Da Lat and Fragrant Palm Leaves, Jan 11 and 12, 2023

On Jan 11 we flew from Hue to Da Lat, a city founded by the French in 1890 as a resort. At almost 5000 feet above sea level, the city and surrounding areas, with pine forests and temperate weather, was pleasant for Europeans throughout the year.

In 1951, after his full ordination as a monk, Thay was invited to Đà Lạt to edit a Buddhist magazine and train young monastics and lay people. The Plum Village Extended biography of Thich Nhat Hanh notes: 

There he began to publish a new kind of book for lay Buddhists, proposing ways to apply the teachings in daily family life, beyond just offering incense and prayers. For the Lunar New Year of 1952 in Đà Lạt, Thầy directed his students in his adaptation of Le Tartuffe. Reflecting later on this time, Thầy wrote, “I was full of creative energy, an artist, and a poet. More than anything else, I wanted to help renew Buddhism in my country, to make it relevant to the needs of the young people.    

In 1953 Thay returned to Saigon. However, beginning in 1956, Thay would often stay at Phước Huệ Temple, located in a tea growing area about 70 miles from Da Lat. Monastic and lay friends joined him at Phước Huệ Temple, and, together they discussed creating a practice community. The group purchased sixty acres of nearby forested land in 1957 and in 1958 they began constructing wooden building. They called the community Phương Bối (Fragrant Palm Leaves). The extended biography explains:

With this new dream of a “rural practice center” Thầy definitively broke free of the mould of the traditional Buddhist temple with its ceremonies and rituals, and created an environment exclusively dedicated to spiritual practice, study, healing, music, poetry, and community-building. They enjoyed sitting meditation in the early morning, tea meditation in the afternoons, and sitting meditation in the evenings. Phương Bối was an experimental model for the renewal and reinvigoration of Buddhism. Though few may have foreseen it, Phương Bối became a prototype for Thầy’s many “mindfulness practice centers” that would flourish around the world by the end of the century. 

Thay and his friends were present at Fragrant Palm Leaves and also in Saigon and other places when their duties required it. The community had to be abandoned, however, around 1961, because of active fighting nearby. In 1975, a poet friend of Thay and his family moved to the land, both to caretake the land for Thay and to remove themselves from the difficulties they would face in Saigon after the communists took control of all of Vietnam. They lived simply and raised nine children, four of whom are now monastics. The poet died some years ago. We were fortunately that Sr. Chan Khong and the widow of the poet could share with our group about there experiences at Fragrant Palm Leaves.

Having fresh coconut juice while waiting for our plane in Hue

I was intrigued by this poster of Albert Einstein I saw in a Da Lat vegetarian restaurant. I had seen a similar posters at another restaurants earlier in my trip

Sister Chan Khong with the abbot of Linh Quang Pagoda. Thay was good friends with the former abbot who died in 1986. 

A laughing buddha at Linh Quang Pagoda

he current abbot of Linh Sơn pagoda offering a Dharma talk to our pilgrimage group. Thay stated at Linh Sơn from 1951 – 53 when his teacher was the abbot.

Alter for Thay at Linh Sơn pagoda

Walking the entrance road to Fragrant Palm leaves. Thay planted the palm trees along the road.

Sr. Chan Khong is holding the hand of the women who lived on the land with her husband and family after 1975.

Sitting on the foundation of Thay’s hut at Fragrant Palm Leaves with Ernestine Enomoto, my Dharma friend of thirty years.