Hanna Le
I always feel my words can never express enough how grateful I am for Zen Master Thich Dieu Thien’s teaching. Before going to the center, I was very skeptical about the term “Awakened One” and not very clear what Buddhism is all about. After two years following there as an Awake Student, I realized what have caused my sufferings and the ultimate path to liberate all of them. Like other students at the center, I had life changing experiences under Zen Master’s guidance and I vowed to devote as much time and money as possible to help others have a chance like me to meet Awakened Ones and experience “awakening” their Buddha potential. For the last 20 years, I was following other Zen Masters, traditional Buddhism, Tantrayana, and various meditation techniques, but I was stuck finding the answer to have a peaceful life. I went to temples, prayed, chanted, and practiced meditation, but deep down, my sorrows still remain. I had a temporary “shelter”, but the moment I got out of a temple, finished chanting, or completed a meditation session, I automatically got back to my own situation, suffering and feeling trapped. I often left those places and kept looking for an answer on how to completely get out of this circle. After getting my Dharma name and being guided by Zen Master and the Sangha, my depression went away, some physical symptoms reduced significantly, and my relationship with family members improved. Lately, my kid attended the Youth and Teen camp and this profoundly changed his perspectives about awakened stillness and how it helps him over time. The life changing experience is very beneficial but not the main reason why I am still following the Zen Master. After all, I realized that Awakened One Thich Dieu Thien has the power to not only show me the root cause of my problems but also to guide me through the process to end the circle of birth and death, which is far beyond the human mind can imagine. I am so glad that gave myself a chance to come and explore the Truth about the Zen Master and Her teaching. I still remember my first meeting with Her at a Sunday Dharma talk on September 17, 2023. It turned out to be the best day of my life. During the talk, She explained the source of attachments and it ultimately answered a question that I had been contemplating for many years. At that moment, I realized Her wisdom and compassion directly from Her heart liberated the deep sorrow in my heart.
