“Memoirs”

Abstract

In 1921, having just turned 13 and received my father's permission, I set off with my uncle to study for the priesthood. I went to the Thien Thai pagoda in Ba Ria. Too much time has passed for me to remember everything that happened then. A number of memories are, however, still imprinted in my heart. The transition from the life of a layman to that of a monk is a perplexing one, but I gradually became used to it thanks to the affection and support of my teacher and my fellow monks. Time passed: with the duties of the novice, through each stroke of a character taught to me by my teacher, through every page of the scriptures, through every period of meditation.