Founder

Summary on the biography of the Venerable Thích Thiện Nghị

The Venerable Thích Thiện Nghị (Ven. T.T.N.) was born on November 1st, 1933 under the name of Lê Quí Tấn at Ninh Hòa, Khánh Hòa, south of Vietnam center. His father was Lê Đình and his mother Nguyễn Thị. His parents had 4 children, 3 boys and a girl. The Ven. T.T.N. was the second child. His father was the best professor in the region on chinese literature, his mother a model bouddhist. His father was dead in 1940 from his earliest youth.

After the death of his father, He decided to become a novice monk. At this time, the Rt Ven. Bảo Thành, patriarch of the Thiên Bảo Temple (Tổ đình Thiên Bảo) was reputed to be a wise monk. The Rt Ven. Bảo Thành gave protection to the Ven. T.T.N. and to his family. The Ven. T.T.N. had met this unique occasion to serve the Rt Ven. Bảo Thành for 10 years. The Rt Ven. Bảo Thành was dead in 1949, at the 25th day of the 10th month (lunar calendar), after the morning religious service. According to the custom of the Sangha Community, the Ven. T.T.N. was in mourning and represented the thousand of the Rt Ven. Bảo Thành disciples. Then, the Ven. T.T.N. lived during 100 days a life of a recluse in the Temple. He tried to remember all the teachings of his Master and finally, he found the way for his life. After this retreat, He put in practice this teaching of his Master:

"A religious without education is as a blind who walks around.
An atheist scholar is as these donkey carrying precious stones."

The Ven. T.T.N. closed the Temple. He decided to continue his studies although he was without means. He leaved his town and looked for a new master. He went to Nha Trang from Ninh Hòa on a train carrying wood. He had with him only some clothes and a slice of bread. At Nha Trang, He entered to the Đức Quang Temple where He worked and accomplished religious activities to be able to follow some courses at the institute of Buddhism Teachings Hải Đức.

In 1955, Vietnam was divided in two: the south republic and the north democratic republic. There was a big impact on Buddhism. The Hải Đức institute should be closed. In september 1955, after the religious ceremony in mind of Avalokitesvara, the Ven. T.T.N. went to Saigon by third class train. He was accompanied by a Rt Ven. who had recommended Him to the Ven. abbot of the Phật Quang Temple at Đào Duy Từ street, 10th district of Saigon. He was very lucky because He could rely on the relation between this 2 Ven. monks to facilitate his acceptance in the Temple. He studied during 3 years as an external student at the institute Ấn Quang. In autumn 1958, he passed with success the secondary progam specialized for the novice monks. There was by this year a large conference, a great ceremony for ordination under the presidence of the Rt Ven. Thích Khánh Anh, Rt Ven. Hành Trụ et Rt Ven. Thiện Hòa. The Ven. T.T.N. got ordination by this occasion et received the 250 precepts of a bhikhu.

The Ven. T.T.N. was a very laborious student. He emerged from all students by his skills on chinese literature because the most of Buddhist Writings were in chinese. In 1962, He passed the exams and was graduated at the master level of the university program at the institute Ấn Quang and were nominated for the position of director at the institute Giác Sanh in Phú Thọ, Saigon.

In 1963, Ngô Đình Diệm's government wanted to destroy Buddhism and obliged all Buddhist people to convert to Catholicism. The government used the army's power to oppress buddhist people, to tear the buddhist flag at the Buddha's Birthday celebration in 1963 and shot on buddhists at a public manisfestation for the freedon of religion. Also, the government took many buddhists to prison. Many monks burnt themselves as a sacrifice to oppose to that policy. At the November 1st, 1963 the government fell after the coup d'etat of the army.

During the protestation period requesting free devotion, the Ven. T.T.N. was the president of the young buddhist monks and nuns.

In 1965 to 1967 He was a professor at many monasteries of Saigon such as Huệ Quang, Huệ Nghiêm, Dược Sư, Minh Đức, Hoa Quang and at many institutes in the other provinces as the institute Huyền Trang and the institute Phổ Đức at Mỹ Tho.

At the beginning of the 1968 year, Vietnam was in total war, and then, the Ven. T.T.N. had requested the Sangha Community to allow him to travel to Taiwan. He took the decision to stay there, to be able to continue his study at the monastery Phật Quang Sơn, reputed to be the largest institute of Buddhism teachings at Taiwan. The Ven. Thích Tinh Vân, director of the institute was very enthusiatic by this project and had recommended the Ven. T.T.N. to the Rt Ven. Hội Tánh, professor on Vinyapitaka. The Ven. T.T.N. studied Vinya for 5 years.

