Huyen Khong pagoda - Hue

 In a trip to Hue in early year, I had a chance to visit Huyen Khong Son Thuong pagoda. My friends and I arrived Hue in early morning and our first feeling was that the life here seemed more quiet, an not so noisy than Ha Noi. Though, someone in our group, including me, visit Hue for the first time, the others have visited here several times, but the feeling about different lifestyle was shown on everyone’s faces. All worries for the life were left behind and we were ready for the journey with new experiences. 

Perhaps, like many tourists visiting this city, after having some rests, our original schedule also was to visit  the famous relics of Hue. The city was quiet but, in somewhere, there still were signs of changes with the construction, new modern buildings. When arriving the Imperial Citadel, remaining in my mind was the feeling about a immense and magnificent capital of Nguyen Dynasty during 140 years. However, going futher inside, looking at things more closely, there was a wonder in my mind ... Some palaces were reconstructed. The design and architecture look similar with old palaces but I felt that there may be something missing. Whether it is lack of the vitality, spirit, the atmosphere of an existing dynasty? Then I thought, war and local people have destroyed all. The past has gone, and that is why it is relics now.

 The next day, we walked around the streets of the ancient capital and visited some places and the Perfume River. Perfume River is really poetic and romantic. It flows slowly with curving flow and green forest along the bank river. There were several small boats moving gently on the river. It is said that the river name is derived from a special aromatic grasses grow on two sides. Every morning, fragrant water drops in the grass fall into the river. Now the grass is almost gone, only some people plant some this grass in house as hobby. It is said that, later, some investors may build villas along the river sides. Hopefully, it will not happen. Because the river sides will be cut into many parts by walls, fences with modern villas, then there will be no longer romantic views of the river. 

We arrived Huyen Khong Son Thuong pagoda in the afternoon. Huyen Khong is located outside of Hue city, in Cham village, Huong Ho commune, Huong Tra district. We had to ask some locals to find the way, then we crossed a big road and went into a small road to head to Huyen Khong. The path was quite tortuous and winding. Leaving the town behind, accrossing the fields and the lush green forests…finally Huyen Khong loomed.

In front of us, there were a simple and natural landscape. The small walk ways are between rows of tree. There is no big gate like in traditional pagodas or temples. Visitors can use some cleans toilets near by the entrance. Then, we saw a visiting rule board that are made as poems... 

This place was quiet with light wind and only some birds were singing. We continued to step deeply inside Huyen Khong center. We realized this place was very spacious with green lawns, flowers, lush trees. It was fresh and cool. Between these scenes, there were the caligraphy letter in Vietnamese on rocks. This calligraphies look liberal, freedom, but it also shows that they are made with calm mind.  Before, in the Thien Mu pagoda, I was very sad after receiving a call that braught many  turmoil, but could not stop recognizing the harmonized beauty of nature and people’s work here. My mind got calm when watching the quiet and peaceful scenery of Huyen Khong. I suddenly thought this place must be deserved for a wise hermit. (Later on, I knew that this place used to be a uncultivated area, then thanks to the monk came to reclaim this land and plant forest, so this place has become a beatutiful and rich area).

We continued on to explore Huyen Khong. And we saw the main hall of Huyen Khong pagoda. It is not magnificent, not great as Chinese pagoda; not mysterious as Tibetan pagoda; not colorful as Thai pagoda, but it seems modest, simple, dignified, elegant, calm. Every details of the main hall shows a moderately fussy completion but it is enough to feel a simple and delicate beauty. I realized it has some aspects of one pillar pagoda, a remaining typical architecture of Vienamese culture.

 Inside the main hall, there is a statue of Sakya Muni Buddha. It is a harmonized statue, not so big, not small and is placed not too high, not too low. He sits at position that is enough low to feel him so close to mankind. He used to be a prince of Kapilavathu, a small country of India today. But he is also in a position high enough to see that he gave up normal life to find ultimate wisdom. He stood on top of humanbeing’s heart and mind with infinite love and awakened wisdom. He became an enlightened one or a Buddha with teachings on the true path to eliminate sufferings for people, but not a god with power to  create blessings or calamities.

Outside the main hall, there are small houses among trees and clusters of bamboos. On the right side, there is a dining house. On the left, there is a small house with space for chief monk to have some talks with visitors. Due to a good reason, we luckily had short talk with the chief monk. A young monk brought a small and nice set of teapot carefully put in front of the chief monk. With a leisurely style, the chief monk poured tea into small cup and invited us to drink tea. It is a elegant way of enjoying tea that a few people do as a hobby nowadays, especially in big and noisy city. The chief monk said that he gets old and backward, so he has not participated in the activities outside recently, he stays in Huyen Khong to practise the Buddha‘s teachings, to manage the young disciples, surrounding Buddhism followers and he emphasized that education on ethics, on the beauty, on humanity is the root of  human being. The chief monk gave every one a book as a gift that he is writer and, luckily, there are something that I want to learn.

Then we continued walking around to visit the works that the chief monk and his disciples have built for many years. I saw there must be many efforts, delicate and harmonized arangement. In the main hall, I saw a Buddhist follower quietly preparing flowers to decorate the altar of the main hall. She looked at me, smiled friendly and asked me to help her holding the vase little. I happily helped her. Then I continued to walk around, watch calligraphy paintings with verses reflecting many moralities. There were also several other small groups visiting Huyen Khong. I suddenly thought about the chief monk. No, he does not get old, he does not get backward! His lifestyle with noble culture and shine wisdom, hidden around here, is still cultivating a meditative, spiritual and cultural space that is strongly pervasive into visitors’s soul.

 It was late afternoon and we decided to return to the Hue city. I listened again and felt  the rhythm of life here, the quiet space among the natural mountain and forest, the sound of bird song, the sound of water flowing ... Human beings and nature seem to be in tune with life rhythm that is  smoothly flowing.

Photo: The chief monk

A year has passed and I have not come back Hue again though I intended to go many times. Life is journeys and it was a memorable trip. I don’t know how is Huyen Khong now. Life is imperfect, nothing is forever, everything is changing and changing. However, I believe that, when the chief monk still stays there,  the humanity beauty with wise flavor still radiates at Huyen Khong Son Thuong.

Ha Noi, March, 2012