenon in nonlinear systems called limit cycles. All trajectories converge to a stable oscillatory state. Any change or perturbation may be easily observed. Visualizing the states which converge towards the state of emptiness is analogous to the convergence of trajectories from within, and from outside a limit cycle towards a state of dynamic equilibrium.

As I began to write about my experiences in Vietnam, there was one thought after another in succession, like hundreds of firecrackers bursting at random. It was difficult to concentrate on any one thought even for a moment. I could not seem to find the beginning to what I wished to write about. I felt my mind overcrowded with thoughts. Thoughts emerged at random, totally disorganized and chaotic. The feeling was just overwhelming. I wished I could perceive, think, understand the meaning and purpose from all the rich experiences, and write about everything I had learned during the past 6 months, all at the same time. It felt as though I was in the midst of a massive confluence of buses, taxis, motorcycles and pedestrians crossing in all directions and not knowing which way to turn. I could not help thinking that this feeling is somewhat similar to what we all experience in using our laptop computers. Whenever there is no space available on the hard disk, we delete old files or backup the disk to create space for new files. If the disk is full we install a new disk with larger capacity. We increase the capacity from megabytes to gigabytes, and from gigabytes to terabytes, and so on. But such deletion or upgrading capability does not exist in the human mind. We cannot forget anything. We cannot erase our memory. We cannot hide from memories of the past. We need the power to expand our mind at will, so there is space for new thoughts -- a space of absolute emptiness and space that can allow new visions to emerge. So, how can we make room in our mind that can emulate such an empty space? 

In the empty state there is no perception possible. There is no sense for vision, hearing, taste, smell or touch. There is no concept of noise. Like a bubble floating in the pitch dark vacuum of space where there is nothing to see, hear or feel, the state evolves, expands, and provides a crystal clear environment for new visions to emerge. All of this, of course, is easier said than done. It is not easy to cut-off all sensory perceptions. How anyone could do all these at the same instant, I have pondered.

I had seen the famous Zen art made with one stroke of a paint brush showing the circular region of empty space. What does it mean, I thought. 

As I thought about all the obstacles in reaching such a state, in one flashing moment I had experienced that state of mind. I felt  a sense of elation and excitement. Almost instantly, my thoughts about the Heart Sutra struck me. It was as though I had instantly understood what I had been searching for all along.  Suddenly there was an answer. I had spontaneously experienced that feeling and had the urge to write about this. I truly felt enlightened. I quickly realized that there are no words that can describe such an experienced understanding. Words merely convey the meaning and purpose, but not the experience. Yet, there was an urge to write. No matter how difficult it felt, it was a burning desire to express the feeling I had experienced.

I felt enlightened to discover that emptiness is a state of mind which enhances one's own abilities towards a better understanding of who we are. The phenomenon is unique. The phenomenon must be approached systematically by eliminating thoughts which are obvious, irrelevant and ambiguous, and by eliminating thoughts which have no consequence. It is a state where no thought can exist other than the thought of an empty state itself. It is a transforming experience that cannot be adequately described. The capacity to remain in this state for any length of time shows the energy to sustain a state of emptiness. I have yet to experience such a prolonged state of mind. It is a state of mind that can bring peace and tranquility within oneself.

Researching whenever time permits, I have learned the five principal aggregates of the human mind originate from the Heart Sutra, the shortest and most popular Sutra in Buddhism. When I first came across this Sutra, I was just awestruck. This was soon after the discovery of the Buddha form on the Moon. The key concepts of the Heart Sutra are from a teaching by Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara the Buddha of Compassion. It is said, when Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara practised the deep Prajnaparamita, he saw that the five skandhas occupy a space that was empty. He thus overcame all ills and suffering.

The Heart Sutra is a discourse between Lord Avalokiteshvara the Buddha of Compassion, and the monk Shariputra in which Avalokiteshwara states to Shariputra: 

O Sariputra! Form does not differ from the void, and the void does not differ from the form. Form is void, and the void is form. The same is true for feelings, conceptions, impulses and consciousness.

