Sister Chan Khong
, founder with his teacher the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village.
There are lives that are learned, and certainly one of Sister Chan Khong is one.
Arnaud Desjardins written on the back of his autobiography "The Force of Love" (see books) that it is both war reporting and testimony that only love is stronger than violence. A book which, he says, gives us a high opinion of women.
Thich Nhat Hanh writes in the introduction of that book he will discover that Sister Chan Khong is a true bodhisattva, and it is true that we still marvel at the amount of compassion in action that Sister Chan Khong was deployed while Throughout his life and especially in the dire circumstances of the Vietnam War. What
what humility and inner strength. Without this book, which responded to a request of friends, we would know nothing of her, in fact, she remains behind, loyal and discreet behind Thich Nhat Hanh, she has accompanied and supported in all his fights.
On the site of the famous village of Plum course there is a biography of Thich Nhat Hanh, but the only place where we find mention of ayions sister Chan Khong for the help he can make in Vietnam as people are always in very difficult situations.
Born in 1938, Sister Chan Khong comes from a family that practiced generosity and helping others as something obvious and natural, and it's also quite naturally, while it is still a teenager, she took the habit of visiting a slum in helping poor people. When she meets Thich Nhat Hanh, she recognizes it as the spiritual master and she was looking very actively at his side in action for social change, including building the School of Youth in Social Work (EJSS). Then the government in power, and linked to Western Christian, began to persecute the Buddhists of the most blind. Monks and nuns themselves on fire ... Sister Chan Khong
tells his incessant action, throughout the terrible war that goes against the North and South, to stop the horror and also the lost opportunities for dialogue and peace. When one learns by an actress direct dramas that play and result of the relentless escalation of violence and war, is measured with horror the gap between the leaders locked in their simplistic mental models of the reality of the daily suffering of people. And the tragedy is repeated again and again ...
The war intensifies, Sister Chan Khong and other young women and men strive to risk their lives to help the villages bombed.
She says: "The village was bombed Tra Loc and workers EJSS told us that the intensity of anger and hatred was very high among the peasants. They decided to help farmers rebuild their homes. After several months of joint efforts, the bombs fell again, destroying all their efforts. Terror, hatred and despair were everywhere. Our friends gathered their courage and a new faith helped rebuild houses, schools and health center. Then other bombings, reduced their efforts to ashes. After a fourth bombing, they became really hard to remain calm. Everyone wanted to grab a gun and fight. But thanks to the practice of meditation and deep understanding, they realized that would not take up arms worse, then they back to work to show their support, their love and attention towards those who suffered so much. "
Subsequently, the EJSS remaining suspect in the eyes of the government in sudden attacks, grenades were thrown into the dormitories in night. Eighteen people were killed or seriously injured. After a day of meditation practice alone, Sister Chan Khong wrote the following text which was read at the funeral: "We have no hatred against you, you who threw the grenades and killed our friends, because we know that men are not our enemies. Our only enemies are the lack of understanding, hatred, jealousy, misunderstanding and ignorance that lead to such violence. Allow us to remove this misunderstanding so that we can work together for the good of the Vietnamese people. "
She risks death many times and knows the prison where she practices walking meditation. When she stopped, she focuses on her breathing and evokes the Buddha Avalokitesvara. At every moment, whatever the situation, she strives to practice the Buddhist teachings.
A very dear friend set fire to himself to call for peace and she felt a great pain.
And then there will be exile and drama upsetting boat people fleeing Vietnam and it will help with all his might at the same time as the United States develop an interest in teaching of Thich Nhat Hanh inviting Vietnam veterans to heal their wounds by doing Mindfulness.
Plum Village was born, and since, Sister Chan Khong continues to practice deep breathing while tirelessly sending parcels and medicines to alleviate distress.
After 39 years of exile, and long talks, Thich Nhat Hanh was hosted by the Communist government in Vietnam in 2005, Sister Chan Khong, always discreet and unobtrusive, has obviously accompanied on this historic visit (and a hundred monks and nuns and a lay sangha). Since then, relations with Vietnam are still difficult, a monastery founded by Thich Nhat Hanh has been ransacked and nuns and monks scattered.
Courage, kindness, tireless dedication, Sister Chan Khong embodies for us the compassion of Kwan Yin Women ...
Historical Milestones:
1858: The French landed at Danang (center port)
1867: The Cochin China (South) becomes a French colony.
1883: Annam (central) and Tonkin (North) are put under French protectorate.
1945: Vietnam independence was proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, September 2, 1945.
1946: French attempt to restore its authority and the beginning of the Vietnam War
1954: On May 7, 1954, Dien Bien Phu falls, July 20, 1954, the Geneva accords are signed recognizing the independence, sovereignty and integrity of Vietnam. The 17th parallel will be a military demarcation line and general elections will take place throughout the country to reunite.
1956: Ngo Dinh Diem in Saigon President, supported by the U.S. administration rejects elections under the agreements. The first U.S. military advisers arrive in the south and the second Vietnam War begins.
1968: The U.S. intervention reached $ 500 000 IM on site. 7 million tons of bombs were dropped, which is 3 times more than all of Europe during World War II.
1973: Signing of the Paris Agreements. The withdrawal of U.S. troops begins.
1975: Spring Offensive. End of the Saigon regime April 30, 1975.
1976: Vietnam is unified and officially took the name Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Saigon becomes Ho Chi Minh City (name voted on by the 1st Assembly National 1945).
"Living Buddhism is not just sitting still in meditation and transcending the world of suffering. It's unite indissolubly wisdom and compassion, a compassion that does not just soothing words and wishful thinking. In imitation of his master Thich Nat Hanh, Sister Chan Khong is a contemplative - even a mystic - and a woman of action In France today, but first in the heart of the hatred and fighting against U.S. and French troops who have ravaged his homeland, Vietnam. It is difficult to specify what we call a good book, but here is certainly a beautiful book. "Arnaud Desjardins (excerpts of the text on the back of the book)
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