tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89782729348052022542024-03-06T02:09:50.070+11:00Destination SaigonDestination Saigon, Adventures in Vietnam is a new book by Walter Mason... out now!thang @ noodlieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370746389984695919noreply@blogger.comBlogger207125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-11376599638820205122020-12-12T12:55:00.004+11:002020-12-12T12:55:24.512+11:00Fri 12 Feb - Fri 26 Feb 2021 - Walter Mason teaches a 3-week course on The Great Hollywood Costume Designers, at WEA Sydney<p><a href="https://www.weasydney.com.au/course/GHCD" target="_blank"><abbr>The Great Hollywood Costume Designers</abbr></a></p><p><abbr> </abbr></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFiOfF3vSS3Sl4jpRqU4hadC3YpyAR-nQGylQiHu3dokFfgvWlqPEpx6jmFaUU3AWEyQ40G8GenwQYmbx1mBrtz-x9pkQ5yQScMxby3ebllmvuBNcb8Sbjv2gflHlJgEizq63y7boFdhV/s1024/B_Joan+Crawford_gown+by+Adrian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="746" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFiOfF3vSS3Sl4jpRqU4hadC3YpyAR-nQGylQiHu3dokFfgvWlqPEpx6jmFaUU3AWEyQ40G8GenwQYmbx1mBrtz-x9pkQ5yQScMxby3ebllmvuBNcb8Sbjv2gflHlJgEizq63y7boFdhV/w292-h400/B_Joan+Crawford_gown+by+Adrian.jpg" title="Joan Crawford in a gown by Adrian" width="292" /></a></div><br /><abbr><br /></abbr><p></p><p><abbr>Fri 12 Feb - Fri 26 Feb 2021 </abbr></p><p><abbr> <br />11am - 1pm each Friday, 3 sessions, 6 hours total<br /> </abbr></p><p><abbr>At <a href="https://www.weasydney.com.au/" target="_blank">WEA Sydney</a></abbr></p><p><abbr><br />Join <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2010/02/about-walter-mason.html" target="_blank">Walter Mason</a>, author of <i>Destination Saigon</i>, as we look at three of the best Hollywood Costume Designers of the Golden Years: <a href="https://variety.com/2020/artisans/news/edith-head-costumes-audrey-hepburn-bette-davis-1234814584/" target="_blank">Edith Head</a>, <a href="https://variety.com/2001/more/reviews/gowns-by-adrian-the-mgm-years-1928-1941-1200552829/" target="_blank">Adrian</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/GbWKCLfmWO0" target="_blank">Jean Louis</a>. </abbr></p><p><abbr>We will look at their <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2013/10/30-fantastic-movie-costumes-by-edith-head.html">films</a>, at their <a href="https://fashionista.com/2020/02/scad-alaia-adrian-masters-of-cut-exhibit" target="_blank">creations</a> and how their <a href="https://youtu.be/Kb0tssPIR6k" target="_blank">looks</a> have continued to <a href="https://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fashion-clothing-industry/fashion-designers/edith-head" target="_blank">echo down through the years</a>.</abbr></p><p><abbr> </abbr></p><p><abbr>There are still COVID restrictions on the number of students allowed in this face-to-face course, and we are very close to selling out, so if you think it sounds fun do book your place now! </abbr><br /><a class="timeline date-time session-date" href="https://www.weasydney.com.au/Timeline/sessions?ids=5409240" rel="session"><abbr class="dtend"></abbr></a></p>Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-50015883141048661792019-01-04T23:01:00.001+11:002019-01-04T23:01:52.469+11:00St Martin de Porres - a beloved saint in Vietnam<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zd7jq0AJHxuSfr1svzUJvW7tl6H9MBwXxBOMsAhAlPgEB2r-U9YpCgYBiMfrVrWKoMY7hjvHQWaYCQ1Cx7X8jVfAEU4NYn-JFSeGjlgoQ0s3Q71kQspDfu5-YQ0bfEdGURs3_Gt6OKKS/s1600/B_St+Martin+de+Porres_Vietnam_Nha+Tho_Quan+Tan+Binh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zd7jq0AJHxuSfr1svzUJvW7tl6H9MBwXxBOMsAhAlPgEB2r-U9YpCgYBiMfrVrWKoMY7hjvHQWaYCQ1Cx7X8jVfAEU4NYn-JFSeGjlgoQ0s3Q71kQspDfu5-YQ0bfEdGURs3_Gt6OKKS/s400/B_St+Martin+de+Porres_Vietnam_Nha+Tho_Quan+Tan+Binh.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image of St. Martin de Porres inside a small neighbourhood Catholic church in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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If you start visiting the <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2012/11/tan-dinh-church-district-3-ho-chi-minh.html" target="_blank">Catholic churches</a> in and around <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_Cathedral_Basilica_of_Saigon" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a> you will begin to notice an unexpected saint. <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2008/06/st-martin-de-porres.html" target="_blank">St Martin de Porres</a>, native of <a href="http://www.limaeasy.com/culture-guide/historical-buildings/birth-house-of-san-martin-de-porres" target="_blank">Lima</a>, <a href="https://thecatholictravelguide.com/destinations/peru/lima-peru-convent-santo-domingo-shrine-saint-rose-lima-saint-martin-de-porres/" target="_blank">Peru</a>, is one of the most beloved <a href="https://www.sanctatrinitas.org/Prayers_and_Novena_to_St_Martin_De_Porres.html" target="_blank">saints</a> of the Saigonese Catholics, and his <a href="https://fathervalan.org/novenas/21/Saint-Martin-de-Porres.html" target="_blank">image</a> pops up everywhere.<br />
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Now, given <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Indochina" target="_blank">Vietnam's French colonial past</a> you might expect to see French saints better represented. People like <a href="https://youtu.be/C2pF5XhNSJk" target="_blank">St. Catherine Laboure</a> (hardly found at all) or <a href="https://www.catholiccompany.com/getfed/st-bernadette-lessons-suffering/" target="_blank">Bernadette of Lourdes</a> (seen in churches occasionally). But no - apart from <a href="https://alchetron.com/Vietnamese-Martyrs" target="_blank">the Vietnamese martyrs</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_La_Vang" target="_blank">Our Lady of La Vang</a>, the most commonly encountered figure is from the Hispanic world: <a href="https://daily-prayers.org/angels-and-saints/prayers-to-saint-martin-de-porres/" target="_blank">St. Martin de Porres</a>.<br />
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Well, one reason for it might be that Spanish missionaries got to Vietnam well before <a href="http://www.ncregister.com/blog/astagnaro/vietnamese-passion-plays-are-powerful-because-vietnam-has-suffered-with-chr" target="_blank">French ones</a>. They established missions in the North of Vietnam that were never particularly successful. It was the French Jesuits, especially in the wake of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_de_Rhodes" target="_blank">Alexandre de Rhodes</a>, who would make the greatest religious impact on the country.<br />
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But the real reason for the popularity of the <a href="https://owlcation.com/humanities/Patron-Saints-Who-Were-Able-to-Levitate-Bilocate-and-Bend-the-Laws-of-Nature" target="_blank">levitating</a>, <a href="http://originalpeople.org/saint-martin-de-porres/" target="_blank">biracial</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/IN_FF5JidG0" target="_blank">Peruvian</a> saint is much more recent. By the 20th century <a href="http://thethreeprayers.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">St. Martin de Porres</a> had come to be an important figure in the post-colonial Church. His in-between status had seen his popularity grow beyond Latin America. By the 1960s he was revered in the Philippines, and was seen as representing the spirit of the Church outside of the Western world.<br />
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It was Filipino missionaries and young Vietnamese priests trained in the Philippines who really ramped up the devotion to <a href="https://www.stmartin.ie/life-st-martin/" target="_blank">St. Martin de Porres</a>, installing images of him in churches around the <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/573851/Fascinating-photos-show-how-Vietnam-has-healed-40-years-after-the-fall-of-Saigon" target="_blank">war-torn city of Saigon</a>. He seems to have struck a nerve with Vietnamese worshippers as well, and soon his cult, which is still well and truly alive today in Vietnam, was well established among Catholics in the South.<br />
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Probably the most famous shrine to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_de_Porres" target="_blank">Thanh Martino</a> (as he is known in Vietnam) is quite close to my house in <a href="https://www.itourvn.com/blog/phu-nhuan-district-in-ho-chi-minh-city" target="_blank">Phu Nhuan district</a>. The famous <i>Nha Tho Ba Chuong</i> is a large and beautiful church in a Vietnamese architectural style on the impossibly busy <a href="http://www.hcmc.com/streets/le-van-sy" target="_blank">Le Van Sy street</a>. It is well worth a visit to see its funky 60s Vietnam style and, of course, say a prayer at its famous shrine to St. Martin de Porres. You can also buy a statue or image of St. Martin at the gift shop outside (that is where mine comes from).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgrUWN5Io4Itv5fqRR4DdNOY7Sno4-foxv5qFnhQbd-vZF994EdQTvlp6HE8lcTNS7a2rZ_Vx7I2EENub_HwzvSrduq2kqHDhUe_LQkkoZQsOzBdhygdC2UvcRz29MZPJmae-2b6poVrN/s1600/B_St+Martin+de+Porres_Vietnam_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgrUWN5Io4Itv5fqRR4DdNOY7Sno4-foxv5qFnhQbd-vZF994EdQTvlp6HE8lcTNS7a2rZ_Vx7I2EENub_HwzvSrduq2kqHDhUe_LQkkoZQsOzBdhygdC2UvcRz29MZPJmae-2b6poVrN/s400/B_St+Martin+de+Porres_Vietnam_1.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shrine to St. Martin de Porres at Nha Tho Ba Chuong, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City</td></tr>
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The church is always open (though the gift shop closes for the lunchtime siesta between 12 and 2, making of one of the last places in the City to keep these once-ubiquitous hours) and the image of the Saint was sent from the Philippines in the early 60s and has since became a focus of many prayers and miracles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjqPonWwaOHK15vRXlVHseGLvmArJMPFVnynP5IQeRgwTC3Rn_uH_5VQZKCAJNEzSG85bCPWNqM0V8AoyuTVK9TJE8SLWP3Cxqf5bYCwLagKNJoZUR953qOoq4gKsQ7-29zWxkRTeh-Z7/s1600/B_St+Martin+de+Porres_Vietnam_Nha+Tho+Ba+Chuong.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjqPonWwaOHK15vRXlVHseGLvmArJMPFVnynP5IQeRgwTC3Rn_uH_5VQZKCAJNEzSG85bCPWNqM0V8AoyuTVK9TJE8SLWP3Cxqf5bYCwLagKNJoZUR953qOoq4gKsQ7-29zWxkRTeh-Z7/s400/B_St+Martin+de+Porres_Vietnam_Nha+Tho+Ba+Chuong.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of St. Martin de Porres outside Nha Tho Ba Chuong, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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There is also a small but often-visited shrine to him at the colourful <a href="https://youtu.be/gP1sPGyZw7I" target="_blank">Tan Dinh church</a> in District 3, but in recent years this church has closed itself off to visitors (why on earth they would do such a thing I have no idea) and you will probably be shooed away if you try to get inside to say a prayer.<br />
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<b>Who was <a href="https://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2005/11/st-martin-de-porres.html" target="_blank">St. Martin de Porres</a>? (1579 - 1639)</b><br />
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A Dominican lay-brother of mixed race, <a href="https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/st-martin-de-porres-a-brother-to-his-brothers/4535/" target="_blank">St. Martin de Porres</a> exhibited a sophisticated and profound spirituality from an early age. He was the illegitimate child of a Spanish colonial, and his outsider status is an essential part of his story, and of his popularity across the Church in this modern age.<br />
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As a young servant he would beg his employer for candle stubs so that he could spend his nights in rapturous prayer and <a href="http://dominicandisputatio.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-saint-for-all-times.html" target="_blank">devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary</a>. <br />
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He was famous for his <a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/sanctus-ignotum/st-martin-de-porres" target="_blank">saintliness</a>, and once let a beggar covered in ulcers to sleep in his own bed so that he might find some comfort.<br />
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He is something of an all-purpose Saint, and people pray to him for all kinds of reasons, but particularly for help in times of financial distress and to help the poor in all parts of the world.<br />
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<span class="ILfuVd c3biWd">He is the patron saint of people of mixed race, and of innkeepers, barbers, public health workers and more, with a <b>feast</b> day on November 3.</span><br />
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<span class="ILfuVd c3biWd"><b>The Special Prayer to St. Martin de Porres</b> reads: </span><br />
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<span class="ILfuVd c3biWd">Most humble Martin de Porres, whose burning charity embraced not only thy needy brethren, but also the very animals of the field, splendid example of charity, we hail and invoke thee! </span><br />
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<span class="ILfuVd c3biWd">From that high throne which thou dost occupy, deign to listen to the supplications of thy needy brethren that, by imitating thy virtues, we may live contented in that state in which God has placed us, and, carrying our cross with strength and courage, we may follow in the footsteps of our Blessed Redeemer and His most afflicted Mother, to reach at last the Kingdom of Heaven through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. </span><br />
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<span class="ILfuVd c3biWd">Amen.</span><br />
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<span class="ILfuVd c3biWd"> <a href="https://www.betterreadtours.com/seize-the-moment-walter-mason" target="_blank">Walter Mason is leading a tour to Vietnam in April 2019</a>. With a special focus on writing and creativity, this tour is a precious opportunity for writers to see a country with a fellow writer who is passionate about the place and whose enthusiastic love for Vietnamese culture, literature, cuisine and life is unbounded.</span><br />
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<span class="ILfuVd c3biWd">More details about the <a href="https://www.betterreadtours.com/seize-the-moment-walter-mason" target="_blank">Better Read Literary Tours Vietnam tour with Walter Mason</a>. </span><br /><br />
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<span class="ILfuVd c3biWd"> </span><br /><span class="ILfuVd c3biWd"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span>Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-50741760398206437262018-05-28T19:36:00.000+10:002018-05-28T19:36:12.575+10:00Walter Mason will talk on Martin Chuzzlewit and the lure of America at the NSW Dickens Society on Saturday June 2, 2018 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjbs2mGr5ZII60iCe7MVaHs4YB1GTo0rHD99jp8hAuyvEoqHCGGl3ttK023lytl9u6n_ms5bjSorU580Phc0Ef5oEQRw32fu2lCdExLVj-eGRXGHO8c49aVG79bXBmN_HophhkP1J6j6_/s1600/Martin+Chuzzlewit.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjbs2mGr5ZII60iCe7MVaHs4YB1GTo0rHD99jp8hAuyvEoqHCGGl3ttK023lytl9u6n_ms5bjSorU580Phc0Ef5oEQRw32fu2lCdExLVj-eGRXGHO8c49aVG79bXBmN_HophhkP1J6j6_/s400/Martin+Chuzzlewit.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<strong>Saturday, 2nd June</strong><br />
<a href="https://dickenssydney.com/2017/11/27/2018-nsw-dickens-society-events/" target="_blank"><strong>A talk by Walter Mason: Martin Chuzzlewit and the Lure of America</strong></a></div>
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Walter is the Vice-President of the NSW
Dickens Society, a professional speaker, author and tour guide. Dickens’
final exploration of the <a href="http://www.dictionary.com/browse/picaresque" target="_blank">picaresque</a> form in <em>The Life and</em> <em>Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit</em> has