O Sariputra, the characteristics of the void is not created, not annihilated, not impure, not pure, not increasing, not decreasing. 

Therefore, in the void there are no forms and no feelings, conceptions, impulses and no consciousness: there is no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind; there is no form, sound, smell, taste, touch or idea; no eye elements, until we come to no elements of consciousness; no ignorance and no ending of ignorance, until we come to no ending of old age and death.

Also, there is no truth of suffering, of the cause of suffering, of the cessation of suffering or of the path to end suffering. There is no wisdom, and there is no attainment whatsoever. Because there is nothing to be attained, a Bodhisattva relying on Prajnaparamita has no obstruction in his heart. Because there is no obstruction he has no fear, and he passes far beyond all confused imagination and reaches Ultimate Nirvana.

All Buddhas in the past, present and future have attained Supreme Enlightenment by relying on the Prajnaparamita. Therefore, we know that the Prajnaparamita is the foremost magic Manthra, the great Manthra of illumination, it is the supreme Manthra, the unequaled Manthra which can truly wipe out all suffering without fail."

Therefore, he uttered the Prajnaparamita Manthra, by saying:

Ga-the', Ga-the', para-gathe', parasam-gathe' , bodhi svaaha 

The Manthra must be uttered incessantly for the Sutra to take effect. While a Sutra is a statement of facts, the associated Manthra makes facts realizable. The Manthra epitomizes the last few moments prior to the entry into the state of emptiness. Repetitious saying of "Ga-the', Ga-the', para-gathe', parasam-gathe' , bodhi svaaha" reinforces the momentum of the Mind to jump into and stay in the empty state. It is only when the Mind is in the empty state that it becomes possible to introduce, either sequentially or simultaneously, the sense for vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch, Our awareness is heightened towards the meaning and purpose of any new event occurrence. This naturally leads one towards a heightened state of mental awareness. I had never used a Manthra before. So naturally I did not have any perceptive feelings of what manthras can do or what one could expect. I was familiar with their use in Hindu rituals but never experienced the power which manthras are claimed to have.

I now understand the Manthra as a giver of power. The power is built into our Mind through repetitious utterances. It is a self-reinforcing chant. It is similar to repeating in one's own Mind that "I can do it, I can do it, I can do it, ..." as many times as one wishes to repeat until what one can do is in fact achieved, and we say in our Mind "I did it!!" It is one's own abilities to overcome and block the obstacles which prevent the wanted outcome from happening. It is a test of self-endurance. It is a fight in one's own Mind. It is like a tug-of-war between the two-parts of the Mind. It is a fight between the evil minded Mara King and Gautama Buddha -- a mental battle.

Moon-faced Buddha with Mara enveloping the mental state of the Buddha

I am now beginning to understand, a bit more clearly, what the significance of the discovery on the Moon has, in relation to the Heart Sutra. The state of emptiness allows one to see each vision clearly and continuously. This is indeed  the enlightenment of Gautama Buddha. 

Perception of Avalokiteshwara on the Moon by Thich Le Thien

In our life, nothing happens without trying.  One just needs to try, try, try again, indefinitely. It is only when the outcome is realized that there is a great sense of satisfaction. This satisfaction naturally builds the urge to do it again and again. It is this endurance, which gives the power to expand the Mind at will, whenever and wherever one is, and at any moment. With perfection, one can be in the state of emptiness anytime and anywhere one wishes.

Saying the Manthra repeatedly enhances the momentum towards reaching the state of emptiness. This is a self-induced force acting on our thought process. It is a force caused by the rapid increase in mental momentum. The concept of emptiness is realized when all perceptive thought is blocked.

The Diamond Sutra summarizes the 600 volumes of the Maha Prajna Sutra in about 5000 words. In turn, the Heart Sutra summarizes the Diamond Sutra in 250 words. It has the power of suggesting the manner of attaining the purest form of the human mind and is considered the summation of the wisdom of Gautama Buddha. Although The Heart Sutra is remarkably brief it contains key concepts of Buddhist Philosophy. These include the Skandhas, the four noble truths, the cycle of interdependence and the central concept of Mahayana Buddhism, the concept of Emptiness. Here is the original in Sanskrit script and a transliterated English script. This is one among many translations.

