Help Bat Nha Monastery

Background information on Prajna situation

Chronologically presented:

Since May 2005, approximately 400 monks and nuns -  who are Vietnamese citizens – have been ordained in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh at Bat Nha Monastery in Bao Loc, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam.  Below is a summary of major events so far:

In February 2005, during Thich Nhat Hanh’s first return trip to Vietnam after nearly 40 years in exile, an abbot by the name of Venerable Thich Duc Nghi offered his monastery to be made into a training and practice center in the tradition of Plum Village. Ven. Thich Duc Nghi is a vice-director of the government-approved Lam Dong Province Buddhist Sangha. Many young people answered his call and were ordained by him to practice in the tradition of PlumVillage at Bat Nha. Ven. Duc Nghi sponsored them to stay and practice at the monastery. He also sponsored senior Plum Village Vietnamese monks and nuns, who are foreign passport holders, to come to Prajna to train the new monks and nuns.

The National Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha and the Government’s Religious Committee approved for Bat Nha Monastery to practice in the tradition of PlumVillage in June 2006.

Lam Dong Province Buddhist Sangha transmitted the precepts and recognized these monks and nuns in two ceremonies: Phuong Boi Great Ordinations Ceremony in March 2007 and Bich Nguyen Great Ordinations Ceremony in December 2008.

From May 2005 to May 2008, Ven. Thich Duc Nghi received about one (1) million US dollars from supporters of Thich Nhat Hanh all over the world to buy lands and build facilities for the 400 monks and nuns to live and to practice.

In June 2008, the Government’s Religious Committee and the Society Security Police Branch of the Ministry of Public Safety pressured Ven. Thich Duc Nghi to stop sponsoring the monks and nuns and lay aspirants at Bat Nha and to force all of them to leave the monastery.

August 2008: An official document asking the monastic and lay practitioners to leave the monastery was issued by the local Dambri Police Office on August 7, 2008, on behalf of Ven. Thich Duc Nghi.

On September 22nd, 2008: three monastic disciples of Ven. Duc Nghi led a group of 20 men to Bat Nha to ransack one of the five residences of monks and aspirant-monks and throw their belongings outside. The executive committee of Lam Dong Province Buddhist Sangha came to the scene and reprimanded the attackers.

On October 13th, 2008: the executive committee of the (government-authorized) Lam Dong Province Buddhist Church met and agreed to sponsor and permit the 400 monastic and lay practitioners to stay and practice at the monastery.

On October 14th, 2008: the Lam Dong Province Buddhist Church met with government officials of Lam Dong province to discuss about this decision (made on October 13th). They all agreed with it.

On October 16th, 2008: the Religious Office of Lam Dong province nullified that decision, saying they need to wait for instructions from the national government’s Religious Affairs Committee.

On October 29th, 2009: the Religious Affairs Committee accused Thich Nhat Hanh of distorting Vietnam’s religious policies; they also stated that the monastic and lay practitioners at Bat Nha no longer have any legal rights to stay at Prajna and they have to leave the monastery.

Since then, the Religious Police have harassed the monastic and lay practitioners and pressured them to leave by: persuading parents of monastics to call their sons and daughters back home; offering incentives for monks and nuns to come practice at other temples; performing frequent searches at monastery, treating the residents like “illegal residents”; accusing them of involvement in political activities; pressuring them stop holding practice at the monastery; and prohibiting members of the public from coming to the monastery.

On June 23rd, 2009: Thich Dong Hanh, a disciple of Thich Duc Nghi, burned and destroyed several huts that belong to the nuns. On June 27, all electricity, water, and telephone service to the residential buildings were cut off.

On June 28 – 29th, 2009: a mob of about 200 people attacked the monastery. Many local police, both in uniform and in civilian clothes, were there but did not intervene. They only video-taped the scene. The executive committee of the Lam Dong Vietnamese Buddhist Church came to inspect the situation and was also attacked. Ven. Thich Thai Thuan, official Buddhist representative of Bao Loc and a vice-director of the executive committee, had to be hospitalized. People were prohibited from coming to help. A delegation of 5 buses was stopped and attacked with rocks and the excrement of animals and humans.