always been one of his least-discussed books, but in this talk, Walter
Mason makes the case for it being one of his best. Dickens made a
decision to switch the scene to America partway through the novel, and
Walter also looks at Dickens’ relationship to America and the ways in which it was portrayed by his peers in English literature.</div>
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This talk is hosted by the NSW Dickens Society.</div>
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Non-members are always welcome.</div>
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Entry for non-members is $10.</div>
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Meetings are held at 10.30 at <strong>the Sydney Room, City Tattersalls Club, 194 – 204 Pitt Street (near Market Street), Sydney.</strong> No bookings required. $5 entry fee for NSW Dickens Society members. $10 for non-members.</div>
Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-60203305859986423862018-03-31T16:05:00.000+11:002018-03-31T16:05:27.860+11:00Walter Mason will talk on The Zen of Jane at the Jane Austen Society of Australia in Sydney, Saturday June 16, 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AdkMTwUhJp4ncOWdFZDgRvyx-z0FNUF_7P8oDfdWBFMZK6IL1c6rCbla811hXXbbqRCVZcbobaUCxaGuX2Yp5KcO5Y8VIgQ-OsC3Wn6-3c6AH2Wxatkucn_wgfTdWhlxIrCZ90j07Xyn/s1600/the+zen+of+jane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="945" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AdkMTwUhJp4ncOWdFZDgRvyx-z0FNUF_7P8oDfdWBFMZK6IL1c6rCbla811hXXbbqRCVZcbobaUCxaGuX2Yp5KcO5Y8VIgQ-OsC3Wn6-3c6AH2Wxatkucn_wgfTdWhlxIrCZ90j07Xyn/s400/the+zen+of+jane.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://jasa.com.au/calendar/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Zen of Jane” talk at Jane Austen Society of Australia - Sydney – 16 June, 2018 </span></b></a><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b>
Sydney meetings are held at the <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Roseville+Uniting+Church/@-33.8053415,151.1757931,13z/data=!4m5!1m2!2m1!1sUniting+Church+Hall,+7+Lord+Street,+Roseville+NSW!3m1!1s0x6b12a8dc7794494d:0x63f62edb4ee8b5c6">Uniting Church Hall, 7 Lord Street, Roseville NSW</a><br />
<br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></b>
They start at 2pm, and it's a good idea to get there a little early because they can fill up.<br />
<br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></b>
<div class="vevent event-item even event-2">
<h3 class="summary">
“The Zen of Jane: Buddhist Lessons from the Books of Jane Austen” - Walter Mason</h3>
<div class="description">
A
novel and enlightening look at Jane Austen as Zen master. How do we
look at literature through new filters, and what does a nineteenth
century writer who probably never thought about Buddhism have to teach
us about matters of mindfulness? Walter Mason, author and spiritual
tourist, looks at how far Buddhist thought had entered Austen’s era and
how reading her might prove thoughtful lessons in wisdom, quietness and
loving kindness. </div>
<div class="description">
</div>
<div class="event-time">
<span class="event-label">When: </span><abbr class="dtstart" title="2018-06-16T14:00+10:00">Sat June 16 2:00 PM</abbr> - <abbr class="dtend" title="2018-06-16T16:00+10:00"> 4:00 PM</abbr></div>
<div class="event-time">
</div>
<div class="event-time">
</div>
<div class="event-time">
<abbr class="dtend" title="2018-06-16T16:00+10:00"></abbr></div>
<div class="event-time">
<abbr class="dtend" title="2018-06-16T16:00+10:00"> </abbr></div>
<div class="event-time">
<abbr class="dtend" title="2018-06-16T16:00+10:00">My talk only goes for about an hour, but there are other items on the program, and a delicious afternoon tea. </abbr></div>
<div class="event-time">
<abbr class="dtend" title="2018-06-16T16:00+10:00"> </abbr></div>
<div class="event-time">
<abbr class="dtend" title="2018-06-16T16:00+10:00"> </abbr></div>
<div class="event-time">
<abbr class="dtend" title="2018-06-16T16:00+10:00">Non-members are always welcome!!! </abbr></div>
</div>
<br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></b>Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-6883373108961107352018-01-03T09:53:00.000+11:002018-01-03T10:10:29.123+11:00 Thang Ngo — Blogging Your Interests Tuesday, 13 February 2018, 12:30pm at the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts - FREE!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtspW065cyDx-lXD3KpehRuBQ_4bkON3WkYvzfObeWusuVgU9EUK7rRIDhUp8x7I0sq0sClFw20j96JL_AJ5-wlFTO5j5qtaQxiNMjGY2UVj_20uKT_wh8DEbBe8H3ERWW2c5n-9k8gTRU/s1600/Blogging+your+interests.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtspW065cyDx-lXD3KpehRuBQ_4bkON3WkYvzfObeWusuVgU9EUK7rRIDhUp8x7I0sq0sClFw20j96JL_AJ5-wlFTO5j5qtaQxiNMjGY2UVj_20uKT_wh8DEbBe8H3ERWW2c5n-9k8gTRU/s400/Blogging+your+interests.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
My own wonderful life partner Thang Ngo is giving a talk at the <a href="https://smsa.org.au/events/event/thang-ngo-blogging-your-interests/" target="_blank">Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts</a> in February that should interest all who want to document their travels.<br />
<br />
<br />
<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" style="text-align: center;">
Thang Ngo — <a href="https://smsa.org.au/events/event/thang-ngo-blogging-your-interests/" target="_blank">Blogging Your Interests</a></h1>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<time>
Tuesday, 13 February 2018, 12:30pm – 1:30pm </time></div>
<div class="entry-meta" style="text-align: center;">
Venue: <a href="https://smsa.org.au/events/venues/mitchell-theatre/">
Mitchell Theatre </a></div>
<div class="entry-meta" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://smsa.org.au/events/" target="_blank">Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts</a> </div>
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</header><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
We
all have something we’re passionate about. Our interests can be as
diverse as politics, food, fashion, music, gardening and more.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.notdressedaslamb.com/2014/01/why-its-great-being-a-fashion-blogger-over-40.html" target="_blank">Blogging</a> is a way of sharing your passion with the world and engaging with others who share your interests.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Well-known food blogger <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2012/10/thang-ngo-banh-mi-expert.html" target="_blank"><b>Thang Ngo</b></a> will reveal how to use your passion to build an engaged community through <a href="http://www.whowhatwear.com.au/best-fashion-bloggers-at-every-age" target="_blank">blogging</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Learn
<a href="https://www.business2community.com/blogging/7-top-tips-engaging-blog-writing-01981989" target="_blank">tips</a>, <a href="https://diginomica.com/2017/12/20/enterprise-hits-and-misses-the-cheeky-blogger-awards-edition/" target="_blank">tricks</a> and <a href="https://www.business2community.com/blogging/build-successful-blog-2018-01982080" target="_blank">tactics </a>for <a href="https://www.theminimalists.com/blog/" target="_blank">starting a successful blog</a> and<a href="http://meetmeatmikes.com/finding-your-blog-niche/" target="_blank"> finding your niche</a>, in addition to strategies for <a href="http://learningfundamentals.com.au/blog/10-ways-to-boost-your-motivation-and-mood-to-help-you-get-started-on-projects/" target="_blank">maintaining your motivation </a>
and <a href="https://www.soarcollective.com/2017/04/3-effective-ways-build-blog-readership/" target="_blank">building readership</a>. Find out how <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog" target="_blank">blogging</a> helps your career by
developing your understanding of digital writing and social media.</div>
<h6 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #003300;">FREE — Everyone Welcome</span></h6>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
No Bookings Required</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
About Thang Ngo</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.nswwc.org.au/2017/08/thang-ngo-on-running-a-successful-blog/" target="_blank">Thang</a> started blogging over 17 years ago as a
local government Councillor in Fairfield to engage with constituents.
In 2009, he started a food blog to celebrate the rich and flavoursome
food of migrant eateries in his neighbourhood. Today,<a href="https://noodlies.com/"> Noodlies</a>
is one of Australia’s most popular food blogs and is credited with
helping fuel the popularity of Asian street food, such as Vietnamese
pork rolls.</div>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://noodlies.com/">https://noodlies.com/</a></h5>
Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-56014333849947097742017-12-04T16:07:00.000+11:002017-12-04T16:07:24.134+11:00Come hear Walter Mason chat with the fascinating psychic and author Debbie Malone, Thursday December 7, 6.30pm<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uyDhljY1nlQFJQZKHEk4ekBiuHDVluI9Ns3Zv46jqaVL2rU3EJvPV7g6AjUHQLzPHDvNJ-7pIdoCAtHmHINsyI82UGeDpcTPZK1VN-TPkg3-3wBOVVT-wJlrPlRO1Mi__s2E-TUZZQVA/s1600/B_debbie+malone+in.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="540" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uyDhljY1nlQFJQZKHEk4ekBiuHDVluI9Ns3Zv46jqaVL2rU3EJvPV7g6AjUHQLzPHDvNJ-7pIdoCAtHmHINsyI82UGeDpcTPZK1VN-TPkg3-3wBOVVT-wJlrPlRO1Mi__s2E-TUZZQVA/s400/B_debbie+malone+in.png" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Please help me spread the word! </b><br />
<br />
This Thursday the 7th of December, I am at <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/speaker-series-clues-from-beyond-debbie-malone-tickets-36845673401" target="_blank">Ashfield Library chatting with the fascinating Sydney psychic author Debbie Malone</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_S8fESFUAIEBDdzDUqR_Js5py6O3QrOMpRXSd627-bsKfztGmXcEa5lIHm9bYNOiy9PJ7huIZ-Sx7JO985POU3hxNYLJZYM_xMmAY-LOLjcVse4ajhyphenhyphenCbL5r4XBPFR3X4lVfUJCled5E/s1600/B_Canva_TW_Debbie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="650" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_S8fESFUAIEBDdzDUqR_Js5py6O3QrOMpRXSd627-bsKfztGmXcEa5lIHm9bYNOiy9PJ7huIZ-Sx7JO985POU3hxNYLJZYM_xMmAY-LOLjcVse4ajhyphenhyphenCbL5r4XBPFR3X4lVfUJCled5E/s400/B_Canva_TW_Debbie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Psychic and author Debbie Malone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I have known <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/debbie-malone-among-psychics-in-police-demand-for-help-in-solving-murders-and-disappearances/news-story/5de8b61dddbf7cde5066428b9e2bdced" target="_blank">Debbie </a>for many years, and have always been impressed with her down-to-earth spirit and her sincerity and unpretentiousness. <a href="http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4868118/strangled-by-ghosts-saving-lives-a-psychics-work-day-is-never-boring/" target="_blank">Debbie i</a>s everything an Aussie psychic should be.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/psychic-debbie-malone-the-things-those-poor-girls-were-subjected-to-was-just-horrific/news-story/c093de0ceb73be21dbd419524d17b59c" target="_blank">Debbie</a> has recently written <a href="https://www.rockpoolpublishing.com.au/clues-from-beyond" target="_blank">a book about the crime cases she has volunteered to work on in the capacity of psychic detective</a> (it's a fantastic book which I gave a rave review to in <a href="http://www.newdawnmagazine.com.au/" target="_blank">New Dawn magazine</a>). We'll be talking about this really interesting work, as well as getting down to some of the nuts and bolts about <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/awaken-your-psychic-ability-debbie-malone/prod9781925017953.html" target="_blank">psychic development</a>, as well as her work with <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2016/02/angel-reading-cards-by-debbie-malone.html" target="_blank">angels </a>which has inspired her exquisite <a href="https://www.rockpoolpublishing.com.au/angel-reading-cards" target="_blank">oracle cards</a>.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9LHKcmHBD1ArrT3bHksbvnX9iSFh1NLBWwaakmPbYmsg5zk4RPQ0qVLHEz540Aih3VeZtc6f6d2qYG-Er2lxGjQTEODVkpo644QPVK0hmsY6LNw_AfKzxNE70ONgQCVcE1kZvneG7TCQ/s1600/B_Clues+From+Beyond_Debbie+Malone_Walter+Mason_Ashfield+Library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="391" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9LHKcmHBD1ArrT3bHksbvnX9iSFh1NLBWwaakmPbYmsg5zk4RPQ0qVLHEz540Aih3VeZtc6f6d2qYG-Er2lxGjQTEODVkpo644QPVK0hmsY6LNw_AfKzxNE70ONgQCVcE1kZvneG7TCQ/s400/B_Clues+From+Beyond_Debbie+Malone_Walter+Mason_Ashfield+Library.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
So if you are at all inquisitive about matters esoteric, do come along! I would love the support, and the more people who come to events like these the more libraries will be encouraged to hold them in the future.<br />
<br />
What's more, it's totally free - you just have to show up. Though the library would love it if you could book in advance at <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/speaker-series-clues-from-beyond-debbie-malone-tickets-36845673401" target="_blank">this link on Eventbrite</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
So:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Dec. 07, 2017, 6.30pm</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b><br /><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/speaker-series-clues-from-beyond-debbie-malone-tickets-36845673401" target="_blank"><b>Speaker Series: Clues from Beyond : Debbie Malone in conversation with Walter Mason </b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b><br /><b>Ashfield Library - Free, but <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/speaker-series-clues-from-beyond-debbie-malone-tickets-36845673401" target="_blank">bookings essential</a></b></div>
Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-18062366279366005182017-07-12T09:12:00.002+10:002017-07-12T09:12:55.358+10:00The Mindful Writer on again at NSW Writers' Centre in 2017My <a href="http://www.nswwc.org.au/products-page/courses/the-mindful-writer/" target="_blank">course on Mindful Writing</a> is always popular, and it's on again this year for the first time at the <a href="http://www.nswwc.org.au/products-page/courses/the-mindful-writer/" target="_blank">NSW Writers' Centre</a>.<br />
<br />
Places are still available, but it would act pretty quickly, because it tends to book out.<br />
<br />
It is an amazing time of quietness, reflection and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/enlightened-living/201503/mindfulness-and-cultivating-creativity" target="_blank">creative growth</a>, over the course of four Tuesday evenings in the beautiful and atmospheric setting of the <a href="http://www.nswwc.org.au/" target="_blank">NSW Writers' Centre</a> in <a href="http://www.leichhardt.nsw.gov.au/Community-Issues/Callan-Park" target="_blank">Callan Park</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nswwc.org.au/products-page/courses/the-mindful-writer/" target="_blank">Full details and online booking</a>.<br />
<br />
Hope to see you there.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUKbrt93Vodea5DaGDn3t6FlUrj2e1RAIsFUM-MpUv5fcLhXj0WR3-IRszKPqcZeKf3YQAsL6m0Z2dYR3ntdsxQTSakS8BDxgOQQ7q-6ADOp19VCwWUSKTOtuzfv3Hv81fllOA1-u_Ecy/s1600/FB_Mindful+Writer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUKbrt93Vodea5DaGDn3t6FlUrj2e1RAIsFUM-MpUv5fcLhXj0WR3-IRszKPqcZeKf3YQAsL6m0Z2dYR3ntdsxQTSakS8BDxgOQQ7q-6ADOp19VCwWUSKTOtuzfv3Hv81fllOA1-u_Ecy/s400/FB_Mindful+Writer.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-87337129722520673512016-06-10T10:10:00.001+10:002016-06-10T10:10:55.546+10:00Walter Mason lectures on Charles Dickens' final novel "The Mystery of Edwin Drood"On Saturday June 11, 2016, I am proud to be lecturing to the <a href="https://dickenssydney.com/" target="_blank">NSW Dickens Society</a> on<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2016/06/the-double-life-and-death-of-dickens/486506/" target="_blank"> Charles Dickens</a>' final, unfinished, novel <i>The Mystery of Edwin Drood</i>.<br />