There are countless number of references that provide interpretations of the Sanskrit scripture Prajna-Paramita Hridaya Sutra, The Perfect-Wisdom Heart Sutra. Through this sutra one is able to achieve a state of Emptiness in which there is complete cessation of all desires. There is total detachment. There are no perceptions of any kind. Without cause there are no effects. In this state one is able to see with great clarity the depth of visions in the mind. 

How do we find the way to the state of emptiness?

The Prajnaparamita mantra, the Manthra for the Heart Sutra:

"Ga-the', Ga-the', para-gathe', parasam-gathe' , bodhi svaaha" is understood to have extraordinary powers to transform the state of Mind. Ever since I first read about this in late August 2011, I had become intrigued by what it can do. I had read the English version of the Heart Sutra and wondered how the Mantra could empower the human mind with powerful transformational skills. What does one need to do? How does one practice the Manthra, I wondered. It naturally generates a desire to ask someone to show the way. 

A Koan from the Zen classic  Mumonkan, Case 19, is a dialog between Joshu (778-897AD) and Nansen (748-834 AD). It reads as follows: Joshu asked Nansen “Show me the Way”, to which Nansen replied “Ordinary mind is the Way”. “If so, can I seek the ordinary mind?” asked Joshu, for which Nansen replied “If you do, you will be separated from it”. “Then how will I know when I have reached the ordinary mind” asked Joshu. “Knowing how to reach the ordinary mind is a delusion and not knowing what is the ordinary mind is confusion” replied Nansen. With this, Joshu attained enlightenment.

There is nothing that can be attained without practice. There is an old phrase which simply states that "Practice makes one perfect". Therefore if one desires to feel the experience of what is stated in the Heart Sutra, one must practice in any way one thinks it is possible to attain it. There is no prescribed manner of reaching that state. It is a self-determination to experience what it is, and what it feels like. It is a deep sense of curiosity and inquisitiveness which motivates and inspires one to see the way. It is indeed the ordinary mind that will allow one to find one's own path towards the state of emptiness.

Regardless of which society we live in, there is no reason for anyone to suspect, predict, or even presume the intent of another individual's actions.  Our own actions must be mindful, respectful, considerate and compassionate to others.We watch our own business while appreciating and admiring the beauty in what we see. Everyone knows exactly what they are doing at any given moment, and why they are doing it. However, in the non-ideal World that we all live in, such a notion of synchronicity does not quite exist to the extent we all wish. We have to be aware of our own safety and well-being through an extraordinary sense of situational awareness. We have to watch our backs, so to say. The threat could be from adversaries, people who don't share the same mindset as ours, who threaten our physical and spiritual well-being.

It is natural to shield oneself from the evils in society. Not too long ago, I was pick pocketed on a crowded bus in Saigon. An awful feeling that overwhelmed me and consumed my thoughts for a week. I had just experienced an invasion of privacy combined with the effect of material detachment. Although it lasted for a week, I kept thinking that if only I had eyes all around me I could become more aware of my immediate environment. No one can disagree that such self-protection created by a state-of-mind can in fact bring peace of mind. 

Every morning around 6:00 am, I stood outside the hotel in Saigon watching what people did. I saw an old Vietnamese lady burning paper in front of her store. She waved the burning paper around in a ritualistic manner and let the flames reach out to every corner of her work space. It was as if the flames were meant to consume evil spirits all around and in front of the store and protect her from any bad happenings throughout the day. It could have meant many things. It could mean that she followed a tradition of her ancestors to bring good luck and well-being to her store and family. I would not be surprised if these were indeed the anticipated outcomes of that ritual. 

