Truc Lam Monastery - Zen in Vietnam

ZEN IN VIETNAM: Experiencing meditation and Buddhism at Truc Lam Monastery

Last updated: April 9th, 2019

When I decided to go to Southeast Asia, one thing I wanted to do was join a monastery and learn about Buddhism. Some people advised me that I wouldn’t find monasteries to join in Vietnam, my first stop. I visited pagodas all over the country, but always just as a tourist.

It wasn’t until I reached Da Lat, a cute city in the South, that I finally had some sort of deeper experience with Buddhism. And it all happened by chance, as do the best experiences in life!

Truc Lam Monastery

It was a sunny day in Da Lat, a perfect day for a bicycle ride. I chose to go up the mountain to a monastery close by, more because of the ride than because of the place itself, unaware that this was the beginning of a peaceful journey and my encounters with meditation.

Arriving there, I discovered that Truc Lam Monastery isn’t just another pagoda. Its location, on the top of a mountain, along with the cool climate and the colourful gardens that surround the temple, make this one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever been. You can easily spend the day there.

After walking around a bit, I noticed some people eating lunch, and because I love Vietnamese food, I asked if I could join them. A monk pointed me towards the master teacher, a joyful man with a great sense of humour, who invited me for lunch while we chatted a little in Spanish.

Following that, the master told me that it was possible to come as a guest and learn how to meditate with the nuns. This was a sign! It was exactly what I’d been hoping for before I came to Asia … joining a monastery and experiencing life with nuns. So, without hesitation, I agreed to come the next day at 6 a.m., although I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

First meditation lesson

Monastery uniformThe next day, I couldn’t believe it, but there I was! The nun in charge greeted me, gave me an outfit to wear and showed me to my room. Very few words were spoken.

With my clothes changed, it was time to have breakfast. At the monastery, this is a ritual that involves a lot of chanting and mindful movements. There’s not much talking, and that day, I felt awkward trying to copy the ways of my colleagues, a group of nuns-to-be, around the table. Most of them were in their 20s.

After eating delicious vegan food, it was time to do some work around the house before my first meditation lesson.

The nun who’d given me my clothing gave me a square cushion and another small one that would lift my body. She asked me if I could sit in full lotus position. What?! I tried, but didn’t get anywhere close to that. She laughed at my clumsy ways and total lack of flexibility, and eventually gave up on showing me how to do it. With a lot of effort, I tried my best to sit in a position that would at least resemble hers.

Surprisingly (to me), Zen meditation involves a lot of bodywork—stretching and, at least to this stiff body of mine, pain. As I tried to maintain my “great” non-lotus posture, my duty was to count my breaths, going up to 10 and then starting again.

What could be simpler than that, right? Well, try it and tell me! I lost count. I counted up to 30 or so and started thinking of the most useless things. It was then that I began to understand how difficult this thing called meditation, this art of emptying the mind and focusing on the now, actually is.

Being “present” at meals   

After meditating, or at least trying to for 30 minutes, it was time for lunch. The ritual was similar to that of breakfast. Again, we started with chanting, and proceeded to eat delicious vegan food without speaking.

The idea, one nun later told me, is to focus on the food during meals. In fact, the whole idea behind meditation and Zen Buddhism is developing the ability to be present in the moment. This may sound like a simple task, but can be very hard to achieve.

Gardens in Truc LacHaving eaten and washed the dishes, it was time for a nap ’til 2 p.m., followed by more meditation. I was given some books that would help me understand meditation and Buddhism a bit better, and I could read them in my spare time, while looking at the marvellous gardens. In this monastery, they really take care of the gardens well. You can see nuns working on them most of the time, and this was one of my favourite jobs there, helping the nuns in the garden.

They also grow some vegetables and fruits that are used for the meals. Of course, I wanted to see how they cooked such delicious food. The kitchen is huge, as there are almost 200 nuns in the monastery, and they use firewood—that’s the secret!

In the following days, my routine would be similar: chanting, eating, meditating, reading, doing some work around the house and contemplating the beautiful gardens. I also had the chance to speak to some nuns. One, in particular, was keen to speak to the two foreigners there. She was 20 years old and had joined the monastery the year before.

A nun’s experience

The young nun told me that prior to coming to the monastery, she’d been feeling empty, working hard in a company without time to do the things she enjoyed. She began to question what the point was of working her whole life so she’d finally be able to do the things she enjoyed when she was old. We all ask ourselves this question at some point, don’t we?

She told me that at the monastery, she felt happy and could study and dedicate herself to what she enjoyed. She wanted to learn Buddhism so she could help others with a desire to lead better lives. She was such a cheerful and happy young lady with mature and lucid words. Talking to her reminded me that we’re all searching for a meaningful life and that there are many different paths we can to choose to pursue this.

I visited the monastery every day for four days. I wasn’t allowed to sleep there, but could stay until around 7 p.m. to join the evening chanting. Although I didn’t stay a very long time, the quality of the time I spent there was immense. I’m still digesting all that I learned from just watching life peacefully, eating quietly, speaking less and simply counting my breaths.

Meditation and Buddhism are both such simple concepts to read about, yet they’re so difficult to experience. They’re both part of my journey through life now, and I hope to learn more and more about them each day.

