Tran Nhan Tong Quotes
Tran Nhan Tong was a Vietnamese Buddhist philosopher, poet, and emperor of the Tran dynasty, who, after leading the Dai Viet to victory over two Mongol invasions, abdicated the throne in 1293 and retired to the Yen Tu mountains to take Buddhist orders. There he founded the Truc Lam school of Vietnamese Zen, which combined Chinese Chan, indigenous Vietnamese practice, and the political ethics of the Confucian tradition into a distinctive school whose influence has shaped Vietnamese religious and intellectual life for seven centuries. The quotes below are attributed to Tran Nhan Tong, organized by topic.
Tran Nhan Tong on God
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Attributed to Tran Nhan Tong:
“The Buddha is not in the mountains alone; the Buddha is in the rice fields and on the throne.”
Tran Nhan Tong on Mind
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Attributed to Tran Nhan Tong:
“When the mind is at peace, the world is at peace.”
Tran Nhan Tong on Politics
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Attributed to Tran Nhan Tong:
“The crown is heavier than the monk's robe; the monk's robe is harder to wear well.”
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Attributed to Tran Nhan Tong:
“What you do for your people in this life prepares the next life of all beings.”
Tran Nhan Tong on Virtue
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Attributed to Tran Nhan Tong:
“Live with the Way; do not live for the Way.”