In many cultures, ritualistic beliefs prompt individuals to cast spells on others for fear of being harmed, or to ward-off evil spirits. These spells are called Manthras. It is said that a Manthra has magical powers -- powers to transform oneself from one form to another, or to instantly transport oneself from one place to another, and so on. Mythology has it that the demon Maareecha, in the Ramayana, transformed himself in to a beautiful Gold lustered spotted deer to lure Rama away from Seetha so that Ravana could abduct Seetha. People do things which only they know why, and what useful purpose it may serve them. An observer can only infer from their actions. From the observer's point-of-view, whether or not a person is performing a ritual  is immaterial. What matters is the other persons knowledge and beliefs about their ritualistic actions, which as an observer we know little or nothing about.

Our perceptions are of many different kind. We have visions that appear spontaneously like snapshots. They are discontinuous. They are intermittent and mixed with visions from the past. We seek an environment that can transport our minds to an extraordinary realm of peacefulness and calm, so that we can be relieved from anxiety, and be able to perceive beyond what we can normally perceive. Our depth of perception must be increased. As contradictory as it may appear, the Heart Sutra prescribes the means to eliminate all perceptions. The peacefulness and calm is said to be in a void where there are no perceptions of any kind. How do we find the path towards such a state of Mind? It is a Zen state of Mind, which is attained through a Manthra.

Buddha form on the Moon

Marble statue of Gautama Buddha in Da Nang

Transformation

Transformation from one form of energy into another is fascinating. Hydraulic energy in fluid-flow systems can be transformed into rotational mechanical energy. Rotational mechanical energy in turn can be transformed into electrical energy. But these are transformations created by the physics of motion which can be seen, observed, demonstrated, and proven to be true. These are human-made physical systems which obey the Laws of Physics. They are machines. Although there is no such thing as a "true" android yet, advances have been made in areas of artificial intelligence to mimic human actions. There is no machine yet that can duplicate or replace the human Mind. Mimicry is the only human-like possibility for machines, but duplication is not.


Why do we wish to think about this? It is because the extent of the human mind is not fully understood in terms of its power to expand. This is a power which is self-induced towards achieving extraordinary clarity in our perception, thinking, understanding, gaining knowledge and reaching a higher state of the conscious mind. Expanding the mind must come from deep thought. It is a trained process of learning to reach into our own minds. It is as though we wish to explore our own mind to understand why, what and how we understand what we are attempting to understand. It is a way to cut out thoughts which have no meaning or purpose. 


How deep is deep thought? Where is the bottom of deep thought? What can we hope to see, feel and perceive at the bottom of deep thought where there can be no perceptions of any kind? So, it must be the Void -- a space of emptiness where nothing can exist, not even our own mind. Our mind itself is the Void. It is truly in the abysmal, immeasurable depths of thought. This thought strikes at the heart of the Heart Sutra, namely, "Void is form and form is void" wherein our physical form appears to be transformed in to an omnipresent state.


The Heart Sutra describes a void where there are no sensory perceptions. There is no sound, there is no light, no smell, no feeling of taste, and nothing to touch. There can be no perceptions of any kind possible in such a void.  There is no sensation of any kind whatsoever. All five aggregates of the Skandhas are absent. The human Mind is in a state of Emptiness.


The associated Manthra which can bring about a transformation: "Ga-The', Ga-The', Paara Ga-The', Paarasam Ga-The', Bodhi Svaaha" is the mechanism which enables self-induced transformation into the Void. So, Void is oneself, and oneself is the Void. I have wondered what this feeling must be for a long time.


There is nothing magical in this form of transformation. It is a natural expansion of the Mind towards the other extreme -- an extreme where there is nothing to think about. Noting that thoughts emerge from our sensory perceptors, the absence of all perceptors makes no thought possible. There are no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, and no body or mind for any thought to exist. This means there can be no perception that even the Mind exists. It is a state of absolute Zero. It is within this state of mind that all truth can be seen clearly, and with great clarity. The feeling is like encapsulating oneself within a bubble where the bubble is oneself. The World view is a view from within oneself. I have asked myself whether such a state can be achieved while one is not sitting in a fixed position in a meditative state. In other words, can one attain the Zero state while engaged in all normal activities? I have come to believe it can be done, even if it is a momentary feeling. The state of emptiness is truly an experienced understanding which no words can describe.

