Brother Minh Luong was raised in Laguna Beach, California, and went to NYU, where he read a book that changed his life.
“I realized recently that there really is no separation between the practice and everything we do in our daily life. Either we’re creating conditions for a practice space, like an internal practice space, or we’re taking conditions away. And so if I can live in a calm and peaceful and serene way and do things that contribute to mindfulness and peace in my daily life, then I’ll have a lot of success in my spiritual practice.”
In the Meet the Monastics episode, Brother Minh Luong from Deer Park Monastery shares his reflections on the seamless integration of mindfulness practice into daily life. He emphasizes that every action contributes to either strengthening or diminishing the conditions for inner peace. This realization reinforces his commitment to living in a calm, mindful way as key to spiritual success.
The episode features a conversation with Brother Minh Luong, who was ordained in 2018. Both brothers share much in common, including their Southern California upbringing and active lifestyles. Brother Minh Luong describes his journey from studying at NYU, where a class on Eastern religion and an audiobook by the Dalai Lama profoundly impacted him, to realizing the value of patience in meditation practice. His experience with toxic self-talk and the gradual breakthroughs in meditation helped him find freedom from anxiety and self-criticism.
Brother Minh Loung reflects on his post-college life, where he confronted career uncertainty and underwent jaw surgery, which left him bedridden and depressed. A suggestion from his parents to join a Deer Park Monastery trip to India led him to discover Plum Village practices and build connections with the Sangha. Upon returning, he immediately felt drawn to the monastic life.
His aspiration to live simply, free from materialistic pursuits, combined with his deep love for the practice, ultimately led him to ordain. Brother Minh Luong also highlights the importance of community support, noting that living in the monastery helps him sustain his meditation practice and transform old habit energies.
Brother Minh Luong reflects on the significance of the Bhikshu ordination, marking it as a natural progression in his spiritual growth, where he feels a greater sense of responsibility to his practice. As he prepares to spend time at the Plum Village center in Thailand, he expresses excitement about deepening his understanding of Vietnamese and Buddhist culture, and about learning from the centuries-old monastic traditions that have thrived there.
Brother Minh An wraps up by encouraging those interested in monastic life to explore deeply within one tradition, emphasizing the importance of going beyond superficial practices to cultivate a genuine path of insight and healing.
2 responses to “Brother Minh Luong: Building a Practice Space Within”
Thank you for this thoughtful share and invitation to taste the monastic path.
Thank you, dear Brothers, for this kind of intimate space to hear from our Monastics. Your practice is vital to our online and in person Sanghas everywhere. Bowing, Jane in Arizona