On July 5, 2009, about 400 people arrived at the monastery, having been told that they were being brought to a retreat.  Upon arrival they were presented with sickles and metal bars, and told to attack the resident monks and nuns.  The monks and nuns, who had been warned of this attack, gathered in their respective meditation halls, doing sitting meditation and evoking the name of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara of Compassion and Deep Listening.  In fact, only 20 people did carry hostile banners, shout, and threaten the monastics.  The others were shocked by the turn of events, bowed, cried, and refused to comply with the order.

Since June 27th, 2009 until now (August 15th), electricity, water and telephone service are still cut off.  The monastics have to collect rain water for drinking and to use the water from the stream for bathing and washing clothes, etc.  The poluted water has caused many of them allergies and infections.  Many people in local areas and adjacent cities are doing their best to help by bringing in water and food supplies.

On August 13, 2009 Mr. Le Dung, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, announced that the 400 monastics must leave Bat Nha Monastery by September 2, 2009.

Misunderstandings and misperceptions that may be involved:

The local people have been told by the disciples of the Venerable Abbot that the monks and nuns at Bat Nha Monastery have taken over the monastery and mistreated them.  These local people have known and supported the Venerable Abbot for several years.  Thus, the distorted information has made them very angry and ready to help evict the Prajna monks and nuns.

There is a fear that the presence of the monastics in the Plum Village tradition is a threat to national security.  The practice attracts too many people, especially the young and educated class.  On each Day of Mindfulness, there can be over 1000-1500 people attending.  Once a month, people from distant areas of the country also organize to go to Bat Nha on buses in order to attend the Day of Mindfulness.

There are governmental and religious officials who do not yet understand and support TNH’s teachings and practices.  Also, TNH’s proposals to the government and to the National Buddhist Church of Vietnam about the situation of Vietnam are also controversial to a number of these officials.

TNH’s public announcement of support of the Dalai Lama and of Tibet last August 2008 caused a strong reaction in the Chinese government.  They, in turn, pressured the Vietnamese government not to allow TNH to return to Vietnam in 2008.  They may also be pressuring the Vietnamese government to reject the Plum Village practice in Vietnam, in order to remove TNH’s strong influence in Vietnam.

Our present concern & request:

• We hope to raise awareness of the situation at Prajna Monastery within the country and around the world.  Basic human rights to electricity, water, and physical safety should be re-established for the young people that are in the Bat Nha Monastery.

• We hope to help remove the misunderstandings and wrong perceptions in certain religious and political leaders, so that they can support the monks and nuns’ aspiration to practice and help others.  These monastics need a safe place to live and practice together as a spiritual family.  Without a monastic community to practice with, they may have to disrobe and return to lay life.

• We hope that the government, the Communist Party and the National Buddhist Church of Vietnam continue to be open to the teachings and practices of the Plum Village tradition in Vietnam; to help secure the safety and support to our practice centers in Vietnam; and allow our international monastic and lay practitioners to come to practice at these centers.  These practices have helped many to reconcile  with themselves and their families.  They have the capacity to reduce the social evils such as violence, gang, prostitution, corruption, etc. and to rectify the ethical, cultural values of the country.  Our centers in France, Germany, and the United States have contributed much positivity to the people in those countries.  Thus, we are confident that our practice can also benefit the Vietnamese people and her nation.  After all, the teachings and practices of Plum Village directly derived from the Buddha’s teachings and from the Vietnamese Buddhist tradition.

We urgently request that you look into these matters and do your best to help these monastics to remain in Bat Nha Monastery.  All they want is a safe place to practice together as a monastic community in the Plum Village tradition.

Thank you very much for your loving concerns and care.