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[su_panel background=”#f2f2f2″ color=”#000000″ border=”0px none #ffffff” shadow=”0px 0px 0px #ffffff”]Patricia Alves is a journalist who left Brazil to discover Southeast Asia and all its vibrant tastes, culture, colours and people. She has been travelling since the beginning of 2017 and never knows where she’ll be next month. She’s following her heart and the advice of people she meets on the road, and so far has no regrets. Visit her at thereislifeoutthere.blog.

images by Patricia Alves

  1. Wow! Seems like a surreal experience. Some of the simplest things are the most toughest! Vietnam is something that I would love to explore. I recently went on a roadtrip with my children and that was one experience I will remember!

    1. Yes, it was amazing. Vietnam will be always in my hear. And I hope to go back to this peaceful oasis in Dalat. And for the meditation, totally agree… super simple and super tough!!! I see many families with young children in South East Asia, they seem to have a great time and children might learn a lot!!

      1. Bom dia Patricia !
        Estou a pensar fazer 1 ou 2 semanas de experiencia neste mosteiro.
        Podes sugerir um plano ou um programa do que devo fazer como primeira experi?ncia ?
        A minha disponibilidade ser? para o m?s de Fevereiro.
        Muito Obrigado pela ajuda
        Ant?nio

  2. I love your article and the funny thing is that I’m a Vietnamese reading about this while planning a trip to Dalat in less than 2 weeks. What a meaningful coincidence ! I’ll definitely visit this monastery and learn more about Buddism and Meditation as a whole. Thanks for the article and the kind words for my country <3

    1. Great!! Sorry for the late reply! How was your trip to Dalat? I loved that city so much! And the monastery is so beautiful. I hope you had a great time there. I miss your country already!!

    2. Hello, and thanks for a great article. I will go do vietnamn for 19 days, mostly for the sun so I’ll start in nha Trang. But I’m also very interested in meditation. Did you just had luck to join them for meditation class or is it a great possibility for everyone to join?

      It feels like they can’t let every tourist there join ?

      Thanks

  3. Hi Patricia,

    I would love to do the same as you. Would you please have the contact information of the monastery as I”m not able to find it.
    Also, did you have to pay anything? Finally did you stay in Dalat while you visited the monastery, if not, do you any recommendations on an affordable yet close-by accommodation?
    Thanks a lot.
    Jen

  4. Hi, I have this phone number: +84633830558 – they don’t use email.
    I used Booking to find accommodation, but the guesthouses are not so close by, like 5km – I walked there few times, it is doable, but around 40min and lots of ups and downs. Most people rent a motorbike.
    The monastery runs on donations. You don’t have to pay anything but it is advisable to make a donation in the end. If you are going there, I would suggest you to bring some nice books to learn English, maybe some short stories, flashcards, anything interesting and proper to nuns. There was a young nun who was trying to teach English to some colleagues. There is also some sort of hostel run by the monastery, but I don’t know how to proceed to stay there. You would have to ask at the monastery. When you reach the monastery you have to ask for the master teacher and ask him permission to go to the nuns house. I wich an amazing trip and hope you find this amazing place. Please, send my blessing to the nuns!

  5. Good Day

    Hi

    I will be visiting Vietnam from Feb 6 ? 28, 2018.

    I have completed few SN Goenka Meditaiton retreats in last few years. The last was in Jaipur (India).

    I would be visiting Dalat during the mid of my trip, and I truly want to come and visit this beautiful place and learn about it.

    The cell number mentioned below is also my whatsapp number, please do answer if this is okay for me to come and visit for a day this monastery? And second question, do you offer a short time meditation courses at the monastery? If so, any weblink to apply for them, and schedule for February next year?

    Peace ?

    Ahmed
    Cell +923007003492

    1. Hi, I don’t represent the monastery. The best way is to go yourself and speak to the master and ask yourself. Foreigners cannot sleep in the monastery, but if they agree with your presence to help in the monastery you can go in the morning and stay till evening. I post above on other comments the phone number I have from the monastery. But I guess you would have to go there as they dont have a retreatment package or some sort of thing, they just welcome those who want to learn.

  6. HI, just stumbled on this page….I’m new to travelling to Asian countries…anyhow how safe it is to travel to Vietnam alone and would this be the best place for a yoga/Buddhist retreat at the Dalat?…can you give me any other ideas etc…I live in Western Australia I would also like to volunteer while there perhaps…I do have problems with walking a lot at the moment as I fell on my knee and its a bit damaged! any suggestions would be great….rose

  7. Hey,
    Was there anything you had to give to stay there? This is something I always wanted to do and if I am in Da Lat – I would definitely go and stay there for a few days or weeks.

    Loved this article. Keep writing. 🙂

  8. Thank you for this beautiful story. We’re going to be spending a lot of time in Vietnam soon and I was looking for ways to visit a monastery or two the way you did. Loved reading about your experience!

  9. Amazing!! Great intro to such a beautiful, logical way to live. meditation is hard work. It’s funny when people tell you, “have a good time!” before a meditation retreat… I’m like… no, meditation is hard work. We have to face ourselves, it’s like forcing a shadow into light.
    I’m happy for you!!!!
    :o)

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