Three Saints of the Nation

The story of three saints honored by the entire Vietnamese nation: Saint Giong, Tran Hung Dao, and Uncle Ho. Through their lives, we understand the criteria that make a saint: possessing great merit for the country while also embodying noble moral qualities.

In the late afternoon at Phu Dong village, golden sunlight stretched across freshly harvested rice fields. An elderly man leaned on his cane, standing silently as he gazed toward an ancient temple where locals burned incense year-round. The evening breeze blew gently, carrying the scent of ripe rice and faint traces of sandalwood. He turned to the children playing nearby, his voice warm and deep.

“Do you know why our nation has many heroes, yet only three are called saints?”

The children shook their heads in confusion. The old man sat down on the stone steps and began to tell his tale.

Thousands of years ago, the Yin invaders marched into our land. They did not fight with ordinary swords and spears but used magical powers as well. King Hung was deeply worried. Although the king and his generals possessed magic, they were unsure if it could withstand the enemy’s strength. Day after day, the king sent messengers everywhere to find talented individuals who could help save the country.

In a small village named Phu Dong, there lived a boy who was three years old but still lay in his cradle. He did not speak, did not smile, and remained silent. His mother was sad but helpless. One day, hearing the messenger announce the search for talent, the boy suddenly spoke clearly.

“Mother, I hear the king is looking for someone to fight the invaders. Please call the messenger in so I can meet him!”

The mother was startled, nearly dropping her bowl of rice. Trembling, she ran out to summon the messenger. When the messenger entered, the boy stood up and stretched. Suddenly, he grew rapidly like a whirlwind. He said to the messenger:

“Go back and report to the king. Ask him to forge for me an iron horse, an iron staff, and a suit of iron armor. I will crush the enemy!”

The messenger hurriedly returned to report this. The king rejoiced and ordered blacksmiths to work day and night. The entire village of Phu Dong contributed rice to cook meals for the boy. He ate pot after pot, yet no amount of food seemed enough. In just a short time, he became a tall, majestic warrior.

The warrior donned the iron armor, mounted the iron horse, and wielded the iron staff, charging straight into the enemy lines. The iron horse breathed fire, and the iron staff shattered the enemy ranks. The Yin invaders tried to counter with magic, but before the warrior’s extraordinary power, their spells vanished. Wherever he fought, enemies fell. After winning, when his iron staff broke, he pulled up bamboo groves along the road to continue fighting. The enemy scattered, and the land was cleansed of invaders. Upon victory, the warrior did not return to his village. Instead, he rode his horse straight up into the sky.

The people revered him as Saint Giong, the first saint of the nation. Why? Because he had both the great merit of driving away foreign invaders and supernatural qualities, showing no desire for fame or profit.

The old man paused to sip his tea, then continued.

The second saint was Hung Dao Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan. He was the son of Tran Lieu, the elder brother of King Tran Thai Tong. Originally, Tran Lieu was supposed to become king, but Tran Thu Do chose his younger brother, Tran Canh, instead. Tran Lieu held a grudge. Before dying, he instructed his son:

“You must avenge this wrong and seize the throne back for the eldest line!”

Tran Quoc Tuan engraved these words in his heart. However, when he held full military power and could have seized the throne at any moment, he did not do so. He called his sons together and asked:

“My father commanded me to take revenge and claim the throne. What do you think?”

His eldest son replied:

“Father, we should not. Revenge would bring chaos to the country and cause suffering for the people.”

His youngest son, Tran Quoc Tang, eagerly said:

“Father holds the army. Just give the order, and it is done. Let me go!”

Tran Quoc Tuan became furious and shouted:

“Bring this traitor out and behead him!”

Everyone rushed to intervene, and he spared his life. From then on, he despised his youngest son. He acted this way to affirm his stance: never betray, never harm the country. Later, he proactively made peace with Tran Quang Khai, who belonged to the younger branch, to unite and protect the nation. He understood that the Yuan dynasty was threatening invasion, and internal division would lead to ruin.

Thanks to Hung Dao Vuong’s brilliant leadership, our people defeated the Mongol Yuan army three times—an army that had crushed much of the world. This achievement is unique in human history. Yet, what led people to honor him as a saint was not just his merit, but his great moral character: holding power without seizing the throne, remaining loyal to the king, the country, and the people.

The old man stopped speaking, his eyes gazing into the distance.

The third saint is Uncle Ho. He was not only a politician but also a philosopher. There is a story about this: After gaining independence, the young nation faced many forces wanting to dominate it. One day, revolutionary police captured a bourgeois collaborator who supported the French and was considered reactionary. They demanded immediate execution. They brought the prisoner before Uncle Ho and reported:

“Uncle, this man is a traitor. We request permission to execute him!”

Uncle Ho looked at the trembling prisoner and asked:

“What purpose does executing him serve?”

The subordinate stammered:

“To punish the reactionary, sir!”

Uncle Ho spoke gently:

“Do you remember the Confucian saying: ‘It is better to rule the people with love than with fear.’ Use virtue to govern, reform, and transform people. Do not kill; do not execute.”

The subordinate fell silent and bowed his head. Eventually, the bourgeois man was pardoned, educated, and reformed. Such small stories are told repeatedly to show how immense Uncle Ho’s character was. Therefore, our nation honors him as the third saint.

The old man concluded:

“You see, children, heroes are countless, but there are only three saints. To be called a saint, one must possess both great merit for the country and noble moral qualities. If either is missing, the nation will not honor them as saints.”

The children sat in silence, their eyes sparkling. The afternoon sun had set, but the story echoed forever in their hearts.

### The Meaning of the Story

Through the tale of the three saints of the nation, Venerable Thich Chan Quang reminds us that a true sage requires not only great merit for the country but also noble moral character, sacrificing personal interests for the common good. These are bright examples for each of us to follow, cultivating both talent and virtue in life.

Compiled from the dharma talk of Venerable Thich Chan Quang