The warm home of monk Ngoan's Zen monastery

Focus on practicing

We visited Hoi Long pagoda on an autumn afternoon, while the waves of Thanh Hoa sea were still moving, our hearts suddenly felt at peace when we heard the sound of the temple bell. Especially, when we talked with nun Thich Dam Ngoan (real name Nguyen Thi Tam), we felt our souls renewed, love sprouting in the peaceful place of Zen.

Despite suffering from cancer, Monk Ngoan still practices and studies every day, is passionate about work, and especially takes care of more than 30 orphans who are taking refuge in Buddha. Monk Ngoan previously graduated with a degree in philosophy, but thanks to fate, he became a monk and continued studying at the Buddhist Academy. In 2008, Monk Ngoan was assigned to be the abbot of Hoi Long Pagoda, an ancient pagoda that had seriously deteriorated.

Mái ấm chốn thiền môn của sư Ngoan - Ảnh 1. — Children gathered around monk Ngoan

From the first difficult days when he came to Hoi Long pagoda to preside over it, monk Ngoan personally swept the grass and trees, and rebuilt each brick and tile that had been destroyed by time. With the cooperation of Buddhists and philanthropists, monk Ngoan restored the pagoda to its present state. In particular, sympathizing with the unfortunate fates of orphans or abandoned children, monk Ngoan adopted a number of children to raise. In 2018, Hoi Long pagoda's Social Charity Center was established (under the auspices of the Social Charity Board, Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Thanh Hoa province) with monk Ngoan as director and taking care of more children.

Warm home in the Zen monastery

When he took the babies in, Monk Ngoan loved them very much but was also worried because he had no experience in taking care of them, especially newborns. There were babies he took in that were only a few days old, and no matter how much he tried to comfort them, they still cried, so he had to ask for help from Buddhists and medical staff.

With a gentle smile, Monk Ngoan said that he loves children because they are very innocent and pure. He often does charity work at kindergartens in remote areas and discovered that there are many orphans. He thought that they could not grow up without the care of adults, so he took them to the temple to raise.

"Some children were abandoned at the temple gate when they were still babies, some lost both parents and lacked family affection. Therefore, the monk and other Buddhists not only take care of their material life but also stay close and closely with the children so that none of them think they are orphans," monk Ngoan shared.

Mái ấm chốn thiền môn của sư Ngoan - Ảnh 2. — Nun Thich Dam Ngoan takes care of a newborn baby

Until now, monk Ngoan still cannot forget the feeling when he took Sau home to raise. The baby's name is Binh An and he was born at Thanh Hoa Children's Hospital. When he was born, he only weighed 1.4 kg, as small as the palm of a hand, so the doctor had to raise him in the hospital for nearly a month. "When I took Sau home, I was very scared. When the baby cried, I cried too because I didn't know what to do. Gradually, I had to learn from experienced people, such as feeding him extra food every day, putting him to sleep on time... now he is 5 years old and very agile and active," monk Ngoan confided.

As for the children who have grown up and are studying at universities, Monk Ngoan still provides financial support and follows them every day. As Le Thanh, a student at Vinh University, shared: "Each person who comes to the temple has a different situation, the monk has taken the trouble to find and take care of them. I and some other grown-up brothers and sisters are very grateful to the monk, I hope there will be more people accompanying the monk. When I don't have to go to school, I often return to the temple to help the monk take care of the children, especially those in puberty, whose psychology and physiology have many changes."

Mái ấm chốn thiền môn của sư Ngoan - Ảnh 3. — Monk Ngoan on a charity trip in Ha Giang in 2024

Currently, monk Ngoan is raising more than 30 children at the pagoda and about 70 children are supported remotely with 500,000 VND/month. For those who study well and have the will to succeed, the monk supports up to 30 million VND a year, giving them electric bicycles, school supplies, etc. To conveniently take care of preschool-age children, in 2023, with the permission of the local government and the support of benefactors, monk Ngoan established the Pink Lotus Preschool Group at the pagoda. The classroom has full facilities and specialized teachers to meet the requirements of caring for and teaching preschool children. "The class has a capacity to raise 60 children, whether they are inside or outside the pagoda, they are cared for and looked after for free," said monk Ngoan.

Extensive research into green products from herbs

In addition to the community support, Monk Ngoan also worked to earn money to raise the children. At first, he grew mushrooms but failed, then he dumped thousands of liters of yeast to make wine because he made the wrong recipe. He turned to making incense but was also not very successful. Determined not to give up, in 2016, Monk Ngoan researched making dishwashing liquid from herbs. The research process took about a year, many batches had to be discarded, but finally he found the formula and produced his first product.

Mái ấm chốn thiền môn của sư Ngoan - Ảnh 4. — Su Ngoan brews herbs and produces detergents and shampoos.

"At first, I wanted to create natural cleaning products and shower gels for newborns because they are safe, antibacterial and very good for the skin. After success, I expanded production and diversified products. Up to now, some products have been recognized as 3-star OCOP and widely sold in the market, loved and welcomed by everyone," said monk Ngoan.

Observing the yard of Hoi Long pagoda, we saw nearly 3,000 containers of medicinal herbs such as Gotu kola, bitter melon, aloe vera, turmeric, soapberry..., which are the efforts of monk Ngoan and Buddhists to produce quality products such as Anise-scented dishwashing liquid, Anise-scented shampoo, 100% natural herbal essential oils that are safe for health and friendly to the environment... In particular, the essential oil products, dishwashing liquid, shampoo... of Hoi Long pagoda have been certified by the Anti-Counterfeiting Technology Center (under the Vietnam Anti-Counterfeiting and Brand Protection Association) as exclusive patented products of nun Thich Dam Ngoan (Nguyen Thi Tam) in 2024. In addition, with the production of herbal detergents, the monk has also created stable jobs for 10 local Buddhists.

Despite being busy with work, Master Ngoan still maintains regular volunteer work. He has called for, mobilized, and donated money from product sales and joined groups to give charity gifts in all parts of the country for over ten years, with an estimated total amount of charity reaching tens of billions of VND. During the Central region flood relief, Covid-19 pandemic prevention, and support for disadvantaged localities to build schools, he has been present everywhere.

Mái ấm chốn thiền môn của sư Ngoan - Ảnh 5. — The author and monk Ngoan at a ceremony honoring "Simple but noble examples 2025"

"Uncle Ho once said: 'A living example is worth more than a hundred propaganda speeches'. I vow to follow Buddha's teachings and Uncle Ho's teachings, do good deeds with my actions and heart, and share with the people," confided monk Ngoan.

In 2024, Hoi Long Pagoda Social Charity Center was awarded a certificate of merit by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front for its outstanding achievements in social security work. In 2023, Venerable Thich Dam Ngoan was honored to receive a certificate of merit from the Prime Minister in recognition of her contributions to the cause of "propagating the Dharma, benefiting all living beings" of Buddhism as well as of the country.