Statue of Avalokitheshwara overlooking Da Nang city

Revisiting Buddha pointing finger at the Moon

Mythology has a way to spur human thought. It does not mean that we must believe in myths. Instead the fact that a mythology exists, heightens the curiosity and inquisitiveness to explore the meaning and purpose of the myth. For example, it is said in Hindu mythology that Maharishi Vyasa recited the epic Mahabharatha while Lord Ganesha listened, understood the full meaning, and transcribed exactly what was said, all at the same time. A humanly impossible task, it creates an "ideal" model for human learning. Perception, thinking and understanding naturally lead to greater knowledge which creates the path towards achieving a higher state of the conscious mind. In fact, these are the five principal aggregates to human consciousness, also known as the Skandhas in Sanskrit.

Perception is based upon how our five sensory systems, namely, vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch, can be combined together to give form to the object that we wish to perceive. It is a self-taught skill that must be practiced and experienced. We must focus our attention deeply towards what we wish to see, understand, experience and learn. Our focus must not be disrupted by momentary thoughts that are unrelated and are inconsequential to what we wish to learn. Like firecrackers exploding randomly, thoughts emerge from nowhere, and disappear quickly. It is an annoying feeling when we are unable to concentrate on any one topic or issue when our mind begins to wander, sparked by dozens of thoughts. We cannot focus on any one thought for any length of time. We feel frustrated by the distractions. We feel like closing our eyes and ears so no thought other than what we wish to focus on can persist in our mind.  We wish to experience a stream of thoughts and see the continuous, uninterrupted sequence of images in the mirror of our mind. How can one possibly achieve such a state of mind and yet carry on with the activities that we are normally engaged in.

I have been meaning to revise the blog posted in late August 2011, for some time. Needless to say, the lack of time combined with many distractions I have been experiencing has been major factors contributing to my inability in making any revisions. In any case, I have felt it is better now than later to start making changes. 


The picture below shows an early first century AD Tibetan painting of Buddha pointing to the Moon. It is possible that the image is part of the Bhavachakra (Wheel of Life). The Full Moon image shows what Buddha might have pointed to.

           Buddha pointing to the Full Moon               What one can see

Here is the image of the Moon in false color taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft from approximately 400,000 nautical miles. 

         False color image                      Closeup                             Face

I have had a few instances when people have asked me "How do you know this is what Buddha pointed to?" Obviously, no one will ever know the answer. But there is sufficient detail in the image to arrive at one's own conclusions. 

Visit to Chiang Mai, Thailand

On a recent visit to Chiang Mai, Thailand, my close friend took us to the Wat Prathat Doi Suthep Temple atop a mountain. Built during the late 14th century, the temple is a centerpiece for Buddhism in Chiang Mai. Inside the Pagoda, there are numerous Buddha statues and wall paintings depicting the life of Buddha. Here are some pictures from that visit.

Steps leading to the Pagoda

One of many sign posts on the way up

Buddha preaching to his disciples

Wall painting depicting the attack on Buddha's meditative state

A 2006 puppet show re-enacting Buddha's path to enlightenment

At around the same time as the discovery of the Buddha form on the Moon, I had been searching for other pictorial renditions of Gautama Buddha's encounter with Mara, the demon king who tried in vain to distract Buddha from his deep meditation as he sat under the Bodhi tree. I had found a set of 32 pictures posted on the Internet from a 2006 puppet show in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, reenacting Buddha's path to enlightenment. The remarkable enactment shows Gautama Buddha entering the forest, sitting down to meditate, is surrounded by Mara and his demonic companions, there is an ensuing barrage of attacks on Buddha's meditative mental state, and finally there is peace and tranquility from having overcome the attack. Viewers may see this here.