<br />
It has been such a delight reading this book closely and researching it, and I am excited to present some wonderful stories about Dickens at the lecture. Keep your ears out for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/12/08/dickens-london-death-christmas-carol-opium-oliver-twist_n_1135890.html" target="_blank">opium</a>, mysterious goings-on in church crypts and the lingering effects of <a href="http://www.charlesdickensinfo.com/life/mesmerism/" target="_blank">mesmerism</a>. I even cover <a href="http://www.victorianweb.org/religion/spiritualism2.html" target="_blank">Dickens' activities from beyond the grave</a>!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://dickenssydney.com/" target="_blank">NSW Dickens Society</a> Meetings are always open to all, and the cost for guests is only $10 - money well spent that helps keep this precious literary society alive.<br />
<br />
Details:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Edwin Drood and the Death of Dickens - a talk by Walter Mason at the NSW Dickens Society.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMr8IKXQ7nsSebZJFckgQ6-DpAKlJTbpLsFf8XtU8CQpSziVbslOBNkLONyM4YN-kzxpiv4Z_8X_PNia3750hUs2SZDJ4nkwijTExEvIF-SMu977Q4Dst5Sr4ltoZ7R2J7Aw107LO217Iy/s1600/B_Death+of+Dickens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMr8IKXQ7nsSebZJFckgQ6-DpAKlJTbpLsFf8XtU8CQpSziVbslOBNkLONyM4YN-kzxpiv4Z_8X_PNia3750hUs2SZDJ4nkwijTExEvIF-SMu977Q4Dst5Sr4ltoZ7R2J7Aw107LO217Iy/s400/B_Death+of+Dickens.JPG" width="400" /></a></b></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>John Everrett Millais' sketch of Charles Dickens shortly after his death in 1870</i><b><br /></b></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Saturday 11th of June at the <a href="http://www.thecastlereagh.com.au/" target="_blank">Castlereagh Boutique Hotel</a>, 1st Floor</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>169 Castlereagh St</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Sydney (about 5 minutes walk from Town Hall Station).</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>10.30am start</b></div>
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<b>Entry fee for guests (all welcome) $10 </b></div>
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<b> </b></div>
Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-31271413998667762912016-02-17T15:05:00.002+11:002016-02-17T15:05:46.697+11:00Tinh Xa Trung Tam, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsAUZcZEehefZJIpoOtByTSDJnvYByMK2xxU7qEMeCiqou_8U9WqLOi4K1a9PQE_4GvLUQ0J0sNe0Cpa3GU5hNcLoSJfM932tlHhN-0QLBllcBawhs5mLyfPQxU3gFesUOmuWMVaJrHc9/s1600/B_Tinh+Xa+Trung+Tam_Main+shrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsAUZcZEehefZJIpoOtByTSDJnvYByMK2xxU7qEMeCiqou_8U9WqLOi4K1a9PQE_4GvLUQ0J0sNe0Cpa3GU5hNcLoSJfM932tlHhN-0QLBllcBawhs5mLyfPQxU3gFesUOmuWMVaJrHc9/s400/B_Tinh+Xa+Trung+Tam_Main+shrine.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/HGNpnU7U_Ug" target="_blank">Tinh Xa Trung Tam</a> has a special place in my heart because it is the first temple in Vietnam that I ever had any real connection with. In the mid-90s I was a student of a monk in Australia who was a part of the order, and so I visited Vietnam with the special intention of studying more here and learning about this distinctive form of Vietnamese Buddhism.<br /><br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZYPBp511GaOLNWhmeTH2HPVNw7Igh3Sn_LY0v8QTwa6uwEUQfgUEamU-wWxks8bKF_OBvlYKTZFLkEY_8IPobxt5HMHDx1AXIQaO5pfceesbxKvhQ0Cwb9ZK9tdnAP5psXHZn4KC9mGG/s1600/B_Tinh+Xa+Trung+Tam_Minh+Dang+Quang+portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZYPBp511GaOLNWhmeTH2HPVNw7Igh3Sn_LY0v8QTwa6uwEUQfgUEamU-wWxks8bKF_OBvlYKTZFLkEY_8IPobxt5HMHDx1AXIQaO5pfceesbxKvhQ0Cwb9ZK9tdnAP5psXHZn4KC9mGG/s400/B_Tinh+Xa+Trung+Tam_Minh+Dang+Quang+portrait.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Minh Dang Quang</td></tr>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/Vfa6mQ-6K7g" target="_blank">Tinh Xa Trung Tam</a> is one of the centres of worship for the <a href="http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/tin-tuc/trong-nuoc/8201-HT-Thich-Minh-Hoi-Giao-Pham-Giao-Hoi-Tang-Gia-Khat-Si-The-Gioi-vieng-tham-Truong-Ha-Tinh-xa-Trung-Tam.html" target="_blank"><i>Tang Gia Khat Si</i></a>, an indigenous Buddhist order founded by Master Minh Dang Quang. There is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%E1%BB%8Bnh_X%C3%A1_Trung_T%C3%A2m" target="_blank">an excellent Wikipedia entry for this temple</a> which explains its history and a little about the Order and its founder (I would actually love to hear from whoever wrote it) which you should read. <br /><br />I have spent many days in this temple and its surrounds, though these days when I go back to Vietnam I probably only visit once or twice to say a prayer and soak in some of the memories of my youth.<br /><br />I am still quite fascinated by the Order's founder, a Mekong Delta monk called <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2012/11/minh-dang-quang.html" target="_blank">Minh Dang Quang</a> who attempted to unify the Theravada and Mahayana schools of Buddhism and re-write the scriptures in colloquial Vietnamese. As at every <i>Tinh Xa</i> (the Vietnamese version of "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vihara" target="_blank">Vihara</a>" which is what the <a href="http://daophatkhatsi.vn/giao-phap-khat-si/nghien-cuu/2388-su-gop-phan-phat-trien-phat-giao-viet-nam-cua-giao-hoi-tang-gia-khat-si-viet-nam-qua-khu-va-hien-tai.html" target="_blank"><i>Tang Gia Khat Si</i></a> temples are called, as opposed to the <a href="https://youtu.be/9aC8oGkW5Oc" target="_blank">Mahayana</a> temples which are called <i>Chua </i>in Vietnamese), there is a shrine to the Master, and this one also contains some of his relics. <br /><br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLMtE1wkSTnPioAmdCVmm-yE_wqskjfiffABR1SlyDvRnk_BsGA2YkpTEpUinUHGT4Q4aBr62aMstkqPclrzduKIOWuzpzOagrsG_7277wKbQH7aLDxhAKtuZmTApaZLTRIo-Zu9P8WeE/s1600/B_Tinh+Xa+Trung+Tam_Minh+Dang+Quang+shrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLMtE1wkSTnPioAmdCVmm-yE_wqskjfiffABR1SlyDvRnk_BsGA2YkpTEpUinUHGT4Q4aBr62aMstkqPclrzduKIOWuzpzOagrsG_7277wKbQH7aLDxhAKtuZmTApaZLTRIo-Zu9P8WeE/s400/B_Tinh+Xa+Trung+Tam_Minh+Dang+Quang+shrine.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrine to Master Minh Dang Quang, his relics in cabinet below</td></tr>
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On a weekday afternoon there is rarely anyone inside the main shrine, and it is a great place to sit quietly and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Factors_of_Enlightenment" target="_blank">meditate</a>, or to do a round or two of quiet <a href="https://youtu.be/UJsCOBUFI30" target="_blank">recitation of the Buddha's name</a>. <br /><br />Outside there is a famous, and enormous, statue of Kuan Yin, the <a href="http://www.heartscenter.org/Events/PastEvents/2009Events/Seattlemdash;May2009/KuanYin/tabid/440/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Bodhisattva of Mercy</a> (<a href="http://www.travelfish.org/beginners_detail/vietnam/9" target="_blank"><i>Quan The Am</i></a> in Vietnamese). It is a very popular object of worship, and throughout the day people come into the monastery grounds to make their own prayers at its base. <br /><br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv759g1UKHudUU8Q_dupk4yiTm_LzH1U-w2Kgkrw72XVcaltd2ANEvenG45St-PVpj2lZfKlrs1h2iWICf6PO-LRVQqzbarR4LVxPk6hBJqi9Eq90Vf4wAP45VFeWjyaKDVdxnoPQpJW6a/s1600/B_Tinh+Xa+Trung+Tam_Quan+Am.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv759g1UKHudUU8Q_dupk4yiTm_LzH1U-w2Kgkrw72XVcaltd2ANEvenG45St-PVpj2lZfKlrs1h2iWICf6PO-LRVQqzbarR4LVxPk6hBJqi9Eq90Vf4wAP45VFeWjyaKDVdxnoPQpJW6a/s400/B_Tinh+Xa+Trung+Tam_Quan+Am.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of Quan The Am, Bodhisattva of mercy</td></tr>
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The temple was built in the 60s, and visiting recently with an architect I was informed that it was a classic piece of American-era architecture, especially in its liberal use of pebble-crete. The main hall is built in the octagonal shape of all <i>Tinh Xa</i>s, symbolising the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path" target="_blank">Noble Eightfold Path of the Buddha</a>. Over the years the surrounding buildings have been demolished and rebuilt, and I fear that the same fate awaits the main hall, which would be a shame. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.hanhtrinhtamlinh.com/chua-tinh-xa/" target="_blank">Tinh Xa Trung Tam in Binh Thanh</a> claims to be the main temple of the order, but it's worth mentioning that the order did break up into different sects in the 60s and there are a couple of other <i>Tinh Xa</i>s around that claim to be <i>Trung Tam</i> (The Central). <br /><br />Just outside the main gates of the temple is a little bookshop, and a small gift stall next to it. The bookshop is run by the loveliest man, though sadly there are no books in English. If you have any Buddhist friends in Vietnam, though, or plan to make some, this is a great place to buy gifts. Publishing in Vietnam is vibrant, and books are beautifully designed and cheap. I always buy a bag-full and manage to distribute them easily. <br /><br />You can find the temple at:<br /><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>7 Nguyễn Trung Trực Street, Bình Thạnh District, Ho Chi Minh City.</b></blockquote>
<br />It is about a 25 minute taxi ride from downtown Saigon (outside of peak hours) and is well worth a visit.<br />It is hidden down several lanes, so be prepared for your driver to stop and ask for directions along the way. <br /><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In <a href="http://www.heritagedestinations.com.au/tour/vietnam-four-cities-journey-2/" target="_blank">October/November this year I am once again leading a tour of Vietnam</a>, from Hanoi all the way down to the Mekong Delta. This will be a fantastic journey, and I'd love to have you along. </blockquote>
Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-74882574412254519732016-02-14T23:15:00.000+11:002016-02-14T20:39:20.515+11:00Vietnam Books - Something to Read Before You Go If you're anything like me, reading books about a place is one of the
most pleasurable parts of preparing for a holiday abroad. Here is my reading list for Vietnam:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAB1nSS_ks6U2qAUvaXV6hLcaQwwFRO3sp5yK2Ujlg2UosxrnrcINgDR4wzoqOa0NQj8FWa_aTdxdRQmzLigSvogIkiQ9VGk0jeRc3g7EhrZoT5Y_WDqi_QdABKcSypPl_66txfrbmf74/s1600/B_Vietnam+Books+Destination+Saigon+Walter+Mason.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690199909900792994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAB1nSS_ks6U2qAUvaXV6hLcaQwwFRO3sp5yK2Ujlg2UosxrnrcINgDR4wzoqOa0NQj8FWa_aTdxdRQmzLigSvogIkiQ9VGk0jeRc3g7EhrZoT5Y_WDqi_QdABKcSypPl_66txfrbmf74/s400/B_Vietnam+Books+Destination+Saigon+Walter+Mason.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 129px;" /></a><a href="http://www.waltermason.com/">Walter Mason</a>'s <a href="http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=94&book=9781741759495"><span style="font-style: italic;">Destination Saigon</span></a>
- Ok, ok, so I wrote it. But honestly, if you want an intimate view of
contemporary Vietnamese religion, culture and sexual mores, and a bit of
a giggle, then this is where you should start. So many books about
Vietnam are about the war or about colonial history. I set about writing
a book that was telling stories of Vietnam now, and I really think I
succeeded!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU3-RyrTujuFLEezXnDnMZicrNFejJw-5MhHperJCVvvp9-xjIVQED_DBT8uljJ2F58C72cSrh1Qb4TjJHele4Bh3-WNSJPOcF25VpXCiJbtdgv86vN0rJ1ari9OGHxKCLRkxupvS6F0/s1600/B_Vietnam+Book+catfish-and-mandala.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690199738588573138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU3-RyrTujuFLEezXnDnMZicrNFejJw-5MhHperJCVvvp9-xjIVQED_DBT8uljJ2F58C72cSrh1Qb4TjJHele4Bh3-WNSJPOcF25VpXCiJbtdgv86vN0rJ1ari9OGHxKCLRkxupvS6F0/s400/B_Vietnam+Book+catfish-and-mandala.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 197px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 132px;" /></a>Andrew X Pham's <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/Catfish-Mandala-Andrew-Pham/?isbn=9780006552239"><span style="font-style: italic;">Catfish and Mandala</span></a> - Quite a superbly written book that is about so much more than
Vietnam, this is a unique and compulsive read that offers a great deal
of insight into what it's like to be an overseas Vietnamese returning
home as a stranger. Books about Vietnam are normally told from the
perspective of a foreigner, or are translated works by people living in
Vietnam. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1nrtnyTIxYEMr23H6OGOazIHJ5TliqHKBvCPWF502f9jIQda9AYGoCaukobLlcqBFKKqcisyjHjDPEgwE4H6af25mcpjIcUIkHW9wNzUvd_n388EOKBfMv5a7w83MqpwBBSlXLTGnKk/s1600/B_Vietnam+Book+From+a+Chinese+City.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690199744282281842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1nrtnyTIxYEMr23H6OGOazIHJ5TliqHKBvCPWF502f9jIQda9AYGoCaukobLlcqBFKKqcisyjHjDPEgwE4H6af25mcpjIcUIkHW9wNzUvd_n388EOKBfMv5a7w83MqpwBBSlXLTGnKk/s400/B_Vietnam+Book+From+a+Chinese+City.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 146px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 100px;" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gontran_de_Poncins">Gontran de Poncins</a>' <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-City-Heart-Peacetime-Vietnam/dp/1879434008"><span style="font-style: italic;">From a Chinese City</span></a> - A French Count goes to spend a few months in <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2010/04/kwan-yin-temple-cholon.html" target="_blank">Cholon</a>,
Saigon's Chinatown, in the 1950s. This is such a gorgeous book, and
absolutely fascinating. There are very few books on Vietnam that deal
with the Chinese community in any detail, so this is a real rarity.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5-ckL-ApBDlR-qnVug1rf5du-S58juHAgDq1cEqww12rPjzMadMpHeD7tqCaLqhNAGRUGCCDakxCW69SVBddyD9VJKS1mYaZDJxCJVTE7EjZWcTevQ3dsr3lvU5LbzOkcL6_i0LMTw0/s1600/B_Vietnam+Book+a-dragon-apparent-travels-in-cambodia-laos-and-vietnam.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690199735013672626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5-ckL-ApBDlR-qnVug1rf5du-S58juHAgDq1cEqww12rPjzMadMpHeD7tqCaLqhNAGRUGCCDakxCW69SVBddyD9VJKS1mYaZDJxCJVTE7EjZWcTevQ3dsr3lvU5LbzOkcL6_i0LMTw0/s400/B_Vietnam+Book+a-dragon-apparent-travels-in-cambodia-laos-and-vietnam.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 126px;" /></a>Norman Lewis' <a href="http://www.holiday-in-angkor-wat.com/norman-lewis-excerpt.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Dragon Apparent</span></a> - More Indochina in the 50s, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Lewis_%28author%29">Lewis</a>'
quiet British fortitude makes him an excellent observer, and his love
of the Vietnamese comes seeping through. Vietnam travel books are
surprisingly rare, and really good ones rarer still. Lewis' is the best.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNv2j9aZcT4hAOYAnmExTKW_77D3N3YZvLkas9i66rUqkZwqPI-q0FDftVgnAH8nIcSQqn4Qdi70ERo10S7_yh2MdLYDEfB1smw_5HyVCIYYdREF3xvhA1iAgWJbG3NaN-ubSwRfzsYcw/s1600/B_Vietnam+Book+Quiet+American.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690199745878666386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNv2j9aZcT4hAOYAnmExTKW_77D3N3YZvLkas9i66rUqkZwqPI-q0FDftVgnAH8nIcSQqn4Qdi70ERo10S7_yh2MdLYDEfB1smw_5HyVCIYYdREF3xvhA1iAgWJbG3NaN-ubSwRfzsYcw/s400/B_Vietnam+Book+Quiet+American.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 198px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 132px;" /></a>Graham Greene's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Quiet_American"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Quiet American</span></a>
- Yeah, yeah, I know it's on every list, but really it is quite
perfect, and you can still visit most of the places he mentions in the book.
