Dearest Grandfather-in-Dharma (Most Venerable Thich Tue Sy),
What was once a faraway land brought forth sacred teachings to Western soil, like seeds in the wind, falling softly on unfamiliar ground. Ancient words arrived as whispers from distant mountains, quiet reminders from timeless valleys. The Dharma crossed continents, carrying with it an immeasurable treasure of pure wisdom. Now, suffering has a door to liberation. The Dharma unfolds here, gently guiding us—if only we dare to listen.
“Do you understand what your Teacher is saying?” –The first sentence ever spoken to the grand-disciple. These words became my mantra as I gently tread the Buddha’s path. Day turns quickly into night and night breaks into day as the Dharma etches deeper into my heart. Echoes of impermanence and enduring wisdom are the seeds once sown. The Four Great Oceans flood streams of wisdom that are carried deeply. The teachings became the breadth of life, the path. The light kindled within the mind, awaiting to ignite countless caverns.
The initial mind is the seed of all becoming. Yet it is only now I understand that practice is not to become, but to be. Without the need for gain or praise, you carried the Dharma like the earth carries the Ganges—flowing with simplicity, taking in the burdens of others, yet remaining pure in the blessings you spread. Within this stream, there is safety and steadiness—a deep commitment to the path, to our vows, and to the deep work of transformation.
Twinkling with the stars, this life is but a momentary dream yearning to be heard. Listening deeper, I let go and cultivate a heart unburdened by ordinary knowledge. The beginner’s mind is where true compassion starts. Unbound by attachment, my life now knows peace with purpose. When my heart feels heavy, I remember your laughter. Through sickness and pain, a reminder of joy was always present in you. “Life is short and sometimes sour.”–you saw life for what it was, with all its suffering, and yet, you taught me through your life to remain open, to stay honest, and always be kind. With each act of patience, every moment that I choose the Dharma, I carry a world of loving-kindness and bring forth all I have learned and am learning.
Every time I don the Kāṣāya, I feel your blessing. The robes are not just pieces of cloth but the significance of the Dharma, our lineage, and countless predecessors carrying forth the sacred lessons. When I wear my robes, it is more than just a symbol; it is a commitment to embody the Dharma every day in every breath, to walk with a heart wide open. Thank you for showing me, not just speaking words, that one torch is enough to light countless other candles. My vow guides my practice, and my practice is my life. “From the cry of the black soil of suffering, I kindle my mind in the place of the sun.” In moments of darkness, I cradle these words closely and remember that each of us has a light to spark, a way to bring warmth into the world’s coldest places.
To be born a human is rare, to hear the true Dharma is even rarer. I will not let this opportunity slip away. True refuge does not rest in distant promises or external protections, but here in this heart, mind, and body that is shaped with discipline and the Noble Eightfold Path. Whenever I recite the sutras, I remember your words, “The Dharma is immovable.” My studies are not mere recitation or mental collection but the purest treasures flowing in a river that is unbound by time and form. In life’s torrents, I will remain unwavering, steady as Mount Sumeru.
I will take each step, however small or difficult, always in alignment with the Noble Path. I accept any hardship without trepidation and remember to see the light within. Human life is messy and entangling, very binding in many ways, yet I have been blessed to practice freely anywhere within my mind. I will be resolute and never abate into laziness. Difficult times are inevitable, and like a lion in the wilderness, I use my courage to keep going with dignity and nobility. My practice is stable and for the benefit of all beings.
I will strive in a way that honors your life, wisdom, love, and compassion. I will embody the teaching so that perhaps, one day, I might share something meaningful with others. It is easy to have judgment in this world, but now I see that it is senseless. Instead, you taught me to be discerning. Like a tree shedding its leaves in the autumn, I shed my afflictions so that, like a lotus growing in the mud, the rain just rolls off without a taint remaining.
In honor of your teachings and your life, I vow once more always to walk this Noble Path, to become that light that passes on what you have gifted me with gentleness, humility, joy, and devotion. No longer a slave to desire, I am free. Treading the path that follows the moon, I will embody the Buddhadharma. My actions will pave the way for the gratitude I attempt to express. Through my Teacher, I hear your words, see your smile, and experience your essence. The Dharma keeps going.
With the deepest bow of gratitude and resolute vow,
Grand-disciple,
Thich Nu Diệu Nguyệt
(Sucandra)
Written by: Sucandra (Alena Gripass)