The reenactment captures the essence of what is seen on the Moon. With Mara's face masking that of the Buddha face, the gesture of Buddha pointing his finger at the Moon seems to confirm the origins of the Bhavachakra (Wheel of Life). Perhaps this is exactly what Gautama Buddha wanted all humans to see and for us to discover much more about the meaning and purpose of our life.

Mara and his demonic forces attacking Buddha.
Wall painting inside the Wat Prathat Doi Suthep Temple in
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Buddha's Birthday

I have searched many sources for Gautama Buddha's birth year. According to most historians and researchers of Buddhism, the dates range between 624 BC to 563 BC. Thailand uses Buddha's birth year as a reference for all official internal purposes including automobile registrations. May 5, 2012, the day celebrated as Vesak, marks the beginning of Year 2556. This would make Buddha's birth year 544 BC.

We commonly use the word enlightenment in describing a personal feeling of success, or some form of revelation that brings joy and happiness. This could be success in achieving some desired or unexpected result in engineering, science or in mathematics. But is this truly enlightenment? I suppose not. So what is enlightenment? 

The path towards seeking peace of mind, a state of mind called Nirvana, takes on many forms. One needs to encounter events that cause enlightenment. What it is, is unknown and cannot be described. But what it is, must be experienced and understood. The meaning and purpose of each event in our daily lives must be felt, experienced and understood. 

My meeting with Nun Bach at the Truc Lam Zen Buddhist monastery in Da Lat was enlightening. I can say this only to share my feeling of reaching a state of mind -- a state for thoughtful expression and creative thinking. Her thoughts were expressed beautifully. She made me think deeper than I had before. 

The discovery of the Buddha form on the Moon has given me the inspiration to dig deeper into the life of Buddha. I have thought incessantly for the meaning and purpose of the existence for such an image on the Moon. This is a challenge I have taken on by my own accord. 

Here are some pictures from the Truc Lam Zen Buddhist monastery taken on Saturday, May 5, 2012.

Main entrance

Dress code

Chanting in Main Hall

Monks leaving the Main Hall after ceremonies

In Da Lat by chance

I am in Da Lat by chance. We arrived here on Sunday April 29th, 2012 around 7 pm. Monday, April 30th, 2012 was Vietnam's reunification day, and Tuesday May 1, 2012 was Labor Day, both national holidays in Vietnam. With the weekend approaching, I suggested to my wife that we take a trip to Madagui and Da Lat. I could tell that she was excited. 


My wife's sister got into the loop and soon had a van and other travel arrangements ready. I have to admit that my sister-in-law is just amazing. She can get things done, no matter what, where, when, and how complex the task might be. We left Saigon on Saturday, April 28th for Madagui. After a short overnight stay in Madagui, we headed North towards Da Lat. The feelings of anticipation and anxiety were flowing through my body. The visit to Da Lat triggered my thoughts from an earlier visit in August 1998, in ways I could never have imagined. The original plan was to stay for 2 nights in Da Lat and return to Saigon on Tuesday, so I could go back to my work on Wednesday, May 3rd, 2012. But this plan was destined to change. 


My wife had hinted earlier about staying longer in Da Lat. But my mind was not focused on what to anticipate. For me, it felt as though I needed a break from my work, and to just getaway for a couple of days. At a spur of the moment, I just felt I wanted to stay longer, maybe till the end of the week -- maybe until Saturday, May 5th, 2012. My thoughts were jumping from one to another. Much like a flickering flame, my thoughts jumped from the enrichment of work that I am engaged in, to the spiritual wisdom from enlightenment. 


As a Fulbrighter in Vietnam, I have engaged myself deeply in various aspects of the Vietnamese culture and education. My work, therefore, is my driving force for exploring visions of Vietnam that I have never had a chance in the past to think about. All my previous visits to Vietnam were very short with no time to relax and engage in everything. 


Our anticipated departure from Da Lat on Saturday, May 5th, 2012, was also bound to change because I found out that May 5th, 2012 is Buddha's Birthday, Vesak. This made me even more excited. I had to stay back to witness and be part of the celebrations.