If you're going to Vietnam, do make sure you read this book first.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr47Bzbw_hvLQBH_zTbMNsVT1bro03dnTZXI4xrs-dGUIZZDoF7acFkNzEEGRzwBHjRFSdyEM5Kt9nkUI8faxNBgH25onEruaLtWi1vF_VmWjOeUi0EsSah5AmAJqqHJ1S5le5D1nzgUw/s1600/B_Vietnam+Book+thelover3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690199752119244066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr47Bzbw_hvLQBH_zTbMNsVT1bro03dnTZXI4xrs-dGUIZZDoF7acFkNzEEGRzwBHjRFSdyEM5Kt9nkUI8faxNBgH25onEruaLtWi1vF_VmWjOeUi0EsSah5AmAJqqHJ1S5le5D1nzgUw/s400/B_Vietnam+Book+thelover3.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 130px;" /></a><a href="http://youtu.be/uPA_zPI3UI8">Marguerite Duras</a>' <a href="http://ofbooksandbikes.blogspot.com/2006/11/marguerite-duras-lover.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Lover</span></a>
- Especially if you are planning on having an affair with a Vietnamese
guy (though the lover is actually Chinese). Sensuous, historically
fascinating and quite dazzlingly accurate. Not really full of Vietnam
tips, but it creates the most wonderful mood and evokes an incredible
era that is only now beginning to be romanticised and even celebrated
in Vietnam.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhL32klpbx3OgY4Zr1ldeI7gJ9h6PZHPnDLlJK9rOKwnrP9g685yNh6zL0rViYkl9I-pHLrOW1IdOqttlRWhoYGjAOCCeDLFGaWqYWOzAojw7TrRMckxiHRrMUt15Bx_PlHmyO_tFiFU/s1600/B_Vietnam+Book+zen-keys-guide-to-zen-practice.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690199908062853666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhL32klpbx3OgY4Zr1ldeI7gJ9h6PZHPnDLlJK9rOKwnrP9g685yNh6zL0rViYkl9I-pHLrOW1IdOqttlRWhoYGjAOCCeDLFGaWqYWOzAojw7TrRMckxiHRrMUt15Bx_PlHmyO_tFiFU/s400/B_Vietnam+Book+zen-keys-guide-to-zen-practice.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 198px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 132px;" /></a><a href="http://www.universalheartbookclub.com/2012/08/treasuring-thich-nhat-hanh.html" target="_blank">Thich Nhat Hanh</a>'s <a href="http://www.stillflowingyogateachertraining.com/171/post-3"><span style="font-style: italic;">Zen Keys</span></a>
- A unique insight into Vietnamese Buddhist monasticism. As well as
information about the philosophy of Buddhism, it provides a great story
to read about the life of a young monk, and how they were once expected
to behave inside the <span style="font-style: italic;">Chua</span> (Pagoda).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60p_dBQ6CO4yHjAk0W5m-cnIYx7sqnN7fQGIKeSnKNXNMgQq5wb0mU89NtxMGlnNJuKZAF9_xkoIKcPJTFK1HC22wl0qAEa9Rcql9Svdev_5Jht2MWJxFqp8UFdOi3XbqVEwPgz8hEpc/s1600/B_Vietnam+Book+The-Unwanted-A-Memoir-of-Childhood-20-med.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690199897029060722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60p_dBQ6CO4yHjAk0W5m-cnIYx7sqnN7fQGIKeSnKNXNMgQq5wb0mU89NtxMGlnNJuKZAF9_xkoIKcPJTFK1HC22wl0qAEa9Rcql9Svdev_5Jht2MWJxFqp8UFdOi3XbqVEwPgz8hEpc/s400/B_Vietnam+Book+The-Unwanted-A-Memoir-of-Childhood-20-med.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 198px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 132px;" /></a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kien_Nguyen" target="_blank">Kien Nguyen</a>'s <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kien-nguyen/the-unwanted/" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Unwanted</span></a>
- Absolutely the best account of what Vietnam was like in the years
immediately following the end of the war. This book is a masterpiece and
deserves to be better known. Don't wait to buy this one - it is one of
the really good Vietnam books, and one of the most unique perspectives.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AR_rwwIFi7HSHWi67WhvAYbbSNSJ2H6kfCiUUF_Lo9rzJjvzx-x65DUC8jWLfKzzsibHNEi8tGtpPwq0msWM96IN3DnlH4fcdwALs0Vb-hiJF_htfyqTWCaUyEGBlbVA6wRU2Vd3xDM/s1600/B_Vietnam+Books+Dragons+Journey.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690199912623530098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AR_rwwIFi7HSHWi67WhvAYbbSNSJ2H6kfCiUUF_Lo9rzJjvzx-x65DUC8jWLfKzzsibHNEi8tGtpPwq0msWM96IN3DnlH4fcdwALs0Vb-hiJF_htfyqTWCaUyEGBlbVA6wRU2Vd3xDM/s400/B_Vietnam+Books+Dragons+Journey.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 132px;" /></a><a href="http://thedragonsjourney.com/main/page_sport_injuries_anthony_mundine.html">Duy Long Nguyen</a>'s <a href="http://thedragonsjourney.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Dragon's Journey</span></a>
- A memoir about a Vietnamese refugee's journey to Australia, where he
becomes a famous healer. A book about Vietnam and about the journey of
the Vietnamese dispora.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0E6pPLotFh6n3focwJ2xa6EYGUGDWHAqMeUPGfUoSSMX5VF6Lvk6D92ms-FugdBC-rOaL2fA2D5PT1D54k_kXKCwtnQrFlZDXGkLv4wJ0y0Qr5DixnAuxjZfAdl0tjQNmjKaj5DVGdlw/s1600/B_Vietnam+Book+vietnam-a-history.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690199900080036754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0E6pPLotFh6n3focwJ2xa6EYGUGDWHAqMeUPGfUoSSMX5VF6Lvk6D92ms-FugdBC-rOaL2fA2D5PT1D54k_kXKCwtnQrFlZDXGkLv4wJ0y0Qr5DixnAuxjZfAdl0tjQNmjKaj5DVGdlw/s400/B_Vietnam+Book+vietnam-a-history.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 191px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 132px;" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Karnow">Stanley Karnow</a>'s <a href="http://www.longitudebooks.com/find/p/515/mcms.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Vietnam: A History</span></a> - Pretty solid going, but once you've finished it you will be entirely informed about the complex and long-lasting <a href="http://www.longitudebooks.com/find/p/68982/mcms.html">Vietnam war</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKVG68p303aYe7RuEgwT17-3Cl72RkoWZ9u0N-ui8QOgYgp6mohEpsbRssKnuWxQgImny2Xcq6FkTG2rxUKN5BS22m1QHjrBTswJjdrpkV-_keouqPkwMIMRfixoHNEIp6dk-BlPq7AM/s1600/B_Vietnam+Books+Ma+Van+Khang.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690199997705139170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKVG68p303aYe7RuEgwT17-3Cl72RkoWZ9u0N-ui8QOgYgp6mohEpsbRssKnuWxQgImny2Xcq6FkTG2rxUKN5BS22m1QHjrBTswJjdrpkV-_keouqPkwMIMRfixoHNEIp6dk-BlPq7AM/s400/B_Vietnam+Books+Ma+Van+Khang.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 140px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 140px;" /></a>Ma Van Khang's <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/against-the-flood-ma-van-khang/1101000446"><span style="font-style: italic;">Against the Flood</span></a>
- A little-known but fascinating fictional peek into the ghastly
bureaucracy and stifling conservatism of Vietnamese life in the 80s and
90s.
Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-567030811715032342015-12-23T21:33:00.001+11:002015-12-23T21:33:02.382+11:00Walter Mason lectures on Bhutan, April 8, 2016, 1pm - Ashfield Library<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfDKbpyzTUKw4zM3gl3RfsaP1QzteBaOezYyVRIH5JNYJuw3Ds83qYfE8GWQb26t0Q4l3WrQ0ii_8q5ADGKJDIFBXukgSCMYTgJsiZ2gSZOXSEbjMXCn8ZakcUrtm4oGlFcnPpHiu5wer/s1600/B_Bhutan_Thinpu+Dzong.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfDKbpyzTUKw4zM3gl3RfsaP1QzteBaOezYyVRIH5JNYJuw3Ds83qYfE8GWQb26t0Q4l3WrQ0ii_8q5ADGKJDIFBXukgSCMYTgJsiZ2gSZOXSEbjMXCn8ZakcUrtm4oGlFcnPpHiu5wer/s400/B_Bhutan_Thinpu+Dzong.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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In August 2015 I was lucky enough to travel to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutan" target="_blank">Bhutan</a>, one of the most beautiful and fascinating places on Earth.<br />
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Do join me at <a href="http://www.ashfield.nsw.gov.au/page/authors_at_ashfield.html" target="_blank">Ashfield Library</a> on Friday April 8, 2016 for a lecture on <a href="http://www.tourism.gov.bt/about-bhutan/culture" target="_blank">Bhutan's culture</a>, <a href="http://www.historytoday.com/reviews/history-bhutan" target="_blank">history</a> and <a href="http://www.themindfulword.org/2015/road-happiness-bhutan/" target="_blank">religion</a>, accompanied with amazing photographs I took while I was there.<br />
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This is a <b>free event</b>, and all are welcome - do mark your diaries.<br />
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Details:<br />
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<strong>Friday April 8, 1pm - Level 6 Council Chambers, Ashfield Library</strong></div>
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<strong>Walter Mason will give an illustrated lecture Om Mani Padme Hum and the Dragon <a href="http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20150408-bhutans-dark-secret-to-happiness" target="_blank">Kingdom of Bhutan</a>.</strong></div>
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<b>This is a <a href="http://www.nswseniorsweek.com.au/" target="_blank">Seniors Week</a> event.</b></div>
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Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-35382252830259132282015-01-29T12:51:00.000+11:002015-01-29T12:52:23.310+11:00Walter Mason illustrated lecture on Graham Greene's Vietnam <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JntnL9_M6iC8bg5CEpsiqLQDlpad2xIWHHWn0LAdC6BlAUPbqpAMNb6Onp-Nbws2nH4zlrGMH-8TfAVRLUq8QzbO-twOQk6TbIg3oQHFCj7yVX-kMGvZ72SL1FkEXOZkDmDwAQfo7Y6r/s1600/B_Tw_Graham+Greene.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JntnL9_M6iC8bg5CEpsiqLQDlpad2xIWHHWn0LAdC6BlAUPbqpAMNb6Onp-Nbws2nH4zlrGMH-8TfAVRLUq8QzbO-twOQk6TbIg3oQHFCj7yVX-kMGvZ72SL1FkEXOZkDmDwAQfo7Y6r/s1600/B_Tw_Graham+Greene.JPG" height="400" width="343" /></a></div>
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I'll be at<a href="http://www.ashfield.nsw.gov.au/page/authors_at_ashfield.html" target="_blank"> Ashfield Library </a>on Saturday February 7, 2015 from 11am - 12pm in the Local Studies Room (just off the main library floor), Level 2, Civic Centre talking about <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/26/100-best-novels-the-end-of-the-affair-graham-greene-observer-robert-mccrum" target="_blank">Graham Greene</a>, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/jan/22/hanoi-vietnam-three-days-holiday-itinerary" target="_blank">Vietnam</a> and <i>The Quiet American</i> and I would love to see you there.<br />
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I have been obsessed with Greene's short and perfect<a href="https://www.commentarymagazine.com/article/on-the-horizon-america-and-the-quiet-american/" target="_blank"> novel about Vietnam</a> ever since I first read it when I visited <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2014/04/quan-am-pagoda-phu-nhuan.html" target="_blank">Vietnam</a> at the age of 24.<br />
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My interest in <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/firsttuesday/s3957205.htm" target="_blank"><i>The Quiet American</i></a>, and Greene the writer, has only grown over the years.<br />
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I am delighted to be able to show you some of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Greene" target="_blank">Greene</a>'s novel and where and how it is reflected in <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2011/04/9-favourite-towns-in-vietnam.html" target="_blank">Vietnam in the 21st Century</a>. <br />
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Do join me at this free talk illustrated with my own photos and reflections. <br />
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I can promise you an engaging and entertaining hour. Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-50087023954501480322014-10-23T17:10:00.000+11:002014-10-23T17:10:32.132+11:00Always in threes: the significance of 3 in Buddhism<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>"Different schools of <a href="http://www.universalheartbookclub.com/2014/09/p-m-newton-on-writing-buddhism-and.html" target="_blank">Buddhism</a> all have different devotional practices to the <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2010/06/buddhist-concepts-four-noble-truths.html" target="_blank">Buddha</a>, although all <a href="http://spiritjourneythrough.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/basic-buddhist-concepts-generosity-dana.html" target="_blank">Buddhists</a> make symbolic offerings to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Jewels" target="_blank">Three Jewels</a>, that is, the <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2010/03/thich-ca-mau-ni-phat.html" target="_blank">Buddha</a> (teacher), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma" target="_blank">Dharma</a> (teachings), and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangha" target="_blank">Sangha</a> (community)."</b></i><br />
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<i><b>Andi Young "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Sacred-Art-Bowing-Preparing/dp/1893361829" target="_blank">The Sacred Art of Bowing</a>"</b></i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-tozxpR79jqNclwDiWE1EWrkHVKAOYW5ZzuwD0ROGfxKAmxg_UoySpes147X7POChqx5uYATfS_NLcOCiu0HN3zycDiKmXm853NPJk1S__wSbUtCB8FwzQ0Kso__Ydkytu9smP16NGuH/s1600/B_Sacred+Art+of+Bowing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-tozxpR79jqNclwDiWE1EWrkHVKAOYW5ZzuwD0ROGfxKAmxg_UoySpes147X7POChqx5uYATfS_NLcOCiu0HN3zycDiKmXm853NPJk1S__wSbUtCB8FwzQ0Kso__Ydkytu9smP16NGuH/s1600/B_Sacred+Art+of+Bowing.jpg" height="200" width="116" /></a></div>
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Recently I was teaching a course on Vietnamese history, and naturally enough Buddhism was a part of the discussion. While discussing a ritual, one of the students asked me: "Why is everything always done in threes in Buddhism?"<br />
I realised then that I had a lot to explain, and I thought I would do so on this blog.<br />
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When one bows at a Buddhist shrine, one always makes three <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostration_%28Buddhism%29" target="_blank">prostrations</a>. At the same time one offers three sticks of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_use_of_incense" target="_blank">incense</a>. When you make a ceremonial procession around a <a href="http://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/south-coast/wollongong-and-surrounds/wollongong/attractions/nan-tien-temple" target="_blank">temple</a> or <a href="http://www.thaiwebsites.com/nakhonpathom.asp" target="_blank">tomb</a> you do so three times.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQ4dW-x9xSKw6AyQfbH2SIrVoWwNl7Qvj8kmixPf8QLLdPeTVaMgpxIJr0S_iUBt5w6BBM0nz6bksvlPbUb3dyShvQ0X_jaOAzhkH94Br9Wukw8M-qjN8cCNCNwjHac-xX_0z0B0TLj3e/s1600/B_Incense+at+Buddhist+Shrine_Hoai+Nhon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQ4dW-x9xSKw6AyQfbH2SIrVoWwNl7Qvj8kmixPf8QLLdPeTVaMgpxIJr0S_iUBt5w6BBM0nz6bksvlPbUb3dyShvQ0X_jaOAzhkH94Br9Wukw8M-qjN8cCNCNwjHac-xX_0z0B0TLj3e/s1600/B_Incense+at+Buddhist+Shrine_Hoai+Nhon.JPG" height="640" width="364" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 sticks of incense offered at a buddhist shrine in Binh Dinh, Vietnam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This number is not arbitrary. Buddhists instantly understand that the number 3 represents the Three Jewels (the <i>Triratna</i>) that make up <a href="http://blog.dwbuk.org/diamond-way-buddhism/lama-gendun-rinpoche-on-prostrations/" target="_blank">Buddhism</a>. These are:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNV4ijguYCWGw3H_j9U7Z_3YpE000XDoK00UB4B1f2qRGsfld8ob_yI3Glx8yekkUJADfjg6EBXiMzy7IXBzEowbop1HcqcdSTXhPCw5iUIysaKR0nMyYOwkmgs8t0aisZYx3eXdAOWZBm/s1600/B_Sakyamuni_Phan+Thiet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNV4ijguYCWGw3H_j9U7Z_3YpE000XDoK00UB4B1f2qRGsfld8ob_yI3Glx8yekkUJADfjg6EBXiMzy7IXBzEowbop1HcqcdSTXhPCw5iUIysaKR0nMyYOwkmgs8t0aisZYx3eXdAOWZBm/s1600/B_Sakyamuni_Phan+Thiet.JPG" height="235" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sakyamuni Buddha</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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1. The Buddha: The person of the historical <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha" target="_blank">Buddha Sakyamuni</a>. <br />
