The storm and flood season is currently unfolding in many parts of the world, including the United States, Nepal, Myanmar, and other countries. Recently, the early season storm, named Yagi, made landfall in northern Vietnam, causing severe damage to both lives and property. On average, Vietnam faces around ten storms each year from the North to the South. After each storm, floods often follow, and these are the primary cause of significant losses.
The word ‘flood’ in Vietnamese, ‘lũ,’ is composed of just two simple letters, yet it evokes terror due to its sudden and completely unexpected arrival. In a recent storm, the flood unleashed its fury upon Nủ Village, a mountainous area in Lao Cai province (Vietnam), carrying nearly 1.6 million cubic meters of soil and rock, flattening 37 houses, and leaving nearly 100 people missing or dead. Within six brief minutes, few had time to save themselves. As in the case of one family in Nủ Village, the flood swept away the mother, wife, and three children in an instant, leaving only the son—the husband/father—as the sole survivor. Seeing the vacant expression on the face of the 32-year-old man, who now looked like he was 50, anyone could feel the immense pain he must be enduring after losing all his loved ones. For everyone in this world, the desire to live and the right to enjoy a happy life with a complete family—parents, spouse, and children—are universal. Yet the line between life and death is crossed in an instant, without negotiation or delay. What unfolds before our eyes is a stark reminder of impermanence—the relentless change and uncertainty inherent in human existence.
SHARING
Storms may take away properties and lives, but we fill those losses and sorrows with a spirit of mutual kindness and compassion. Not only Vietnamese people at home and abroad but also foreigners living or traveling in Vietnam have eagerly joined in cleaning up and helping out.
As soon as news of the severe storm damage spread, charity groups from across the country and abroad came together to contribute and offer support. From halfway across the world, the Hương Từ Foundation from Hương Đạo Buddhist Temple in Texas (USA) raised a significant amount of money, with the Venerable Abbot Ratanaguṇa Bửu Đức personally delivering aid to affected households to help them rebuild their lives. Alongside this, many other monks, nuns, and benefactors demonstrated the spirit of generosity and compassion. These contributions, large or small, helped strengthen the resilience of people in storm-affected areas, serving as a beautiful testament to humanity that deserves respect and admiration.
WHAT DO WE REALIZE?
First and foremost, each person needs to awaken to themselves. Take time to reflect on life and understand the essential qualities of existence, which have been distilled in the teachings of wise spiritual masters. Through this, we can develop a positive outlook, learn to accept what has happened and is happening, and embrace simplicity in our needs while being ready to help those around us when needed. When each mind finds peace within, it contributes to a more peaceful world. True happiness, after all, is not merely in seeking wealth and material comfort but also in cultivating a profound, tranquil inner life.
Another aspect we can see through these stories is that each person’s kamma is intricately connected to their life journey. Sometimes, in the same place and time, two people can experience completely different outcomes. Take, for example, the case of a family in Yên Bái Province: when landslides struck their home, a couple was in the kitchen. The husband heard a noise and shouted, “Run, dear…!” Yet the wife accidentally ran toward the oncoming landslide, while the husband, just a few meters away, survived. In another case, two children were lying on the same bed. One suddenly needed to go to the restroom, and as the child left the room, a wall collapsed due to the landslide, burying the one that remained. These stories remind us that kamma accompanies each individual along their life journey. Each of us must sow seeds of goodness to carry forward as provisions for our own path.
The story of the storm and flood season is closed here with a saying often mentioned in the teachings of the meditation master Venerable Khippapañño Kim Trieu:
“Life is uncertain,
Death is certain.”
Suffering (dukkha) is unavoidable, but life (Dhamma) also offers wonderful lessons to help us overcome these pains.
Mai Thị Đoàn
Dhammacetiya volunteer
Update: At the time this article is published, the Huong Tu Foundation is also calling for donations to help the victims of Hurricane Milton (Florida).
#tangkinhthanhdien #buocchanhanhgia #sbsstupas #dhammacetiya #chuahuongdao #milton #hurricane #florida