Banners are all over town. Floats bearing a statue of Siddhartha pointing the index finger of the right hand to the sky, and the index finger of the left hand to Earth are being prepared for the celebrations. Da Lat is buzzing with activity.


Here are some pictures of what is going on in Da Lat.

Zen moments in Da Lat, Vietnam

My family and a close friend of my sister-in-law visited the Truc Lam Zen Buddhist monastery in Da Lat today. It was the first time I had been in such a place. Everything I saw appeared to be perfect. Every Monk or Nun that passed by smiled and nodded. It was a remarkable environment where one could let their mind lose and feel free of any inhibitions or addictions. The place looked like no other place I have ever seen before. Thoughts of extraordinary nature appeared instantly. I felt surrounded by the beauty in Nature. Located on the shores of Da Lat Lake it has a serene environment which allows anyone to focus on anything and think deeply.

Truc Lam Zen Buddhist monastery in Da Lat

I felt dazzled by the sight of Banzai plants all around. I kept thinking how anyone could describe the beauty of the scenes to another. The meaning of "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" had sunk in to my mind. I knew I could not possibly describe my feelings of the surrounding beauty. What is beautiful to one may appear just ordinary for another. So, there is nothing unique about such places other than they are the ONLY places where there is absolute freedom of thought. The fact is, time is irrelevant in path to enlightenment. Enlightenment can occur any moment for anyone if there is deep thought. We all practice this in our everyday lives as engineers, scientists and mathematicians. But our thoughts are frequently interrupted by unwanted or undesirable thoughts, commonly referred to as "noise".

My sister-in-law had briefly mentioned about the monastery before leaving for Da Lat. She had also mentioned that she knew a nun who could speak English fluently. My anxiety grew as we traveled by road and I honestly could not wait to discuss with her about some Zen stories and koans which I had read earlier.

I felt privileged to meet Nun Bach who is practicing Zen at the monastery.  The meeting was arranged by my sister-in-law who is a frequent visitor to this monastery. I asked Nun Bach how long she had been practicing. She replied: "I am practicing it now!!", with a sense of elation and excitement. I thought for a moment and felt that my question was too naive. It is true that persistence and practice have no end. It does not matter when one started practicing, but it does matter how rigorous the practice is towards enlightenment.

In the short period we met, I asked Nun Bach if I could discuss the koan "No Water, No Moon".  Giggling at times, she immediately burst in to a big smile. I could guess at that moment that Nun Bach had closely studied Nun Chiyono's history and her path to enlightenment. After a few passing comments, we had to end our meeting. It was time for chanting in the prayer hall. A banner announcing Buddha's birthday,Vesak, on May 5th, 2012, was posted as we walked past the main prayer hall. The front door was barely open just to allow a quick view of the Buddha statue. We left the monastery grounds after the prayers, but the thoughts of the visit are still fresh and it is my hope to be there again for Buddha's birthday celebrations.

Banner announcing Buddha's Birthday

I recall a recent news article from the Vatican stating that a Roman Catholic Cardinal praised Buddhism for instilling the values of wisdom and compassion in young people across the World. The cardinal stated this aspect of Buddhist education is a precious gift to society. As we returned home from the visit to Truc Lam monastery, this thought kept ringing in my mind and how wonderful it will be for all younger generations to visit such places frequently, however briefly it might be, and experience an environment that naturally stimulates deep thinking.

Full Moon on May 5, 2012

For many Buddhists in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and in the Southeast Asian countries of Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Indonesia, May 5, 2012 marks the celebration of the life of Gautama Buddha, beginning from his birth to his passing away. It is celebrated as Buddha's birthday, Buddha Jayanthi, in India. It is also celebrated to represent Buddha's enlightenment on a Full Moon night, two thousand five hundred and fifty five years ago. Called Vesak or Wesak in many parts of Southeast Asia, it is called Vaishakha in India. Here is a link to find out when the Full Moon occurs for the rest of 2012 and 2013.