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2. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma" target="_blank">Dharma</a>: The body of teachings that describe Buddhist doctrine and belief.<br />
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3. The Sangha: The group of people who follow the Buddha and his <a href="http://youtu.be/pPk-pxhyYeg" target="_blank">teachings</a>. This was traditionally interpreted as the <a href="http://live-less-ordinary.com/southeast-asia-travel/buddhist-monk-ordination-in-thailand" target="_blank">ordained</a> celibate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_monasticism" target="_blank">clergy</a> who serve the Buddha exclusively, but most modern Buddhists extend the meaning to incorporate the communities of lay-people who follow the Buddhist path.<br />
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And so each time we <a href="http://youtu.be/KX__T85buZI" target="_blank">bow</a>, and each time we place a a stick of <a href="http://www.wildmind.org/posture/notes-on-burning-incense" target="_blank">incense</a> in the burner, we are recalling one of these "<a href="http://buddhism.about.com/od/takingrefuge/a/takingrefuge_2.htm" target="_blank">Jewels</a>," these essential elements of the Buddhism. Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-75992861740150120152014-04-28T17:57:00.001+10:002014-04-28T17:57:44.888+10:00Quan Am Pagoda, Phu Nhuan <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKeIE6NWz9nOnxrK23iK6dky4HSFLRcmyCXmOZWR8frSMYo7WTFZkNMTQKzTZzUmKqWJI9kz1hT1aopoSiox1w50wFoiHFLHybFD9VyJrrQcElMWeBOuAN1xjg3ZRuBwvaibE1HwPjyQ/s1600/b_Quan+Am+Pagoda+5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKeIE6NWz9nOnxrK23iK6dky4HSFLRcmyCXmOZWR8frSMYo7WTFZkNMTQKzTZzUmKqWJI9kz1hT1aopoSiox1w50wFoiHFLHybFD9VyJrrQcElMWeBOuAN1xjg3ZRuBwvaibE1HwPjyQ/s400/b_Quan+Am+Pagoda+5.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526748892644625010" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
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One
of the places I find myself constantly recommending people visit is the
little-known Quan Am Pagoda in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshMPZRpUmnrTgHP6i__teMEtOL3NupohqIQSWivw5vVEf3sfTWaakXkh2BtRNPu0A8rWDh9REIRzMN9QF0SrXA8qsCZCcvjkPWgv9FqZ69xiX3tnMGHO0z0JPZmaqAYRPXM_-KpkM_lU/s1600/b_Quan+Am+Pagoda+3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshMPZRpUmnrTgHP6i__teMEtOL3NupohqIQSWivw5vVEf3sfTWaakXkh2BtRNPu0A8rWDh9REIRzMN9QF0SrXA8qsCZCcvjkPWgv9FqZ69xiX3tnMGHO0z0JPZmaqAYRPXM_-KpkM_lU/s400/b_Quan+Am+Pagoda+3.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526748880048822482" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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This temple is also mentioned in my book, <a href="http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=94&book=9781741759495"><span style="font-style: italic;">Destination Saigon</span></a>, and I have been visiting there for almost 15 years now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OiPuITsgzdkXnTbZkuhgEVHa_WW9djYfIrY0bvAtusvlSsV0IWwOKBYtQW5kJPffAqcwSGl16WS1md7reS0ELj7Wm9uZpIVKrzD2xq9iK-rIhgG2seCaefN2JeiGAxS9gP1-a6LfQvY/s1600/b_Quan+Am+Pagoda+4.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OiPuITsgzdkXnTbZkuhgEVHa_WW9djYfIrY0bvAtusvlSsV0IWwOKBYtQW5kJPffAqcwSGl16WS1md7reS0ELj7Wm9uZpIVKrzD2xq9iK-rIhgG2seCaefN2JeiGAxS9gP1-a6LfQvY/s400/b_Quan+Am+Pagoda+4.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526748891736311122" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
It is a pretty basic suburban temple, but it was the Saigon residence of <a href="http://www.quangduc.com/BoTatQuangDuc/25photo.html">Thich Quang Duc</a>, and as I mentioned <a href="http://spiritjourneythrough.blogspot.com/2010/10/thich-quang-duc.html">in a previous post</a>, it has become something of a shrine to him.<br />
Downstairs
is a large shrine to Thich Quang Duc Bodhisattva and the other Buddhist
martyrs that followed him - most people don't realise that many people,
both monastic and lay, followed his example and set fire to themselves
in protest to the war.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lCpcdYVL-KPsJTDIulK4dpoLg1uwkiiueDjZNFZw17oZ4egQwxuUnLpmGsHTU7XnMd5qpUeUrGRiXFnpiNXlY8_1nkqxbJO22UQwHBeVc8GyaTYqidg1NtTPILgIdyHyfjz8BgG_zJ4/s1600/b_Quan+Am+Pagoda+2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lCpcdYVL-KPsJTDIulK4dpoLg1uwkiiueDjZNFZw17oZ4egQwxuUnLpmGsHTU7XnMd5qpUeUrGRiXFnpiNXlY8_1nkqxbJO22UQwHBeVc8GyaTYqidg1NtTPILgIdyHyfjz8BgG_zJ4/s400/b_Quan+Am+Pagoda+2.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526748880516047666" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
<br />
There is also a large and very kitsch grotto housing a quite unique shrine to<a href="http://spiritjourneythrough.blogspot.com/2009/10/quan-am.html" style="font-style: italic;"> Quan Am</a> (<a href="http://spiritjourneythrough.blogspot.com/2008/12/kwan-yin.html">Kwan Yin</a>). This particular shrine is very popular with locals, and the statue of <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2010/05/quan-am-bo-tat.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Quan Am</span></a> is quite unique, in a form rarely seen.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDX4JuTQLhGCYV2FKuEnYeRZkN-JZDIFMHtOusf6l79V_M4Nx9QfU0ISJOPZx5NQsBM9qk5hUZc3sGgy8kKTAJC5MXVQ5yCWormJlGjVD6Xufgw6oH10KTz5YlU8SoN6R9JwtVPljvkH0/s1600/b_Quan+Am+Pagoda.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDX4JuTQLhGCYV2FKuEnYeRZkN-JZDIFMHtOusf6l79V_M4Nx9QfU0ISJOPZx5NQsBM9qk5hUZc3sGgy8kKTAJC5MXVQ5yCWormJlGjVD6Xufgw6oH10KTz5YlU8SoN6R9JwtVPljvkH0/s400/b_Quan+Am+Pagoda.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526748895593603506" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
<br />
To
get to the grotto you need to walk through the gift shop to the left of
the temple, and then climb up through the fake cave. Offerings are made
from behind the statue. This grotto is exceedingly cramped, and should
you meet someone on your way up or down one of you is going have to
re-trace your steps - it is almost impossible to pass another person.<br />
<br />
Details: Chua Quan Am - Phu Nhuan, 90 Thích Quảng Đức St, Phu Nhuan, Ho Chi Minh City<br />
<br />Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-90337855016334476632013-12-23T22:44:00.001+11:002013-12-23T22:44:01.912+11:00Vinh Nghiem Temple, Cabramatta Vinh Nghiem Temple is one of the Buddhist temples most easily accessible via public transport in Cabramatta.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJs4LY54ZLwFfHQXNuiirFt0KIpCfH_YUWBq8CdiM6ifM3xMvoo_9WWvCRcKSH4qHF2xR14OGtAw6_CAK582cWQqE_5DCEsVYeGC9wfh-dMnN74jTXhZAiGCLMNs0_YdJgi4_CzOQeQ8/s1600/B_Vinh+Nghiem.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612674688104986146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJs4LY54ZLwFfHQXNuiirFt0KIpCfH_YUWBq8CdiM6ifM3xMvoo_9WWvCRcKSH4qHF2xR14OGtAw6_CAK582cWQqE_5DCEsVYeGC9wfh-dMnN74jTXhZAiGCLMNs0_YdJgi4_CzOQeQ8/s400/B_Vinh+Nghiem.JPG" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Now anyone who knows <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinh_Nghiem_Pagoda">Vinh Nghiem Temple in Vietnam</a> might feel a little let down by the distinctly more humble aspect of Sydney's branch.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvIl2hjzYK_1XFnHfamO39S6uMlW2WacNDgqlxWJkn42m20I9Y20JbaK6yfVzDuQHalFSOkvldJFJAsNjTyh9kZECo8DKLIJUtuFbonM6pw0lpLAFYkiGbMdaQ1fH70HWju_Ky8ci0o8/s1600/B_Vinh+Nghiem+2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612674677694884226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvIl2hjzYK_1XFnHfamO39S6uMlW2WacNDgqlxWJkn42m20I9Y20JbaK6yfVzDuQHalFSOkvldJFJAsNjTyh9kZECo8DKLIJUtuFbonM6pw0lpLAFYkiGbMdaQ1fH70HWju_Ky8ci0o8/s400/B_Vinh+Nghiem+2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.virtourist.com/asia/vietnam/saigon/26.htm">Vinh Nghiem in Ho Chi Minh City</a> is Vietnam's<a href="http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=55,5596,0,0,1,0"> largest</a> and<a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/asia/vietnam/ho-chi-minh-city/37750/vinh-nghiem-pagoda/attraction-detail.html"> most vibrant Buddhist institution</a>, a constant on any tourist itinerary. In Sydney it is a humble fibro cottage with an add-on out the back.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtLDf564xNqrXxMaaBn5IQMpbH63TJkdPgmWBOdaA_cXOTJMTSo6ZWk5ICiMSd3Kw_EbY-i64dzfeWgxK_gA2l2a4ZrTSDx2QbbeKRh3Twd8gW0_sSH9mbSakmgqGNTus7AiIu0FJQOw/s1600/B_Vinh+Nghiem+3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612674676855553346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtLDf564xNqrXxMaaBn5IQMpbH63TJkdPgmWBOdaA_cXOTJMTSo6ZWk5ICiMSd3Kw_EbY-i64dzfeWgxK_gA2l2a4ZrTSDx2QbbeKRh3Twd8gW0_sSH9mbSakmgqGNTus7AiIu0FJQOw/s400/B_Vinh+Nghiem+3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 374px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
But rest assured it is the real McCoy - the Abbot, Ven. <a href="http://www.buddhismaustralia.org/nsw.htm">Thich Vien Chon</a>, hails from <a href="http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=768132">Vinh Nghiem TPHCM</a>, and was in his day a famous teacher at the <a href="http://talk.onevietnam.org/popular-temples-and-pagodas-in-vietnam/">Vinh Nghiem</a> Buddhist High School (now closed).<br />
We had a lovely time making our own <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2010/04/sydneys-top-5-best-vietnamese.html">fresh spring rolls</a> (<span style="font-style: italic;">goi cuon</span>) under the tutelage of <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2011/01/banh-tet-for-lunar-new-year-vinh-nghiem-temple-cabramatta/">Vinh Nghiem Temple</a>'s resident nuns.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IX96435GKGXFW-BvGhO7vrxIuFgIHmEZXm7w17tUQ5m07eXQ5Nz63X4WcTZiRXJBqx4isPVX_3CxkDt2Nvm4KgHEB8KfiT_UxkEX2w28lIMBREN9bL3JC9lM4GkZw-R6kjdWb7Q5kKI/s1600/B_Vinh+Nghiem+5.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612674683518905138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IX96435GKGXFW-BvGhO7vrxIuFgIHmEZXm7w17tUQ5m07eXQ5Nz63X4WcTZiRXJBqx4isPVX_3CxkDt2Nvm4KgHEB8KfiT_UxkEX2w28lIMBREN9bL3JC9lM4GkZw-R6kjdWb7Q5kKI/s400/B_Vinh+Nghiem+5.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOgCOiNKYuYd12XMwuTfK_5fT-ntInnFmR_eVTJdfKwu71O5fNgLMzi30bxSrOLjpwlmcWup3rhqwm_L7VZiAHYU0PD2NpOfZZlzRheR7QsgFTqqai9eYYQLGAzTnRL21CS3UFEMIYK4/s1600/B_Vinh+Nghiem+4.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612674678555755778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOgCOiNKYuYd12XMwuTfK_5fT-ntInnFmR_eVTJdfKwu71O5fNgLMzi30bxSrOLjpwlmcWup3rhqwm_L7VZiAHYU0PD2NpOfZZlzRheR7QsgFTqqai9eYYQLGAzTnRL21CS3UFEMIYK4/s400/B_Vinh+Nghiem+4.jpg" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Details:<br />
<br />
<i>Vinh Nghiem Temple</i><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span> 177 John Street, <i>CABRAMATTA</i>, NSW 2166<br />
<br />
Open every day - all welcome - enter through the carport on the left side of the house.Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-9029010539940325332013-11-28T09:12:00.001+11:002013-11-28T09:12:53.946+11:00Vietnam on the WWW - a roundupTonight I am joining a diverse bunch of writers at the NSW Writers' Centre to discuss Vietnam and writing about it. In preparation I thought I'd offer up some of the latest news from the web:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.icatholic.org/image/width/250/src/images/editions/2013-11-22/p16_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.icatholic.org/image/width/250/src/images/editions/2013-11-22/p16_web.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting by Vietnamese artist <a href="http://www.icatholic.org/article/year-of-faith-pilgrimage-our-lady-of-perpetual-help-2116205" target="_blank">ViVi Vo Hung Kiet</a> in Salt Lake City </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The <a href="http://tuoitrenews.vn/lifestyle/15432/hues-collection-of-rare-books-dwindling" target="_blank">rare books of Hue are being sold</a> by desperate collectors</li>
<li>A detailed rundown of<a href="http://www.vietnam-briefing.com/news/vietnams-infrastructure-hanoi.html/" target="_blank"> Hanoi's infrastructure</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.thanhniennews.com/pages/default.aspx" target="_blank"><i>Thanh Nien</i></a> reports that <a href="http://www.thanhniennews.com/index/pages/20131125-evn-allowed-to-decide-on-power-price-increases-of-less-than-10-percent.aspx" target="_blank">power prices will rise by 10% in Vietnam </a>- yikes! I know my friends will be worried about this one.</li>
<li>A travel piece about negotiating <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=11161667&ref=rss" target="_blank">crowded Vietnam</a> in the <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/headlines.cfm?c_id=7" target="_blank"><i>New Zealand Herald</i></a>. </li>
<li>I am sooo tempted to attend the <a href="http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v7/wn/newsworld.php?id=996095" target="_blank">United Nations Vesak celebration in Vietnam in 2014</a>. This will be the <a href="http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/society/90053/buddhists-from-100-countries-to-attend-vesak-in-vietnam.html" target="_blank">second time</a> Vietnam has hosted this Buddhist celebration. </li>
<li>A nice travel piece about a <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/vietnam/10468453/Vietnam-A-taste-of-village-life-in-the-north.html" target="_blank">village stay in Vietnam</a> by Anna Murphy. </li>
</ul>
Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-79883234603420907902013-03-27T10:47:00.000+11:002013-03-27T10:47:10.236+11:00Van Duc Temple, Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City - Places to Visit in Vietnam <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpv01QSwHtonrLwEvdQFcwteJcZw0GUcY3WAdZv03WaHZyhZQCFsPUVaP_PReKKPlQuWq1_BNzNQC9WzmWk615wgNv7Tod43Ot70V5lVKz2NTrds8tkEL4XsieG9dmzU5nMqwjk8RboY/s1600/B_Temple+Thu+Duc+2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681483418764206930" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpv01QSwHtonrLwEvdQFcwteJcZw0GUcY3WAdZv03WaHZyhZQCFsPUVaP_PReKKPlQuWq1_BNzNQC9WzmWk615wgNv7Tod43Ot70V5lVKz2NTrds8tkEL4XsieG9dmzU5nMqwjk8RboY/s400/B_Temple+Thu+Duc+2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 327px;" /></a><br />If you are planning a holiday to Vietnam then you should definitely put aside a morning or afternoon while you are in <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2011/12/vinh-nghiem-temple-at-night.html">Ho Chi Minh City</a> in order to visit <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2011/03/guests-garden-benedictine-monastery-thu.html">Thu Duc</a>. <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2010/08/refectory-benedictine-monastery-thu-duc.html">Thu Duc</a> is a fascinating place.<br />It is a vast geographic area, almost a city in itself, though it is classified as one of the districts of <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2010/03/giac-vien-pagoda.html">Ho Chi Minh City</a>.
