Thich Nhat Hanh Healing in Vietnam The Wonderful World of Gathas

healing in VIETNAMwhen it rains. Turns into nothing but mud. The tires can’t move at all. Hey,look it’s raining in the distance!” It did rain cats and dogs — torrential,tropical, southeast-Asian rain, for thirty-five minutes. We were completelyfrozen, stuck in a muddy river the whole time, twelve of us tucked in ourlittle monastic van. We passed around boiled peanuts and rice cakes andpurified water. It was a beautiful storm, like a fever breaking, as the heatand humidity dropped.As soon as the rain slowed, Sister Chan Khong (the one and only! thiswoman has lived!) said “Alright, let’s go. The kids are waiting for us!” Ourpoor driver got us as far as he could, which was about a kilometer down theroad. We left the other two vans behind. Sister said, “Can’t drive any further.We walk!” and jumped out of the van. The sky had cleared by this time, andall the dusty vegetation had been rinsed clean and was glowing with color.Muddy red earth, big gray sky.The walk was long and sticky. I almost lost a shoe at one point, so endedup barefoot in red mud — cool and fresh. Local kids in blue and red uniformswhizzed by us on motorbikes. A man on a motorbike stopped by, asking usif we needed a hand. Sister Chan Khong was all about it! This seventy-yearold Vietnamese rock star just tucked up her robes and was off.The rest of us walked up and down muddy hills through the brush. Coffeeplants taller than men. Little kids joining us, then peeling off on tiny paths,presumably to their homes hidden among the plantlife and mist.At the school, since we couldn’t bring the gifts, a few peopleoffered crackers. Someone had a brick of cheese. We dumped whatwe had into a cone hat and passed it around to the children, whoate with joy. In one of the poorest areas that Plum Village supports,these people are happy, functioning. They don’t need plumbing orcars in order to live.—Madeline Dangerfield-ChaPowerful and Jubilant Alms RoundIn Bao Loc today, the alms round led by Thay in a blackHighlander — the Buddha-mobile — was powerful, jubilant!Two thousand monks and nuns passed through streets mobbed byold women, children, and families offering toothpaste, medicine,sweet treats, yogurt, fruit, and the traditional boiled rice wrappedin a banana leaf with sesame salt. The Western lay delegationstood on the sidelines with Vietnamese locals; we helped collectthe unbelievable excess of food, stuffing it into army sacks forlater donations.Top: Madeline (on the left) with schoolchildren.12 Summer 2007A layfriend shares photos and smiles.Right: Sister Chan Khong at school, and on a motorbike.