"No Water, No Moon", a well known koan, describes nun Chiyono's experienced enlightenment on a Full Moon night. For years, she had been studying to practice Zen under Bukko of Engaku, and yet had not felt the sense of enlightenment. Then, on one Full Moon night as she was carrying home a pail of water she saw the reflection of the brilliant Moon in the water. She could not look up in the night sky to stare at the Moon, for fear of dropping the pail and losing the water. She was happy enough to gaze at the Moon's reflection, see many distortions of the Moon caused by the undulating water, and enjoy the beauty of the Full Moon through its reflection. Suddenly, the old pail made of bamboo fell apart. Water gushed out and the reflection of the Moon instantly disappeared. Nun Chiyono became enlightened.


Enlightenment happens suddenly. There is no step-by-step approach towards feeling enlightened. For Nun Chiyono, perhaps it is a vision that came true through perceiving all the images she could see on the Moon. Her gaze focused on the Moon's reflection. All she saw was a continuous image of the reflected Moon while she walked along a path illuminated by the bright shining Moon. No one will ever know what exactly Nun Chiyono saw and experienced, and that which brought her enlightenment. Enlightenment is an experienced understanding of the truth. No one can share this experience, as no words can carry the inner feelings. Words are merely a way to express a thought. The manner in which the thought occurred can not be expressed. 


In this context, the discovery of the holographic quality images of the Buddha form on the Moon, and the image of Jesus Christ on the Moon are significant to understanding the Zen state of mind. The approximate size of each image is seen in the picture below.

From a scholarly view-point it will be useful for historians and philosophers to articulate greater meaning of the phrase "Pointing finger at the Moon".

Image of Jesus Christ on the Moon

About a week after the discovery of the Buddha form on the Moon, yet another discovery stunned me. It was a holographic image of Jesus Christ in the Sea of Serenity, the common name for Mare Serenitatis. The discovery was made on December 25^th, 2007, ironically on Christmas Day.

Full Moon -- Mare Serenitatis

I have struggled in my mind whether or not to publish this finding because of my inability to describe this in some meaningful way. It is not because I am not a Christian and my knowledge of Christianity is at a bare minimum. It is purely because I am uncertain about its meaning and why the image could be on the Moon. Historically, there is some connection between Gautama Buddha and the image of the Buddha form on the Moon. But I could not find anything which makes the connection between Jesus Christ and the image of Him in a shroud on the Moon!! Nevertheless, it is up to the individual who can see the image and is able to perceive objects of historical significance to arrive at some rational conclusion regarding its meaning and its purpose.

We were on a road trip to California with my brother-in-law, a Buddhist monk from Vietnam, when we stopped in Santa Ana, California. I had been driving for nearly 400 miles that day, we were all tired, it was Christmas night and a motel vacancy was hard to find. After driving around a bit, we found a vacancy sign at a motel and we were eager to check-in and relax. The thought of discovering the Buddha form was constantly on my mind and I could not wait to start my laptop and start looking at the high resolution images of the Moon. It had become an addiction.

After a quick wash and a bite to eat I began looking at the images for anything new that I could find. Suddenly, in much the same manner as the earlier finding, I saw an image of what I could perceive immediately as Jesus Christ. I had watched the 2004 movie “Passion of the Christ” and the image just struck me like a lightning. I showed the image to Thay Thien, my brother-in-law, and he too was pleasantly shocked and surprised. Thay Thien immediately pulled out his sketchpad and pencil and started sketching what he had just seen. In the meantime, I was busy documenting the finding and writing things down so I would not forget the moment of discovery.

Sea of Serenity -- Maria Serenitatis

Pencil sketch by Thich Le Thien

There are a number of reasons why I did not publish this earlier. It is hard for me to describe. But the important thing is I made a decision to publish this because of the inspiration I received on Easter Sunday in Vietnam. My wife, daughter and I had been for a walk around the downtown area of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). As we passed the Notre Dame cathedral I saw many people with their hands folded and praying. I was enlightened. It was then that I felt the need to publish my finding so people can see what is out there on the Moon and explore for themselves their own sense for enlightenment.