It has always been something of a poor cousin, home to slums and
sub-standard housing, though in recent years this seems to be changing,
and <a href="http://spiritjourneythrough.blogspot.com/2011/08/entrance-benedictine-monastery-thu-duc.html">Thu Duc</a>'s proximity to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saigon_Central_Post_Office">central Saigon</a> (it's just across the river) is seeing it become increasingly prosperous.<br />One of the places I use as a gauge of that prosperity is Van Duc Temple.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRvpuTddhRNUgLaU-oqbNhgNZxPvIYQNUlY2cAeD1rrwIByxYBT-6IpjZ-TSMD6VbrdAhjrdk5mqe7gN-jm64tTPwIZctR9Mq8zApLxJbhNIHPsplJ4ffJ_uUqcVyBeElyCfYndyMYto/s1600/B_Temple+Thu+Duc+5.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681483322593147122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRvpuTddhRNUgLaU-oqbNhgNZxPvIYQNUlY2cAeD1rrwIByxYBT-6IpjZ-TSMD6VbrdAhjrdk5mqe7gN-jm64tTPwIZctR9Mq8zApLxJbhNIHPsplJ4ffJ_uUqcVyBeElyCfYndyMYto/s400/B_Temple+Thu+Duc+5.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br /><br /><br />I
first visited the temple in the late 90s and it was a very humble
affair indeed, despite being the home of the then most senior Buddhist
master in Vietnam, The Most Venerable Thich Tri Tinh. It was dusty and a
little ramshackle, having been originally constructed in 1954. The
large and quite unique satue of <a href="http://whitefeather.com.au/?page_id=526">Kwan Yin</a> (<a href="http://lunadauhnn.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/visitation-by-quan-yin/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Quan The Am</span></a>, the <a href="http://youtu.be/DLF-pqLYlcI">Buddhist Bodhisattva of Mercy</a>) was already in place, but she was installed on quite a shoddy and tacky little stand in the middle of a sad and muddy pond.<br /><a href="http://youtu.be/7DmTbXN9-3I">Van Duc</a> has undergone quite a renovation.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9hPVp1AKAmi26ecOE86hvIyHVWn5MM4BCPSfTiMplirGWjJnpAviG7-9IgHYmPZ1KKQAqvC9dcL77AKdNLpPAmMx9VufWJ-5SpghvgWFU7_MVV1Expc3NGkd0UnLM3wI3NAT4v1GcOo/s1600/B_Temple+Thu+Duc+3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681483335530773842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9hPVp1AKAmi26ecOE86hvIyHVWn5MM4BCPSfTiMplirGWjJnpAviG7-9IgHYmPZ1KKQAqvC9dcL77AKdNLpPAmMx9VufWJ-5SpghvgWFU7_MVV1Expc3NGkd0UnLM3wI3NAT4v1GcOo/s400/B_Temple+Thu+Duc+3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br /><br /><br />
The same statue is now housed in a solid and ornate construction, and
the temple's main prayer hall is cavernous, with incredibly high
ceilings and the capacity to seat hundreds of worshippers.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5B6w50bdyT2yNznVl4hv099eYbMDHR2zkdhJCPSiUxZKWLQGPc4oHzXnDS5lJDSUdqsij1ajCNW9mwT_h8tdlqFjNUaeT1_9yDPpkHrXZPSt8NthcDzq0Ha3DsmCYAV8MVphBHyfjcA/s1600/B_Temple+Thu+Duc+4.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681483327116287794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5B6w50bdyT2yNznVl4hv099eYbMDHR2zkdhJCPSiUxZKWLQGPc4oHzXnDS5lJDSUdqsij1ajCNW9mwT_h8tdlqFjNUaeT1_9yDPpkHrXZPSt8NthcDzq0Ha3DsmCYAV8MVphBHyfjcA/s400/B_Temple+Thu+Duc+4.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br /><br /><br />There
is a large monastic community, and the surrounding area is home to many
different Buddhist temples, as well as a Benedictine monastery of some
note.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3g92j63Ba5x1uJJJtwCZGT0lIbHSGkEkz_Iq-Hx_QCyQtiU5Bl3K2nreAMLcOL7Nzxq9TfOeqwoc4lPwsPoYaNAmbVJcAWbv2-KBn1tFlcmimReq20cCGrdu64DMgIHpaPElauJsWPQ/s1600/B_Temple+Thu+Duc.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681483311188997026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3g92j63Ba5x1uJJJtwCZGT0lIbHSGkEkz_Iq-Hx_QCyQtiU5Bl3K2nreAMLcOL7Nzxq9TfOeqwoc4lPwsPoYaNAmbVJcAWbv2-KBn1tFlcmimReq20cCGrdu64DMgIHpaPElauJsWPQ/s400/B_Temple+Thu+Duc.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 229px;" /></a><br /><br /><br />If
you keep walking down the Tinh Lo 43 (the name of the road the temple
is on) and turn down the first No. 7 Road (there are actually two No. 7
Roads, one after the other) you will see a collection of 7 or 8 tiny
temples crammed onto a single country laneway. I have no idea why this
is, but there is obviously some historic reason for it.<br /><br />Details:<br /><br />Van Duc Temple (Chua Van Duc)<br />502 Tinh Lo 43<br />Khu Pho 5<br />P. Tam Phu<br />Q. Thu Duc<br />Ho Chi Minh City<br /><br />The temple is about a 20 minute taxi ride from downtown Saigon.<br />It might be best to get the taxi to wait for you while you explore, as there aren't many taxis in this area.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMNn8V5Wx2mJDveFZeWL11yGKhwHj-ekdsyPfq0CiepT35tdK1HrdsDQGS9m4As7CsyUddFj9NMEPpaCeBOXjcki2B28rwf4UPTL6ebULbr6cezxYJggjhPYFlHsW6-b-X9dBmjpOI3Y/s1600/B_Temple+Thu+Duc+Kien+Nguyen.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681483317101352946" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMNn8V5Wx2mJDveFZeWL11yGKhwHj-ekdsyPfq0CiepT35tdK1HrdsDQGS9m4As7CsyUddFj9NMEPpaCeBOXjcki2B28rwf4UPTL6ebULbr6cezxYJggjhPYFlHsW6-b-X9dBmjpOI3Y/s400/B_Temple+Thu+Duc+Kien+Nguyen.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br /><br />Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-3133135657805333292013-01-07T18:07:00.000+11:002013-01-07T18:07:11.895+11:00Monday Blogcrawl - BuddhismSome Buddhist stuff from around the www this past week:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDsbRmnJf0HgxOFwBiQVSBRceDMqCjgURpwXe6He4GtenjMLK26cOaaupdwFbwYjb10-RNI4eIB7SvNp4FOwSvsQ8suBMAzdAa3zoCyoGf28aEIEc13Iw6YbWSd1FDQlm41GukVtMiwtQ/s1600/B_Buddhas+life+story.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDsbRmnJf0HgxOFwBiQVSBRceDMqCjgURpwXe6He4GtenjMLK26cOaaupdwFbwYjb10-RNI4eIB7SvNp4FOwSvsQ8suBMAzdAa3zoCyoGf28aEIEc13Iw6YbWSd1FDQlm41GukVtMiwtQ/s400/B_Buddhas+life+story.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tricycle.com/blog/himalayan-buddhist-art-101-stories-buddha" target="_blank"><i>Stories of the Buddha in art</i></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Some <a href="http://fullcontactenlightenment.com/2013/01/random-linkage-zen-pencils-competitive-buddhist-book-reading-league-thay-in-toronto-not-for-happiness-again/" target="_blank">random Buddhist links</a></li>
<li>Boundless gives us a <a href="https://www.boundless.com/art-history/south-and-southeast-asia-after-1200/southeast-asia-1/thailand/" target="_blank">beautifully simple explanation of </a>Thai Buddhist art</li>
<li>Thich Nhat Hanh visits North America in 2013, and the <a href="http://shambhalasun.com/sunspace/?p=30737" target="_blank">Shambhala Sun Space has the details</a>. To get you into the mood, here is an<a href="https://soundcloud.com/thichnhathanh/our-body-is-a-treasure" target="_blank"> audio</a> file of a talk by Thay. And another one <a href="http://tnhaudio.org/2013/01/04/home-is-the-way/" target="_blank">here</a>. And <a href="http://www.sumeru-books.com/" target="_blank">Sumeru</a> gives us the dates of his <a href="http://www.sumeru-books.com/2013/01/thich-nhat-hanh-2013-canadian-events/" target="_blank">Canada tour</a>. Sweeping Zen wants to<a href="http://sweepingzen.com/help-nominate-thich-nhat-hanh-for-the-2013-nobel-peace-prize/" target="_blank"> nominate Thich Nhat Hanh for the 2013 Nobel </a>Peace Prize </li>
<li><a href="http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=59911#.UOprgKz758E" target="_blank">Thai Buddhist art exhibtion opens</a> - details from <a href="http://artdaily.org/">artdaily.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/23218" target="_blank">94 year old monk is Burma is considered lucky</a>, or so says <i>The Irawaddy</i></li>
<li>Ajahn Brahm is <a href="http://newlotus.buddhistdoor.com/en/news/d/31165" target="_blank">touring Hong Kong in 2013</a></li>
</ul>
Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-74539796521027388182012-12-19T17:00:00.002+11:002012-12-19T17:00:54.996+11:005 Interesting Books by Thich Nhat Hanh<a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2010/07/30-writers-who-have-changed-my-life.html">Thich Nhat Hanh</a>
is one of the most fascinating and compelling people alive - a real
living spiritual treasure. I first came upon his work when I was a very
young man, and I was delighted by the simplicty, clarity and lack of
pretension in his message. I wanted to find out more about <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2010/07/venerable-father.html">Buddhism</a>, and he was the first writer to really bring it alive for me. It is because of <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2009/03/thich-nhat-hanh.html">Thich Nhat Hanh </a>that I have spent the last 20 years exploring <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2010/06/buddhist-concepts-four-noble-truths.html">Buddhism</a> and exploring <a href="http://spiritjourneythrough.blogspot.com/2010/07/monastery-gardens-thu-duc-phap-vien.html">Vietnam</a>. It is no wonder, then, that my book <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2010/05/self-as-narrator-self-as-hero.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Destination Saigon</span></a> carries a thank-you note to him in the acknowledgements.<br />
As well as being a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7XJdkL4j3Y">meditation</a> master and the second most famous <a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/masters/thich.htm">Buddhist monk </a>in
the world (the Dalai Lama beats him), he is also a scholar and
linguist, with a great love for literature and a real gift for
expression. He has been a prolfic writer over the years, so I thought I
would humbly present my own list of his books that have helped and
inspired me over the years:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://regularrumination.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/savor.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://regularrumination.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/savor.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 648px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 429px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emd9q6_o6Z0"><span style="font-style: italic;">Savor </span></a>-
This is his newest book, and is co-authored with Dr. Lilian Cheung. It
is a fascinating exercise - a kind combination Buddhist manual and diet
book. <a href="http://greenbamboosangha.blogspot.com/">Thich Nhat Hanh </a>has
always talked a lot about food in his writings: the need to eat
mindfully, the need to be thankful for our meals, how to eat ethically
etc. So I guess devoting a whole book to it is a natural progression.
Interestingly, this is also the book that finally got him noticed by
Oprah - so he at last carries the imprimatur of the queen of popular
culture!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dailyom.com/library/photos/000/000/000000808.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.dailyom.com/library/photos/000/000/000000808.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 150px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3870733554401994670#"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Energy of Prayer</span></a>
- This little book is probably the one I turn to most. My copy is
battered and dog-eared, filled with highlighting and comments. I have
used it a lot in my meditation teaching, because I find it uses language
that is quite familiar to Western, non-Buddhist minds. Master Nhat Hanh
has been interested in the meeting of Eastern and Western
spiritualities since he was a young man, and this book is the best
melding of those traditions. Its final section is a series of prayers
and meditations that would be helpful to anyone's spiritual life.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/bestsellers-2006/1965-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/bestsellers-2006/1965-1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 633px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 420px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Miracle_of_Mindfulness"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Miracle of Mindfulness</span></a> - Probably his best-known book, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Miracle of Mindfulness </span>was
something of a Bible for me in the 90s. I read it over and over as I
traveled through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, and my filthy copy was
perused at some of the most beautiful and amazing locations! It is a
beautifully written and belletristic exploration of meditation and
mindfulness, and I promise it will be a constant inspiration.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.parallax.org/books/mastertang/front.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.parallax.org/books/mastertang/front.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 280px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 189px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.parallax.org/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?preadd=action&key=BOOKMTH"><span style="font-style: italic;">Master Tang Hoi </span></a>- One for the history buffs. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Master-Tang-Hoi-Teacher-Vietnam/dp/1888375132">Master Tang Hoi</a>
was the first Zen teacher in Vietnam, and this is the most intriguing
book about him and his teachings. It is essential reading for anyone
interested in Vietnamese history and culture, and for Zen enthusiasts it
represents a meditation teaching that pre-dates <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhidharma">Bodhidharma </a>by 300 years!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.holisticpage.com.au/Albumpics/309017sm.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.holisticpage.com.au/Albumpics/309017sm.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 118px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 80px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://books.google.com.au/books?id=meTL51tiNuQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Thich+Nhat+Hanh+Joyfully+Together&source=bl&ots=HFePvQSEMO&sig=z1pZfYpWb0PnzOa4MdXirtk26RI&hl=en&ei=_ZVSTPvHLsOecd-0_b8M&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false"><span style="font-style: italic;">Joyfully Together</span></a>
- If you are interested in building community and making the world a
nicer place to be, this is a really wonderful place to start. It is one
of Thich Nhat Hanh's more obscure titles, but I have found it to be
tremendously useful and inspiring, and have drawn on its wisdom and
advice many times. Master Nhat Hanh has himself established a global
community of gigantic proportions, so why not learn from a master?Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-4933025191764974452012-12-19T15:10:00.000+11:002012-12-19T15:10:11.467+11:00Top 5 Day-Glo Lotuses in VietnamI have a thing for the <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2010/05/bodhi-tree.html">popular Buddhist art</a> of <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2010/05/temple-bell.html">Vietnam</a>.<br />
I am a fan of the school of maximilism that informs most of the <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2009/11/kwan-yin-with-jewels.html">temple decoration</a> that you see in <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2010/03/giac-vien-pagoda.html">Vietnam</a>. Indeed, the working title for my book <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2010/04/john-safran-and-father-bob-triple-j.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Destination Saigon</span></a> was 'Day-Glo <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2009/02/vajrapani.html">Lotus</a> and Neon <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2009/09/st-patricks-cathedral-parramatta.html">Halo</a>', which I thought captured perfectly the kind of <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2009/10/ksitigarbha.html">Vietnamese</a> groove I wanted to describe. Sadly, my publishers didn't agree.<br />
So I wanted to present you with a less-than-comprehensive overview of some of <a href="http://spiritjourneythrough.blogspot.com/2010/05/dia-tang-vuong-bo-tat.html">Vietnam</a>'s finest day-glo lotuses.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYYpQyTYIk4mi-WKxen4C9Qx0VJf3N3-xhftPJWYT9mXoCxtFYlljIvAA3EQ1t0xtDI4-dz9iHTuU_PnrafwGPRyn64GXrvSeyTdsBwKD_zQEQYEhe81N8IaUr4na6zxWiHXTYGjyBxo/s1600/b_day-glo+lotus.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475492250306714786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYYpQyTYIk4mi-WKxen4C9Qx0VJf3N3-xhftPJWYT9mXoCxtFYlljIvAA3EQ1t0xtDI4-dz9iHTuU_PnrafwGPRyn64GXrvSeyTdsBwKD_zQEQYEhe81N8IaUr4na6zxWiHXTYGjyBxo/s400/b_day-glo+lotus.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 245px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>An Long Temple, near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qui_Nh%C6%A1n">Quy Nhon</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binh_Dinh">Binh Dinh</a> Province: This is the classic in contemporaray day-glo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Flower">lotus </a>sculpture. Supporting a colourful statue of <span style="font-style: italic;">Di Lac</span>, the fat, laughing <a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/budsas/ebud/whatbudbeliev/45.htm">Buddha of the future</a>,
this lotus is the hottest of pinks, with the acidest of green
contrasts. These kinds of statues are still produced by hand at little
workshops all over <a href="http://www.holiday-vietnam.net/vietnam/briefly">Vietnam</a>. Made of plaster, they are quite fragile but still remarkably heavy. They are also quite cheap. </li>
</ol>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_upmTmACgQn3MedHGZYpqlqT86pxhHpKIjgCO9dxod77s9gWGSVe9TxkHlhD0j0rel36efOAxgAy210Iy3FSeDCmWr_qW8PUEBtJn7ML2_IuDadZPYgGCC04Kh4huUecl1xOFtSHOYmM/s1600/b_day-glo+lotus+5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475492245738357666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_upmTmACgQn3MedHGZYpqlqT86pxhHpKIjgCO9dxod77s9gWGSVe9TxkHlhD0j0rel36efOAxgAy210Iy3FSeDCmWr_qW8PUEBtJn7ML2_IuDadZPYgGCC04Kh4huUecl1xOFtSHOYmM/s400/b_day-glo+lotus+5.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 148px;" /></a><br />
<br />
2. Hien Nam Temple, <a href="http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20100521-217677.html">Quy Nhon City</a>, Binh Dinh Province: Right near <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjPj_qCkFfI">Quy Nhon</a>'s
massive supermarket sits this more subtle example of an outdoor lotus.
