An Evening of Poetry and Music – Traces of Previous Lives and Love Songs for the Homeland, Part 7 of a Multi-part Series

That’s right, and artist Xuân Phát specially composed a “vọng cổ” [Southern Aulacese (Vietnamese) folk tune] with the title “Encouraging Spiritual Practice.” Ladies and gentlemen, when we listened to a “vọng cổ” before, we found that the Southern accent is the most special, because “vọng cổ” is a unique characteristic of the South. “Before, when I and my wife were still in Vietnam, my wife had taken refuge in the Buddha, but I hadn’t yet, because I was a pig-meat seller, which is a family career passed down from my father. Many nights, I dreamed, and I saw when I died, I couldn’t follow God or Buddha, but I fell to Avīci hell (relentless), where the demons cut my flesh to cook a stew. They then gave it to the pigs, chickens, ducks to eat in revenge. Since then, I recite the Buddha’s name and eat vegan, and every night I bow to God to ask for forgiveness. My sister came to the USA in 1975, and my brother-in-law also has a shop selling roasted pig. But I advised them, ‘Now that you have money, stop selling roasted meat anymore, but practice spiritually, nurture your old age.’ It is said that the bag of greed has no bottom. He said he is repentant, not wanting to cut the throats of pigs, chickens and ducks, but now he wants to ‘cut the throats’ of people! He quit selling roasted pig and turned to open a pawnshop. After losing at gambling, people now have to pawn their belongings to get some money, but they have to accept the high interest rate of 25%. In gambling, eventually, everyone loses everything! The true practitioners advise us that we should cultivate ourselves in life and develop our compassion. Practice spiritually, sincerely and be vegan, cultivate ourselves and we will live to join in the ‘splendid and glamourous gatherings.’”

Ladies and gentlemen, a special part of the program today is to introduce the CD “I Love You.” The CD includes poems by the poet Supreme Master Ching Hai, set to music by musician Phượng Vũ, and performed by singers Lệ Thu, Khánh Ly, Mai Hương, and Thái Hiền. Not only does this CD have artistic value, but it also has noble value, profound meanings, and heartfelt lyrics.