The Truc Lam Tay Thien Monastery – a sacred mountain region in the clouds

It is said that the most effective remedy for getting stuck is to shoulder your backpack and start walking. For us, every trip is a piece of tire and a changed homecoming. Two weeks after the trip to Tay Thien, the memory of that day is still alive: every stretch of road, every pine grove, the sound of the bell in the wind and valuable lessons about meditation and Buddhism – all of which the Vinh Phuc Province generously gave us.

The Thien Vien Truc Lam Tay Thien monastery in the mountains

On Saturday December 5th, a frosty morning, members of the La Route des Découvertes club set off for Tam Dao, Vinh Phuc. At 9:30 a.m., Mr. Ta Duy Bau, director of Horizon Vietnam Travel – manager and also a professional driver – set the car in motion. We once again admired the modern beauty of the Nhat Tan Bridge via the road named after General Vo Nguyen Giap towards Noi Bai Airport. On the way, Mr. Bau had Lan Phuong, a club member, take on the role of tour guide.

The arrival at the foot of the mountain was particularly impressive. With great driving skill, Mr. Bau mastered the winding serpentines on the Tam Dao Mountains. From below, the monastery shimmered between the clouds. After overcoming the nine climbs, we felt like we were in a fairy kingdom: all around us were moving clouds, rustling pine trees and the wide, pure Tam Quan Gate of the monastery.

Fortunately the sun came out when we arrived. Since it is a monastery, Mr. Bau particularly asked us to be serious and quiet and to respect the holy place and the practitioners there. We then climbed the long stone steps to the main hall and took part in a ceremony. At the sound of the bell everyone found a moment of silence. That day the abbot himself even introduced us to the correct rites and explained the meaning of ancestor veneration.

Afterwards, Mr. Bau led us to a stone stele with four famous verses by King Tran Nhan Tong, the founder of the Truc Lam school of Zen. He explained the meaning and meaning of each word; Not only the club members, but also visitors passing by stopped and listened attentively.

After this very clear “lesson” we explored the bell tower, the drum tower and the monastery rooms. From the walkways we looked out over the surrounding mountain range – a rare sight, accompanied by the distant sound of the Bac stream. We returned to Hanoi at 4:30 p.m. Tay Thien – a cradle of Buddhism and one of Vietnam’s three largest Truc Lam monasteries – remains a place we will look back on with pride.