Rendered in a faded orange, these outdoor lotuses have to be touched up
yearly, and so can undergo quite radical changes in colour from one year
to the next. This one is supporting <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2010/05/quan-am-bo-tat.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Quan The Am</span></a>, the Bodhisattva of Mercy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fVeQ6WI-GmyN-njopc0jRDLSkAYlOUkcMR2FuWX7tZJGFYG-RBHI0RkQOEFcbUo5c8mxEvWo1rBtVLGy6YRzHXGVOwYb25iGQBoO6kDQMkNUaGqiXQSToAitBipkko8X299QTMEv8w8/s1600/b_day-glo+lotus+4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475492239188546674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fVeQ6WI-GmyN-njopc0jRDLSkAYlOUkcMR2FuWX7tZJGFYG-RBHI0RkQOEFcbUo5c8mxEvWo1rBtVLGy6YRzHXGVOwYb25iGQBoO6kDQMkNUaGqiXQSToAitBipkko8X299QTMEv8w8/s400/b_day-glo+lotus+4.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 309px;" /></a><br />
3.
Khanh Hoa Temple, Pham Van Hai St., Tan Binh Dist., Ho Chi Minh City:
This is vintage lotus, pre-1975. Much more beautifully and carefully
rendered, I'd say constructed on the spot from reinforced cement. This
is the largest of the lotuses featured. It is an indoor setting, and the
colours are slightly more muted.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRnnm09hOtLKliE7LVPyorwJlAupMM3ASDWWljF7KadwyUgkQAIVS-EjfHRI3CAaEiJoi0zJ57Q05CQPT9kwp97gty-lqr1UPsZVFTOesQt-GcYFmk1ZJ2zkXS359kyOklyPuxcD7dFM/s1600/b_day-glo+lotus+3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475492232924681026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRnnm09hOtLKliE7LVPyorwJlAupMM3ASDWWljF7KadwyUgkQAIVS-EjfHRI3CAaEiJoi0zJ57Q05CQPT9kwp97gty-lqr1UPsZVFTOesQt-GcYFmk1ZJ2zkXS359kyOklyPuxcD7dFM/s400/b_day-glo+lotus+3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 225px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
4.
Giac Vien Temple, Dist. 11, Ho Chi Minh City: This temple is filled
with antique wooden statues of great beauty, but these are a couple of
the newer additions. The statue in green is quite a unique rendering -
I've never seen a deity dressed in quite that shade in any other
Vietnamese temple. Her position next to Amitabha makes me think it is a
statue of <span style="font-style: italic;">Dai The Chi</span> (Mahasthamaprapta) but I can't be sure, because the iconography is stangely noncommittal.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztaHKw2tTP7crcJsvn006zY8MqrrwW0uWELTDq7jUlDGoHnbVuh2NGaJIVB1_tXF5HU4WLIN22Og8VQ6jWoWJcpXLq40aw0ZYStIRY-ch2GgfZA2Kz5NYaMk8pIgYZYr1cWaQ_xChUKI/s1600/b_day-glo+lotus+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475492220679513106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztaHKw2tTP7crcJsvn006zY8MqrrwW0uWELTDq7jUlDGoHnbVuh2NGaJIVB1_tXF5HU4WLIN22Og8VQ6jWoWJcpXLq40aw0ZYStIRY-ch2GgfZA2Kz5NYaMk8pIgYZYr1cWaQ_xChUKI/s400/b_day-glo+lotus+2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 301px;" /></a><br />
5. Huong Mai Temple, Hoai Nhon village, Binh Dinh: This is a detail from quite an amazing outdoor statue of <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2010/04/temples-of-sydney-phuoc-hue-temple.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Quan The Am</span></a>
at a remote fishing village. The red lotus column emerges from the
belly of a dragon painted a quite distinct shade of aqua. This colour is
new in temple statues, but I noticed it being used a lot in Central
Vietnam last time I was there. I love how even these things are
influenced by fashion!Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-68745522889220774752012-12-19T14:29:00.000+11:002012-12-19T14:29:56.981+11:00Christian-Zen, Zen-Christian<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4IuJa5pOoHOqTLzka5MkJWHOCPLg4HGl9aHMHcRur7hjo637VcUeqBLwTzZsWr-63meYbvgolweWxJNNtZZsF1_b0sW-RuAidIhz6Q-dep8pVLtpDTqK_WthIPi17wwx3Sr38UmROS3L/s1600/B_zen+christian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4IuJa5pOoHOqTLzka5MkJWHOCPLg4HGl9aHMHcRur7hjo637VcUeqBLwTzZsWr-63meYbvgolweWxJNNtZZsF1_b0sW-RuAidIhz6Q-dep8pVLtpDTqK_WthIPi17wwx3Sr38UmROS3L/s400/B_zen+christian.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pic from <a href="http://randydellosa.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/zen-meditation-as-psychotherapy-for.html" target="_blank">Randy Dellosa</a></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
Just briefly, I wanted to alert you to this fascinating podcast from <a href="http://www.unity.fm/program/WorldSpirituality" target="_blank">Unity FM's World Spirituality podcast</a> on Christian-Zen practice.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYe5Ckg6vwhRgtG065mmp6f58kbBJb3rJFWFnJEH-etcLCqHgdzWF6XkUSq-6VWDEzIG4PjNPxN-O8ssXnSCfIu348bpbW5rfA9PS-gXVK9Lc40saLTNGUtdjIOWSeZxPmiqxPtn0G67Y/s1600/B_Nan+Tien+Wollongong+Kwan+Yin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYe5Ckg6vwhRgtG065mmp6f58kbBJb3rJFWFnJEH-etcLCqHgdzWF6XkUSq-6VWDEzIG4PjNPxN-O8ssXnSCfIu348bpbW5rfA9PS-gXVK9Lc40saLTNGUtdjIOWSeZxPmiqxPtn0G67Y/s400/B_Nan+Tien+Wollongong+Kwan+Yin.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Zen <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2010/04/tem.html" target="_blank">Buddhism</a> is the form that Vietnamese Master<a href="http://www.universalheartbookclub.com/2012/08/treasuring-thich-nhat-hanh.html" target="_blank"> Thich Nhat Hanh</a> has exported to the world in its uniquely Vietnamese guise. And, as you will hear on this podcast, there has been a great deal of<a href="http://buddhism.about.com/b/2009/02/24/zen-christian-bishop-divided-loyalties.htm" target="_blank"> merging Zen and Christian practice</a> in the West. <br />
Such interfaith activity is almost unknown in Vietnam, however, where <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholicism_in_Vietnam" target="_blank">Catholics</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Vietnam" target="_blank">Buddhists</a> remain quite separate, and each side views any attempt to incorporate the other with abhorrence. I would actually be really interested in taking these ideas to Vietnam, but I fear that in the present political climate it would be impossible. <br />
Anyway, please <a href="http://player.fm/series/world-spirituality/what-i-am-learning-from-zen" target="_blank">listen to this quite moving podcast</a> and let me know what you think. Would particularly like to hear from people who are engaged in both traditions.Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-51723570605269989262012-12-10T08:32:00.000+11:002012-12-10T08:32:05.827+11:00Van Mieu - The Temple of Literature - Hanoi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvFzCAkouUb9HAbRWvRc_-HBsKPRnDzynJL6D4VzjDz3W0wOyDyjmXrC9-33f_EFTxmEpItCllLA_miSnARqtX7KT5FIjA56RyUQR0cG-2rteanGyqMzujFoXAfveiw5uzRVBkr_Q3fI/s1600/b_Van+Mieu.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509307216936543730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvFzCAkouUb9HAbRWvRc_-HBsKPRnDzynJL6D4VzjDz3W0wOyDyjmXrC9-33f_EFTxmEpItCllLA_miSnARqtX7KT5FIjA56RyUQR0cG-2rteanGyqMzujFoXAfveiw5uzRVBkr_Q3fI/s400/b_Van+Mieu.jpg" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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<br />
My favourite place in all of Hanoi is Van Mieu, the medieval Confucian University.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVusQfRYmr1pYKyON8Z2JcOFRMDMsVKSlX-rrH09Occ0cyVCEd2FW3dpGemj3YzCHr9FSv97IOKg4wAcwfRi9P1xJjRK0vhKqu8wAv04e3pH7-KOtDnzSdVN30OsJLUIm_zPhv0eUZyg/s1600/b_Van+Mieu+5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509307211241568674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVusQfRYmr1pYKyON8Z2JcOFRMDMsVKSlX-rrH09Occ0cyVCEd2FW3dpGemj3YzCHr9FSv97IOKg4wAcwfRi9P1xJjRK0vhKqu8wAv04e3pH7-KOtDnzSdVN30OsJLUIm_zPhv0eUZyg/s400/b_Van+Mieu+5.jpg" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Yes, I know it is something of a tourist hell-hole these days (in fact, I write about it in <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2010/04/nw-magazine-review-of-destination.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Destination Saigon</span></a>),
but despite the crowds of tourists and the ever more obnoxious guides, I
still love just slouching about the grounds of this exquisite building.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmRFsYsxw_GeXz5o08fhUvv0g6iWrR4KzvKXeop6urZ3dnV4udhWpYNfY6X5UhvNe2n5KNp4Mann2qgBRU9qIIlEvFhANLVajWcN6PQOV2iCCxxcl2_MDthqUoor_Y7X9OmZQ5D7NLN8/s1600/b_Van+Mieu+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509307193719899890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmRFsYsxw_GeXz5o08fhUvv0g6iWrR4KzvKXeop6urZ3dnV4udhWpYNfY6X5UhvNe2n5KNp4Mann2qgBRU9qIIlEvFhANLVajWcN6PQOV2iCCxxcl2_MDthqUoor_Y7X9OmZQ5D7NLN8/s400/b_Van+Mieu+2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 251px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
The
first time I ever went there, back in 1994, Hanoi was still largely
unvisited, and the Temple of Literature was absolutely decrepit. Even
then, though, it had incredible charm. The morning we first visited
there was no-one else at all in the place, apart from a few sad-faced
souvenir sales-girls and a man cleaning the toilets. It seems hard to
believe now, when hundreds must stream through every day.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyhpT88gulZg7maIizGlh9d2O3eysc0tVIxUF8_pMpccJI6gXhLZum7wx3cmvlpl4O7eXSXohLskZbywmYCGrg1OQd_5Jm90_fDRaPAotIKzpt9OSmXfkv32PVHZJHBBS0BYdQhCxQpY/s1600/b_Van+Mieu+3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509307200719648178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyhpT88gulZg7maIizGlh9d2O3eysc0tVIxUF8_pMpccJI6gXhLZum7wx3cmvlpl4O7eXSXohLskZbywmYCGrg1OQd_5Jm90_fDRaPAotIKzpt9OSmXfkv32PVHZJHBBS0BYdQhCxQpY/s400/b_Van+Mieu+3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Still, I think there's no better place to go on a grey, rainy <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2010/04/nw-magazine-review-of-destination.html">Hanoi</a> morning. The last time I went the gardens were filled with schoolgirls reading <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlX3z_WQx8M"><span style="font-style: italic;">Chicken Soup for the Soul</span></a> in Vietnamese. Which is exactly what I'd be doing if I was in their shoes.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75KhrgsfkFwipPv8VNBczpjky6hGqOGiX-1GVkvVGR-wUTOINmJhxC78VwPHN7w16u5VTLfjeek_VrVA192fsnUNPdj4g8y_3TO1ekSX8FdKklnOS-rLrCMOnrxOJOmK1ijfcbTg2RLM/s1600/b_Van+Mieu+4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509307210709843058" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75KhrgsfkFwipPv8VNBczpjky6hGqOGiX-1GVkvVGR-wUTOINmJhxC78VwPHN7w16u5VTLfjeek_VrVA192fsnUNPdj4g8y_3TO1ekSX8FdKklnOS-rLrCMOnrxOJOmK1ijfcbTg2RLM/s400/b_Van+Mieu+4.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-29833038279496236852012-12-06T16:21:00.000+11:002012-12-06T16:28:36.167+11:00The Next Big Thing - Destination Cambodia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.allenandunwin.com/BookCovers/resized_9781741759495_224_297_FitSquare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.allenandunwin.com/BookCovers/resized_9781741759495_224_297_FitSquare.jpg" /></a></div>
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My pal <a href="http://pmnewton.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">P.M. Newton</a>, the acclaimed Australian crime novelist, has tagged me with the Next Big Thing Meme. In the true spirit of procrastination, I have embraced the opportunity. So here goes: <br />
<br />
1) What is the working title of your next book?<br />
<br />
<i>Destination Cambodia </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBPDH890nY7aWPu7MXRJ2DKZBL72Gi7M0uSq0bR3kRwQ5dxJomJ7yBxZH1BKIlKJcOktmm0YS0ySiqrLVME1Y0SUiHF6DJPjyvHstgQJWJpZCSir_mTw_NqiiVqBhgDYOsXCUzllZ3ozn/s1600/B_Cambodia+New+Year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBPDH890nY7aWPu7MXRJ2DKZBL72Gi7M0uSq0bR3kRwQ5dxJomJ7yBxZH1BKIlKJcOktmm0YS0ySiqrLVME1Y0SUiHF6DJPjyvHstgQJWJpZCSir_mTw_NqiiVqBhgDYOsXCUzllZ3ozn/s400/B_Cambodia+New+Year.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washing the Buddha in Battambang, Cambodia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i>
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2) Where did the idea come from for the book?<br />
<br />
It is really the continuation of a lifelong journey that produced my first book, <a href="http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=94&book=9781741759495" target="_blank"><i>Destination Saigon</i></a>. I have been visiting <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2011/11/5-best-books-about-cambodia.html" target="_blank">Cambodia</a> for sixteen years, and my publisher at the time, <a href="http://www.universalheartbookclub.com/2012/12/maggie-hamilton-on-connecting-with-mist.html" target="_blank">Maggie Hamilton</a>, said she wanted to hear about my experiences in that amazing country. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2743/4324902302_e3cd9d780a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2743/4324902302_e3cd9d780a.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walter Mason reads his first book, <i>Destination Saigon</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
3) What genre does your book fall under?<br />
<br />
Travel memoir. <br />
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<br />
<br />
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your
characters in a movie rendition?<br />
<br />
Who could play me? As an ex-thespian, I am afraid I would have to cast myself in the role. <br />
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<br />
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?<br />
<br />
An affectionate, insightful and intimate glimpse of modern <a href="http://spiritjourneythrough.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Cambodia</a>. <br />
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<br />
<br />
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6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?<br />
<br />
This is a very American question. I don't have an agent, but am published by <a href="http://www.allenandunwin.com/" target="_blank">Allen & Unwin</a>, one of the oldest and most prestigious publishing houses in the world. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJeHFCwM4aYHJgfi4MMj6mDAh2cWu_neBAmOpN-iRGJhZS2Bp9-eGfBgKNSWZDdnMg-HfAoQeBFZWVyHqDNOW7hvgWTNjQR0lnVLpE4Ca6kgNTchTaIq4Wb6sKwpSuHAF-Onw50TQn8as/s1600/B_allen+&+unwin+logo+300+dpi_+CMYK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJeHFCwM4aYHJgfi4MMj6mDAh2cWu_neBAmOpN-iRGJhZS2Bp9-eGfBgKNSWZDdnMg-HfAoQeBFZWVyHqDNOW7hvgWTNjQR0lnVLpE4Ca6kgNTchTaIq4Wb6sKwpSuHAF-Onw50TQn8as/s320/B_allen+&+unwin+logo+300+dpi_+CMYK.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the
manuscript?<br />
<br />
Oh dear. Not yet finished! To date, ten months. <br />
<br />
<br />
8)<img alt="8)" src="http://64.4.56.167/att/GetInline.aspx?messageid=5f24ed1e-3f32-11e2-a561-00215ad751b4&attindex=0&cp=-1&attdepth=0&imgsrc=cid%3apart1.02070506.01020406%40patrickoduffy.com&cid=11c29a4c46f1bc5a&shared=1&hm__login=walterhue&hm__domain=hotmail.com&ip=10.25.162.8&d=d6287&mf=0&hm__ts=Thu%2c%2006%20Dec%202012%2004%3a51%3a46%20GMT&st=walterhue&hm__ha=01_e0d848d972433db7ecc9110a2e9018273802d38146ee85060347c1f73865a244&oneredir=1" title="8)" /> What
