THE DIARY FOR MOM 
Today is not Ullambana’s day(1) , mother’s day, or any of women’s day, but I have been tormented mom by a deep longing. I have a sense like the clock does not focus to go faster so that I could come back to mom, as when I was a child after school I wandered around for a longtime then back home at last.
Recalling mom, I then wish some things which contradict each other – I wish the time went fast so that I could be in mom’s hands, but if the time went fast mom would had been older (time to be with your children being shorter) – I wish the time went really slow so each time I laid in your comfortable warmth it was like I had wanted your money by your hard work. Is it the law that contradicts all the children’s wishes in this world, mom? I had read an article that told about the child in third grade who begged in every far way day by day to help her sick parents, and that made my heart be wrung with pain. Up to now, I have not done anything for mom and dad yet. I am afraid not to think if mom’s hair has been white yet…or many other things which I am afraid of.
To be in touch and fail sometimes in life, I feel to be growing up. But I don’t know to show off anything to mom…? Oh, that is my recalling mom that nothing could measure the size of it exactly, I am proud only about this myself, mom! Mom taught me many things, more than twenty nine alphabets that one day mom had hold my hand to write painstakingly so that I could confirm to the hard event. Many many wonderful things that mom had given to me. There was a lesson that mom had taught to your children from elementary school that I have never forgotten that you are very well-ordered, that you would not criticize your children, but you wrote a letter under a pen name of your close friend (I now have understood your intelligence). After reading the letter, we felt so shame that we had made you feel sorry for your children to the others. I still remembered to ask you that: what do I have to do in order to clarify for you when you have taught us being orderly our study corners, please talk to us mom… I was crying while entreating you. Although we were very little, but we’ve always considered that we have to be your pride, mom and dad. Although we are very little, we always consider being your pride, though, very mischievous. Our old traditional family that has grandparents, parents, brothers, and sisters, and I feel warm facing the social situation. We are around the reed mat to help daddy make “square glutinous rice cakes”. We are next to grandfather holding hands in front of the ancestry altar. We follow daddy to visit our ancestors’ graves in the last days before new lunar years… Those things might not be applied much in our daily life, but they are our solid foundation for our beliefs about our excellent traditional values, mom. We learn much more in our history, and proud of our heroic traditional founding and protecting of our country that has been impressed in our young brains since we were children that make us love our beautiful country. That’s all, but our luggages are full when we engage to the fronts with all kinds of traps and baits. I may talk about some things that seems very much cultured, but in the past, mom still liked this kind of my writing, and mom often wiped away your tears while you was reading my letters, wasn’t it right mom?
I have still kept secret to everyone because I am afraid that mom would worry my work for the charity or visit perilous patients in the hospitals. Sometimes, there wasn’t much money in my pocket, but I had still donated to the charity every time I knew our people had been suffer by the natural disasters, and I again went to call upon to the others and I myself collected old clothes for the poor people…I have been learned these things from parents. And that is Buddha’s teachings in which show me how to practice in treating between human beings. I am sometimes sad because parents have not known Buddha-Dharma so you two did not want me going to the pagodas often for parents being afraid that I could become monk. I have created the causes and conditions to many people from dharma talk dishes, the vegetarian meals, or dharma books. I’ve explained something that I’ve understood about Buddha-Dharma to the others, but I have not talked to you two yet. I’ve known that, only the successful way and happiness that could prove of my beliefs are right, then I could lead mom and dad reaching to the Buddha-Dharma. I believe I can do this.
Reciting “Namo Amitabha Buddha” is the easy way to practice. It’s simple, but it’s so profound. It means we invite Amitabha Buddha into our minds, or to create dimension for Amitabha in our minds, or to improve our seeds of infinite light, immeasurable lifespan and incalculable merits because Amitabha also means these. Either way we could think about this practice, but this way we can prepare a goal to lead our minds being one point of mind. Now we could eliminate our seeds of illusion, and later we would attain the Pure Land (2), the Buddha Amitabha’s world. It is easy because Pure Land is not out of our minds, so once we have decided our willpower then our lotus immediately appearing in Pure Land or in our minds. This is my favor practice and belief, and I’d like to introduce to mom and dad. All of my hope is you two, dad and mom, spend sometimes to think about and decide your practice’s way.
Sometimes when I was at the pagodas, I had wallowed in the sound of the prajna drum, being in one point mind with the Umllambana sutra, I again observed to the invaluable treasure that I had. I think you mom would understand what I have talked about! The Buddha’s teachings tell us that the mundane world is really impermanent (3) , yet “my love and miss of mom” is not.
A Lotus for you
The Buddha to be
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Nhật Ký Cho Mẹ
Liên Vỵ
Hư Trúc translated
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/cuoc-song/4394-Nhat-ki-cho-me-.html -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Ullambana (skt): Vu Lan Bồn, On this day, ceremonies are held in which food, flowers and clothes are respectfully offered to the monks and nuns. Also together monks and nuns and lay folowers, with a combination of effort, recite Ullambana sutra in order to sooth the torments of the deceased in the lower realms of existence. This holiday was first celebrated in 538 BC and is still celebrated today. The origin of this ceremony is to be found in the legend of Maudgalyayana (Mục Kiền Liên), who thanks to his divine eyes, saw that mother had been reborn as a hungry ghost and wanted to save her; however, he did not know what to do. The Buddha told him that only the combination effort of all Buddhist monks could sooth the suffering of the tormented. From this tradition developed a so-called Ullambana.
(2) Pure Land: Sukhavati—Tịnh Độ— In Buddhism, the Pure Land is a paradise where beings can be reborn into through single-minded vow, diligent practice and strong faith. The Pure Lan is free of sufferings and hindrances. Therefore, beings born in the Pure Land can cultivate without obstructions towards attaining Buddhahood. The most well-known Pure Land is Amitabha’s Western Paradise of Bliss where Amitabha Buddha is the guide and welcome.
(3) Impermanence (n): Anicca (p)—Sự vô thường—Everything in this world is subject to change and perish; nothing remains constant for even a single moment.