The Journey to Ngoc Thanh Monastery

In the late afternoon in Saigon, the sunlight gently faded over rows of closely packed houses. A man stood at his doorway, gazing down the long road stretching into the distance. He had just heard about a place called Ngoc Thanh Monastery, located somewhere towards Bien Hoa. People said it was beautiful, led by a lovely bhikkhuni who was perhaps a bit stern, yet still endearing. The man had never traveled that path before.

He set out on his journey. After two kilometers, he encountered a beautiful scene: fragrant flowers, exotic grasses, and a woman with a gentle demeanor, though she too seemed slightly fierce. He paused suddenly, wondering if this was already Ngoc Thanh Monastery. No one had told him he needed to keep going. Hesitant, he thought to himself, "Well, let me walk a little further to see."

He continued walking. At the fourth stop, he saw a magnificent palace filled with fragrant flowers and exotic grasses. Inside, there were various dishes like crab noodle soup and beef noodle soup, and not just one, but three bhikkhunis who were both lovely and intense, exactly as described. He exclaimed, "This is it! This must be Ngoc Thanh Monastery!" He stopped and did not go any further. His heart felt satisfied, believing he had reached his destination.

But someone who had walked ahead, having traveled this path before, looked at him and said, "Sir, this is not yet Ngoc Thanh Monastery. You must continue; it is still far away!" Surprised, he asked, "How can that be? It is so beautiful here, yet it is not the place?" The other person smiled and replied, "This path has many more stages. The beauty here is merely a rest stop. If you stop now, you will miss the more wondrous things ahead."

He suddenly remembered that he had never walked this path before, so he did not know where the true destination lay. He felt ashamed for being so easily contented. He asked, "Then what should I do?" The other person answered, "Keep a humble mind. Do not think you have enough. Make a vow to keep walking, without stopping midway."

He nodded and continued stepping forward. This time, he no longer stopped before any beautiful scenery. He passed through water parks and places with water slides and abundant food, but he only glanced and kept walking. He reminded himself, "The goal is still ahead."

Finally, after many stages, he arrived at the true Ngoc Thanh Monastery. It was not as dazzling as the previous stops, but it possessed an extraordinary purity and peace. He pressed his palms together in gratitude to the resident bhikkhuni, understanding that without a steadfast vow, he would have stopped halfway long ago.

The Meaning of the Story

A meditator is like a traveler on a path they have never walked. As one goes deeper into meditative concentration, the realms become increasingly beautiful, making it easy to mistakenly believe one has reached the destination. Therefore, from the very beginning, one must maintain a humble mind and make a vow not to stop midway or become complacent. Only then can one attain absolute concentration, fulfilling the complete meaning of paramita.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thich Chan Quang