other books would you compare this story to within your genre?<br />
<br />
Hmmm...this is a trick question to make me sound like a self-deluded egotist. <a href="http://youtu.be/KTiIIcxHFbo" target="_blank">Bill Bryson</a>, <a href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/inside.asp?xfile=/data/entertainmentnation/2012/November/entertainmentnation_November29.xml&section=entertainmentnation" target="_blank">William Dalrymple</a>, <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/24/the-snake-in-the-garden/" target="_blank">Pico Iyer</a>... <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0fp501DhZaIuja7A3yg33yeqw3KGAXRymHXdRTKG8vwWEv5Aehavhu2LYyJPHhqup8wBS5sGSzsGGdWHZR3vsrHqrj3qfbaCVllH1hEI5TmsbLTC4c5clL3-4SFQrkyGzH62xt1pP67l/s1600/B_pico-iyer-ksp08-450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0fp501DhZaIuja7A3yg33yeqw3KGAXRymHXdRTKG8vwWEv5Aehavhu2LYyJPHhqup8wBS5sGSzsGGdWHZR3vsrHqrj3qfbaCVllH1hEI5TmsbLTC4c5clL3-4SFQrkyGzH62xt1pP67l/s400/B_pico-iyer-ksp08-450.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inspiration: Pico Iyer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?<br />
<br />
I have to say that it was Paul Theroux who made me want to be a travel writer. But ultimately <a href="http://www.noodlies.com/2012/03/1961-gallery-hotel-restaurant-siem-reap-cambodia/" target="_blank">Cambodia</a> is inspiration enough - there are a billion stories there. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?<br />
<br />
There's quite a bit of magic - I mean, real <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/110328/cambodia-magic-murder-sorcery" target="_blank">magic</a>, not the literary kind. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeC9m3bfQOHGOz7vkzPBd2z33wc_63BImgY-j0s5K87tjnS4NlRHqyJ2RYgFNmmIk8J4Vja3ABJdPVt6O3UdDpd0rPXKMphZz5qFAxH3IaFBOeixrAxiCaDLYPAgRbcaQ4rjoBgeqrJfUk/s1600/B_magic_tattoos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeC9m3bfQOHGOz7vkzPBd2z33wc_63BImgY-j0s5K87tjnS4NlRHqyJ2RYgFNmmIk8J4Vja3ABJdPVt6O3UdDpd0rPXKMphZz5qFAxH3IaFBOeixrAxiCaDLYPAgRbcaQ4rjoBgeqrJfUk/s400/B_magic_tattoos.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cambodian magical tattoos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-10667710703453910242012-11-22T09:33:00.000+11:002013-08-19T18:05:25.822+10:00Minh Dang Quang<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9ePEcmddyyjc0jnisUb1QU_CWF7OGDD8kRjAiAx_zh62z_d_560c4gwYmyhUTlav9sfTGdpTjLJxEYxg4XXePWm-ULYpk3r00zReZvm7365gJVQAAFSnVqdQblPGjPxuughdi3nKE34/s1600-h/mi.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297984002108466130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9ePEcmddyyjc0jnisUb1QU_CWF7OGDD8kRjAiAx_zh62z_d_560c4gwYmyhUTlav9sfTGdpTjLJxEYxg4XXePWm-ULYpk3r00zReZvm7365gJVQAAFSnVqdQblPGjPxuughdi3nKE34/s400/mi.JPG" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
One of the most mysterious and fascinating figures in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_Buddhism">Vietnamese Buddhist history</a> is the Patriarch<a href="http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPFS46qF5Yo"> Minh Dang Quang</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihafL6LpeX0qMCzEBZTrlhFHDt-zqWFoJDjnO2-RzBXWSIU_HO0HpuRGc5LjFsbJJ1vfqc015XDwnxMO0S7A7iNJx5aMFK9SUaUkI7QBU_t7nGYya0BTFIWPyPaZvzc5DYkPFd-PJeyAg/s1600-h/mi2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297984002324227250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihafL6LpeX0qMCzEBZTrlhFHDt-zqWFoJDjnO2-RzBXWSIU_HO0HpuRGc5LjFsbJJ1vfqc015XDwnxMO0S7A7iNJx5aMFK9SUaUkI7QBU_t7nGYya0BTFIWPyPaZvzc5DYkPFd-PJeyAg/s400/mi2.JPG" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
Though he was an enormously influential character whose legacy still thrives today in <a href="http://www.huongdaoonline.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=82%3Abuddhism-&id=386%3Abuddhism-in-viet-nam&Itemid=95&limitstart=1">Vietnam</a>,
there is almost nothing about him in English. If there is something
substantial I'd be most grateful if anyone could alert me to it. I have discovered an excellent scholarly article by Mark W. Mcleod called 'The Way of the Mendicants' which provides some excellent insights into life at Tinh Xa Trung Tam, the central monastic institution for the sect. <br />
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<a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/images/minh.jpg">Minh Dang Quang </a>was the founder of the <a href="http://www.waltermason.com/2008/01/nostalgia-1.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tang Gia Khat Si</span></a> (The Mendicant Buddhist Order) - this is one of the largest Buddhist sects in <a href="http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=dpyWD7y84ms">Vietnam</a>, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinh_Xa_Trung_Tam"><span style="font-style: italic;">Khat Si</span></a> temples (known as <a href="http://www.pbase.com/lyle/ngoc_dang"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tinh Xa</span></a>) are to be found all over <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Vietnam">Southern Vietnam</a> (including many in <a href="http://wikimapia.org/4379890/Linh-Quang-Tinh-Xa">Ho Chi Minh City</a>). He was half <a href="http://library.thinkquest.org/25734/h/people.html">Viet</a> half Khmer, from Vinh Long province, and his bi-racial upbringing exposed him to both Mahayana and <a href="http://purelandflower.blogspot.com/2008/12/which-buddhism-for-me.html">Theravada Buddhism</a>. At a young age he was driven by the idea of combining the two traditions in <a href="http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=-gNE6k5he8o">Vietnam</a>, the only country that could boast of sizeable numbers in each camp.<br />
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So he established the Mendicant Order, and it quickly gained in popularity, particularly in the villages and towns of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_Delta">Mekong Delta</a>. <a href="http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=5CAKqmLijM4">Minh Dang Quang</a> was impressed by the strictness of the <a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/ebooks_s.htm">Theravadin monastic orders</a>, and so created similar rules for his own <a href="http://www.fgs.org.tw/english/news/foguangnews/image/recentnews/dec/941130-1.jpg">monastics</a>
- banning the consumption of food after midday, banning the use of
shoes or sandals, not allowing monks to cook or prepare their own food,
encouraging them to go on <a href="http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=aNPGpWFfUZs">begging</a> rounds in the morning etc. He also added the additional burden of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_vegetarianism">vegetarianism</a>, which is not normally observed by <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bullitt/bfaq.html">Theravadin monks</a>. He opened up the <a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/mag_nuns.htm">monastic vocation to women</a>, another tradition also <a href="http://www.congress-on-buddhist-women.org/index.php?id=59">absent in the Theravada</a>.<br />
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Adopting the theological structure of Mahayana almost holus bolus, he encouraged both the recitation of Amitabha Buddha's name and
the worship of <a href="http://camping-sale.blogspot.com/2009/01/kuan-yin-shrine-bangkok-goddess-of.html">Kwan Yin</a>, both of which are anathema to the <a href="http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=UXdyuE6CfmQ">Theravadin</a> establishment.<br />
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What really popularised his movement however - aside from the great respect the people formed for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_monk">monks</a>
and nuns willing to observe such hardship - was his translation of the
Buddhist sutras from the difficult (and sometimes even nonsensical)
sino-vietnamese language into an easily understood and even rhyming form
of the <a href="http://english.vovnews.vn/Home/WHO-launches-Vietnameselanguage-website/20091/101192.vov">common language</a>.
The largely uneducated parishioners found it infinitely easier to
remember these sutras, and to glean some meaning from them. This,
naturally, made him extremely unpopular with the Mahayana Buddhist
hierarchy, who accused him of corrupting the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma#In_Buddhism">Dharma</a> by tampering with the texts they had known since antiquity.<br />
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Sometime in the 1950s <a href="http://www.buddhismtoday.com/english/vietnam/figure/001-bhikkhuni.htm">Minh Dang Quang</a>
'disappeared' and was never seen again. There were rumours that he was
assasinated by the anti-Buddhist government forces who saw him as a
trouble-maker, or by agents of a rival Buddhist sect who saw his growing
movement as a threat to their own power base in the Mekong Delta. His
followers, however, refuse to acknowledge his death and still celebrate
his 'disappearance' day each year.<br />
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An intriguing character with an intriguing story - one day I think I will write a book about him.Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978272934805202254.post-16171892520278651692012-11-17T15:38:00.000+11:002012-11-17T15:39:15.970+11:00Tan Dinh Church, District 3, Ho Chi Minh CityNews about Vietnam rarely includes mention of the numerous sleepy, crumbling <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Vietnam" target="_blank">French Colonial churches</a>
that are to be found in every city and large town. Tourists mostly just
drive by them, and to the local Vietnamese (unless they are
parishioners) they are exotic remnants of a largely unknown past. I took
my friend Kien - a Saigon native - with me when I visited <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tan_Dinh_church" target="_blank">Tan Dinh church</a>, and it was the first time he'd ever been inside a Catholic church. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFOr8CK5in5s5-bCKAqZM6zxz6vebbH1UIA-2HEX1ItxDGCNsTetkn5EZDhPYYjx4ON2CRmPUXxrJ3etRVJvKzJwrz8lOK2pe4OF2beyUP7KArWUV24gm1324SYSy030a8Zb1zeJpji4/s1600/B_Tan+Dinh+Church+Vietnam+Walter+Mason.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFOr8CK5in5s5-bCKAqZM6zxz6vebbH1UIA-2HEX1ItxDGCNsTetkn5EZDhPYYjx4ON2CRmPUXxrJ3etRVJvKzJwrz8lOK2pe4OF2beyUP7KArWUV24gm1324SYSy030a8Zb1zeJpji4/s400/B_Tan+Dinh+Church+Vietnam+Walter+Mason.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In Ho Chi Minh City there are only a couple of these <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholicism_in_Vietnam" target="_blank">French Colonial </a>beauties
left - most of the really big Catholic churches were built in the 60s
and 70s, and have a distinctive and quite groovy architecture all of
their own.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22NNTKEEPvbvuA3yUNi72JcVLOiFL2OdDyqxgeIpKD2HMz0kTryDsWk8D6Vk13hj0oOX3pPO81D3lwLIfEBmLEIK_elaY4sAFYkG0jieNmasajCIaEG-T4vdPAvxb0ONG23XKkYcH9no/s1600/B_Tan+Dinh+Church+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22NNTKEEPvbvuA3yUNi72JcVLOiFL2OdDyqxgeIpKD2HMz0kTryDsWk8D6Vk13hj0oOX3pPO81D3lwLIfEBmLEIK_elaY4sAFYkG0jieNmasajCIaEG-T4vdPAvxb0ONG23XKkYcH9no/s640/B_Tan+Dinh+Church+4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.twip.org/image-southeast-asia-vietnam-ho-chi-minh-city-church-tan-dinh-church-en-17923-20872.html" target="_blank">Tan Dinh Church </a>in District 3 is probably my favourite of the French churches. <br />
It
is always painted a vibrant and unexpected colour - salmon pink, orange, a kind of
biscuit-colour, baby blue and mint green. The aesthetic eye overseeing
this church's exterior is distinctly camp.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nh9ExONDkhfuXdpU3U7rVmbkAzsCbJpbBrgqVR82fact2HI_HUI1SWfGH3cSoW9YcKLV3thM2CfWcjAOeQNMlWMPWQvm10Mj1zaJJ1xopn1SOHP00DWmh9PZyt03Uq368Kyh3_0Ahqc/s1600/B_Tan+Dinh+Church.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nh9ExONDkhfuXdpU3U7rVmbkAzsCbJpbBrgqVR82fact2HI_HUI1SWfGH3cSoW9YcKLV3thM2CfWcjAOeQNMlWMPWQvm10Mj1zaJJ1xopn1SOHP00DWmh9PZyt03Uq368Kyh3_0Ahqc/s640/B_Tan+Dinh+Church.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Inside it is largely untouched. Lots of faux-baroque statuary, a shrine to <a href="http://youtu.be/xOk19qcgW1U" target="_blank">Saint Therese of Lisieux</a> (the only one I know of in Vietnam), a shrine to <a href="http://youtu.be/SuSZKazd8jg" target="_blank">St. Martin de Porres</a> (there is one of these in every second church) and one to the Vietnamese martyrs (also reasonably common).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAt33Qhj6gwZ2PIk6HmVX54Dw1K0efkAVu5x-ypkkOKqSFvdYXb147dl0pd7EjRFmU8R3UMGzvcpPrEoWkA6Gt5tSPs6eGDYRUczsUFWnXGikzh668XgKWyRXsbUM4_hwaYTzYhngNC4/s1600/B_Tan+Dinh+Church+St+Martin+de+Porres.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAt33Qhj6gwZ2PIk6HmVX54Dw1K0efkAVu5x-ypkkOKqSFvdYXb147dl0pd7EjRFmU8R3UMGzvcpPrEoWkA6Gt5tSPs6eGDYRUczsUFWnXGikzh668XgKWyRXsbUM4_hwaYTzYhngNC4/s400/B_Tan+Dinh+Church+St+Martin+de+Porres.jpg" width="300" /></a><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieL6y5MxPyx59v7KtlnC1z4twPnOhS1x6rH1DftOCcoFv5PaScywQa7emeOiMRhaicXFUIYtg2OX3n6bTpj7RKmEjEqRUaObwsT3-K-RdMa6c6IJbyTA7Rrj_nx6QyIeDkhnWB5PprRAA/s400/B_Tan+Dinh+Church+5.jpg" width="300" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVSLiKX8vTLUCuG8g0VD8HgeuxnyDEIqhyphenhyphenO9v1aNVrVBHL5HuVoM08-bL4iUO-T84wLf3pymgSIAkWb2IU4CtkyBKqe11ltZaFpnmVBgMjrKK9_DNp7jC1CRs7hPq353FvSt15av_hNI/s1600/B_Tan+Dinh+Church+Vietnamese+martyrs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVSLiKX8vTLUCuG8g0VD8HgeuxnyDEIqhyphenhyphenO9v1aNVrVBHL5HuVoM08-bL4iUO-T84wLf3pymgSIAkWb2IU4CtkyBKqe11ltZaFpnmVBgMjrKK9_DNp7jC1CRs7hPq353FvSt15av_hNI/s400/B_Tan+Dinh+Church+Vietnamese+martyrs.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Unlike the infuriatingly chained-up <a href="http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nh%C3%A0_th%E1%BB%9D_%C4%90%E1%BB%A9c_B%C3%A0_S%C3%A0i_G%C3%B2n" target="_blank">Nha Tho Duc Ba</a> in central Saigon, <a href="http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-photo/hitan/1/1262254795/tan-dinh-church4.jpg/tpod.html" target="_blank">Tan Dinh church</a> is always open, and is well worth checking out.<br />
It is also situated right near Tan Dinh market, which is THE place to buy fabrics in <a href="http://www.destination-saigon.com/2011/12/vinh-nghiem-temple-at-night.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>.
If you are searching for linens and cottons (reasonably rare at other
markets), then this is the place to go (heads up - I always go to ABC
Fabric).<br />
There is also a doughnut shop just before the church called <a href="http://kenh14.vn/c95/20090320023735566/teens-sai-gon-hoa-mat-voi-the-gioi-donut.chn" target="_blank">The Gioi Donut</a>, and I have been known to drop by there ;-)<br />
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<br />Walter Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780247928442366936noreply@blogger.com0