HT. Thích Tịnh Đức Translated by Ven. Thích Trừng Sỹ
Biography and Meritorious Behavior of the Late Most Venerable Elder Master Thích Tịnh Đức
(Written based on living documents of the Most Venerable Elder Master Thích Giới Đức – Huyền Không Sơn Thượng Huế Monastery in Vietnam)
The Most Venerable Elder Master Thích Tịnh Đức, alias Tôn Thất Toản, was born on August 1, 1944, at the age of the Monkey Year in Hương Trà Town, Thừa Thiên Huế Province. His royal family belongs to the Eighth line, the Second Chamber, the lineage of Lord Nguyễn Phúc Thụ (Túc Tông Hiếu Dinh Emperor).
His father is Mr. Tôn Thất Nhượng, born in 1897, died in 1982, aged 85. Her mother is Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Bàng, born in 1903, died in 1963, aged 61. His family has 5 sisters and brothers. He is the youngest. In the past, his family lived in Hương Trà Town, Thừa Thiên Huế Province. After that, he moved to Thạc Gián Ward, Đà Nẵng City.
His family has had many generations of Buddhist faith, gentleness, and taken refuge in the Three Jewels. The young Toản, who grew up to be talented and intelligent, studied at Phan Chu Trinh High School, Đà Nẵng City. In 1963, he finished studying high school, taking the second baccalaureate, was 19 years old, and passed the entrance exam to Huế University of Medicine and Pharmacy. After studying for one year, seeing that it was not suitable for his life, the young Toản dropped out of school and stopped studying. When young and inherently different from worldly life, he disregarded clothes and appearance, did not care about the external form, but he focused more on the spiritual core.
So one beautiful day, the young Toản went to Tam Bảo Temple, Đà Nẵng City. The good opportunity for him met the Abbot of Pháp Nhẫn, who looked at the appearance and character of this young man, personally shaved his head with his own hands, and advised the young Toản to let go of dirt and dust, and follow the path of liberation from the secular life.
On July 15, 1965, the young man Tôn Thất Toản was officially ordained as a novice monk with the Most Venerable Elder Master Giới Nghiêm as his precepts transmission Teacher at Kỳ Viên Temple, Saigon City. The Master gave him the Dharma name Tịnh Đức-Visuddhiguna. Because of the deep cultivation career, the Suttas and moral disciplines the novice read through are memorized, so it is easy for him to follow the Dharma training and probationary duties of the novice.
In 1967, having just turned 23 years old, the novice Tịnh Đức returned to Phật Bảo Temple at Phú Thọ Hòa Gia Định village, followed in the footsteps of his Master to return to the Root Temple, together with fellow practitioners, fellow travelers, practiced the Dharma, took the course daily, elaborated, and gradually familiarized with lifestyle of the Temple.
Two years later, in 1969, the Most Venerable Elder Master Thích Giới Nghiêm sent the novice Tịnh Đức to study abroad in Thailand at the Paknam Temple, Bangkok, where the Elders came there to search for the Dharma, and where the lamplight for the many Vietnamese Monastic generations.
So at 16:30 on July 5, 1970, the novice Tịnh Đức was officially ordained as a Bhikkhu. His precepts transmission Teacher is the Most Venerable Punnavaro Maha Thero, Dharma Teacher and Precept Teacher are Vijjo Maha Thero and Pannavirato Maha Thero at Paknam Bhasicharoin, Bangkok, Thailand. The Bhikkhu Tịnh Đức from here all hardships was not difficult, learning more widely and deeply about the Vinaya and Sutras. He studied more Pali, Abhidhamma, and improved the Thai language during 5 years of hard work without delay.
At the same time, the group of brothers studying abroad in Thailand mentioned that Venerable Chơn Trí, who was ordained with his same Teacher as the Most Venerable Elder Master Thích Giới Nghiêm. Both of these Monks had the same wish to seek Theravada Pali Southern Sanskrit without the hardships of words, the meaning of scriptures burned their green hair.
Three years later, on May 16, 1975, Venerable Tịnh Đức, first setting foot in France, established Kỳ Viên Temple. At first, it was just a simple little house for shelter, chanting, and worship. He was considered as the pioneer who brought the seeds of Vietnamese Theravada Buddhism to Paris in particular and Europe in general.
Next, Venerable Chơn Trí and Venerable Đức Minh went to Paris, France, to support Venerable Tịnh Đức in the hope of spreading Vietnamese Theravada Buddhism to this magnificent land. Due to insufficient predestined conditions, people there did not have enough right confidence in the Three Jewels, different language, and different cultures, so after 2 years of trying, in November 1977, both of them settled down to Pomona, California, the United States of America.
Thanks to the enthusiastic help of lay male devotee Trần Minh Lợi, Master Tịnh Đức bought back a small house to build Pháp Vân Communal House in 1978. So he was not only a founder of Pháp Vân Communal House, California, USA, but also the founder of Vietnamese Theravada Buddhism in North America.
After 10 years of construction and development, the Dharma brothers who suffered and enjoyed each other have turned the Pháp Vân Communal House into a flourishing Dharma Center. Good men and women, Buddhist families are crowded and happy, so they are in shape.
At this point, Venerable Tịnh Đức was thinking about leaving. He handed over Pháp Vân Temple to his Dharma younger brother Chơn Trí to continue to look after and develop.
Venerable Tịnh Đức, who moved to Houston, Texas, entered the forest to build a hut named it Phù Vân Am. He stayed there for 10 years as a recluse, meditating alone like a deep-forest hermit.
During this time, due to his intensive cultivation having touched his mind to the Most Venerable Master Pháp Nhẫn, who heard about this, invited Venerable Tịnh Đức to stay at Liên Hoa Monastery, so Venerable Tịnh Đức stayed there temporally.
In 1997, Đạo Quang Temple was built in Garland, Texas on a 10-acre piece of land with landscaped forests, a very large lake, and a very large scale. After a period of development and construction with the East floor, West floor, Main Hall, and Zen Hall, he also bought a plot of land next to 5 acres. So from that time on, Đạo Quang Temple is located on a land of 15 acres. Every year the festival is crowded and joyful, Buddhists from different places, regardless of Southern and Northern Buddhism, gather there to cultivate good Dharma together.
On November 16, 2021, due to his illness, the Most Venerable Master Thích Tịnh Đức had to be hospitalized for surgery, the operation was successful, but since then, after being discharged from the hospital, he returned to the Temple to recuperate, he refused to eat but he only drinks water. His physical body gradually weakened from there. Monks, nuns, and Buddhists everywhere came to pay their respects to visit him, to ask about his health, he donated them money for cars and airfares, it is really touching. Without eating for more than a month, the Most Venerable Master Thích Tịnh Đức still peacefully taught his disciples, read poems to encourage monks and nuns, and Buddhists near and far as his final instructions. Before saying goodbye to illusory dreams, he let go of his physical body and returned to the Buddha’s Land.
So at exactly 8:27 pm on January 7, 2022, on the 5th day of the 12th month of the year of the Ox, he peacefully passed away at the Temple of Đạo Quang. He has the secular life age of 78 and the Dharma life age of 52.
Praying wholeheartedly for the Late Most Venerable Elder Master Thích Tịnh Đức to post the realm of peacefulness and happiness. His perfection of vows saving living beings will be soon fulfilled. 🙏🙏🙏
By Ven. Thích Trừng Sỹ
Tiểu sử và Công Hạnh Cố Trưởng Lão Hòa Thượng Thích Tịnh Đức
