"A great man, his renown known by all. What is worth doing has been done. His stupa has just been raised on the mountainside. The youthful laughter has already resounded."

The  birth name of Venerable Tam Tong, Chan Giac Thanh, Tram Nhien, was Le Van Hieu. Born on June 9, 1947 in Soc Son village, Tri Ton district, Rach Gia province, he was the third child in the family of Le Van Dat, and his mother, Nguyen Thi Nho. The Venerable had three brothers and two sisters. 

Like many other children in the countryside of Viet Nam growing up in the great suffering of their country caused by wars and poverty, Thay Giac Thanh had to learn at an early age from his older brothers and sisters how to gather food and catch fish.  From this, his elegant face had become golden-tanned by the tropical sunlight.  In spite of the hardships of this lifetime, the seed of compassion shined within him, as it probably had for many lifetimes.  At the age of seven or eight, he shed tears when thinking of our diminutive human life in the vastness of infinite existence.

In 1967, he became a novice monk at Thanh Hoa Temple, in the Tan My village, Cho Moi district, Long Xuyen province.  His dharma name, Giac Thanh (Awakening Sound), was given to him by his teacher, Venerable Pho Hue.  In 1968, he stayed at Giac Nguyen Temple located in Saigon, and then he moved to Xa Loi Temple in 1969, fully ordaining in Giac Vien Temple in the autumn of 1970 . He entered Van Hanh University in 1971.  Thay Giac Thanh had the opportunity to encounter The Rousing Words of Dhyana Master Kuei Shan, published by Chan Khong Monastery.  It triggered the initial blooming of his awakening and he officially entered a retreat hosted by the Monastery.

In July of 1981, he escaped out of Viet Nam by boat to Indonesia and stayed in the Song La refugee camp until early 1982.  He was then sponsored by Venerable Thich Man Giac to come to Los Angeles Among his first steps upon American soil and with an allowance of $300,  he bought tea and an expensive antique tea set.  He offered the first cup of tea from it to Venerable Thich Man Giac and said, "Ah! Dear Venerable, I am a wanderer.  Loving me, you sponsored me to come here.  I haven't done anything to show my gratitude.  With my first allowance I bought this tea and I offer this to express my gratitude to you for your great care and deep love."  What was the cost of a cup of tea?  A small expense, but this action expressed the gratefulness of a young wandering man. 

The Venerable offered cooling shade and a loving harbor for Thay Giac Thanh to rest.  During Thay Giac Thanh's brief stay at Phat Giao Viet Nam Temple, in L.A. the Venerable, like a tender and caring mother, offered the loving energy which healed the wounds in the wanderer's heart.  At the request of his sponsor at the end of Spring in1982, he went to practice with Thay Tri Tue at Nam Tuyen Temple.  From this time until 1989, Thay Giac Thanh also explored the practices of the Japanese and Korean traditions. 

At the end of the summer of 1986, Thay Giac Thanh crossed paths with Thay Nhat Hanh; who was leading a retreat for zen practioners in North America.   Catching a glimpse of Thay Giac Thanh's intense and strained effort, Thay Nhat Hanh said to him, "Thay Giac Thanh, forget about the struggling, walk with me, look at the beautiful autumn leaves changing colors from yellow to red.  Life is such a miracle; it is never born and never dies.  Look deeply and accept life as it is."  These words were like drops of water causing a full cup to overflow, like lightning penetrating deep layers of clouds and illuminating the immense sky.  From that time, he ceased straining and let himself practice more naturally.  In 1990, he began residing at Plum Village, living happily beside the old oak tree. and being a sheltering oak tree himself for his younger brothers and sisters in the practice.  In the summer of 1992, he received the Lamp Transmission and a gatha from Thay Nhat Hanh.  The gatha is:

The awakened nature is the true nature.
Pure sound is the manifestation of the Wonderful Sound.
The full moon light illuminates the Ty Lo Ocean.
The musical waves are still strong and sonorous.

Thay Nhat Hanh offered him a small wooden hut on the edge of the forest, next to his own.  It was called, Floating Clouds Hut.  All year round, one could hear the birds singing and see many different flowers blooming around the hut.  In the autumn of 1995, he was invited back to New York to lead retreats which Thay Nhat Hanh had lead in years past.  In the same year, he contracted tuberculosis and his diabetes worsened. 

Written by Venerable Phuoc Tinh in Vietnamese.