But, 1973, He should return to Vietnam because He was without means to pursue the study. He was invited to teach Vinya at the institutes where he was professor before and at the institute managed by the Rt Ven. Huyền Vi. In the same year, there was an election at the institute Vien Hoa Dao for the presidence of the young Sangha Community. The Ven. T.T.N. was elected with the majority of votes. He was so generous and had a very strong responsability sense, so he never touched salary of the monasteries during the time of teaching.

In 1975, after the domination of the south Vietnam by the communists, the Sangha Community was dispersed but the buddhist leaders gave to monks and nuns the directive to reassemble together at the monastery Đại Tòng Lâm at Bà Rịa, Vũng Tàu to escape to the communist regime. Again, the Ven. T.T.N. was invited to teach and to be director at Viện Hóa Đạo in collaboration with the Ven. Huyền Quang, the Ven. Quảng Độ, the Ven. Minh Châu, the Ven. Thắng Hoan et the Ven. Thuyền Ấn.

He was in the committee for the translation of the Tripitaka of Buddhism in vietnamese. The Rt Ven. Trí Tịnh was the president of this committee. Also, the Ven. T.T.N. collabored for the research of the Vietnamese Buddhism history with the Rev Trí Hải (a woman), the Rev Tuệ Sĩ, the Rev. Trí Siêu (Lê Mạnh Thác), etc. Started works should be abandoned due to the interdiction of the communist government.

Back from Taiwan, the Ven. T.T.N. had started the translation of all volumes of the "Bách Nhứt Pháp Yetma" (Vinya and the basic precepts of the Sangha Community). However, these works had to be stopped under the communist regime. The Ven. T.T.N. had failed many time to escape the communist government. At last, on july 12, 1979, he succeeded and settled in Malaysia Pulau Bidong Refugee camp for one year. Then in 1980 he came to Montreal, Canada.

Canada is a country where it is possible to teach Buddhism. The Ven. T.T.N. tries to develop Buddhism in many ways depending on his ability. Buddhism aren't well known in this North America country. However, the Ven. T.T.N. took time to explain clearly the value of a temple and the necessity of a "gaya", facilities for the teachings of Buddhism. Then, He noted that the number of Buddhist followers was rising up.

Activities to promote Buddhism

Many Buddhist Societies requested to be members of the Union of Vietnamese Buddhist Churches in Canada with the Ven. T.T.N. as president and the Ven. Nguyên Tịnh as vice-president. The Ven. T.T.N. has responsabities to expand Buddhism in the Eastern region and the Ven. Nguyên Tịnh the Western region. In a very short time, the Ven. Nguyên Tịnh had consolidated all activities in the region by regrouping the following Buddhist societies: Thiền Tôn at Vancouver, Phật Quang at Edmonton, Chánh Trí at London Ontario and Vạn Hạnh at Victoria.

To continue to develop Buddhism in the future and to preserve the Vietnamese culture, in september 1988, the Ven. T.T.N. bought a 337 acre piece of land in the region of Harrington, Quebec. On this large piece of land, He would like to recreate the 4 holy places relating to the Buddha's life, to build a Great Temple, a library with over 500 000 books on Buddhism, to finalize the routes to the "gaya", place for worship and the Tam Bảo Sơn, institute of Buddhism teachings. This project are spread out on 10 years and estimated with a cost of 10 millions. At the Tam Bảo Sơn institute, the Ven. T.T.N. leads the 10 novice monks and nuns who are internal during the scholar program composed with internal specialized courses as the ones given in Vietnam, and language courses in english and in french teached by the Rev Quảng Oánh. The Rev Quảng Oánh is the first nun graduated on the Religion master program at a north america university. Also, the Rev. gives some internal courses. She is an aggregate professor of the Institute and works for its continual progress in order to ameliorate the spiritual life of people of the future generations.

The Ven. T.T.N. was the first Buddhist monk in Canada. His objective is to promote continously Buddhism in North America. He is very perseverant, although there are many problems to resolve as the insufficient budget for the construction project, the change in the mentality of some Buddhists. He had mentioned that roadblocks are there only to help us to progress. It was said: Ease, comfort comes after hard works.

The Ven. T.T.N. is the advisor of the Vietnamese in the United State under the presidence of the Ven. Thích Đức Niệm.

In summary and by the publication of this journal celebrating the 10 years of the creation of Tam Bảo Temple in 1982, we would like to underline the tied link of the history of the Temple and the life of the founder. We try to trace here some special events in the first 50 years of the Ven. T.T.N.'s life from the day he had joint the Sangha community and the activities He realized in Vietnam as in Canada for this 10 years. We hope that in the next publication in rememberance of the next 10 years, we could detailed all activities related to the "Great Pine Forest", activities already finalized or the other ones planned to be done in the next 8 years.

These lines summarising some periods the Ven. T.T.N.'s life are writen with caution. However, we could make some mistakes, so we apologize for these errors and request the indulgence of the Ven. T.T.N. and we will correct them with all required adjustment.

Writen by his disciple Phổ Tịnh.