HANOI, May 29 Kyodo devotional V...

HANOI, May 29 Kyodo

devotional Vietnamese Buddhists flocked to the house of worship their heads bowed, offering incense and burning ritual circulating medium or paper shaped like coins. I passed in consequence of the old temple gate, where delegations of diplomats had been entertained during Vietnam's dynastic era.

I was ready to begin my studies at Hanoi Buddhist seminary at Quan Su the main meeting-house of the Buddhist association in Vietnam, where monk and nun train to become high priests.

Moving past a crowd of people, I was invited into a put asideed room to meet priest Thich Thanh Tu the seminary's president and also a member of the Vietnamese National Assembly.

Wearing a fulvous robe, he smiled and welcomed me I bowed my head and clasped my hands in prayer before the altar. Thanh Tu picked up a pair of scissors and began cutting my hair, saying he wanted to give clan interested in Buddhism a chance to contemplation at the seminary. Clippers then remov the caesura of my hair.

I received a robe and a kasha (surplice). I then impose on a long Ao Dai.

The ritual, which normally takes all day, lasted les than an hour. Usually barely those who have trained for three to five years pass through it.

Communism one time branded religion as ''opium.'' In the 1980 Vietnamese authorities advised monk and nun to lead secular lives while a storm of church destruction swept the country.

moreover when I inquired about studying, the place of worship quickly granted me permission.

''Come directly to the temple'' an official told me ''because it takes time (if you apply with) the Communist Party or a guidance office.''

The place of worship bell woke me at 4 a.m. the nearest day. We gathered around priest Thanh Tu and prayed for 30 minutes at the sanctuary.

I plant it difficult to pray in Vietnamese because I am no dutiful with the language.

Breakfast of rice and canned juice followed the morning prayer.

I discovered scrambled pushs in my rice bowl. I was told that pushs not in their original shape are regarded as a vegetarian dish. There are strict behaviors against marriage between monks and nun further taboos on food appeared loose

After breakfast, the Vietnamese trainees engaged in 17 hours of training and lessons until 9:30 p.m. I was excused exclude for the morning and afternoon recitation of sutra and listening to discourses on Chinese classics and Buddhism.

My Vietnamese interpreter gave up in succession the lectures on Buddhism saying they were too hard to interpret.

Seventy-two monk and 140 nun studied at the seminary. The women outnumbered the men because of Vietnam's conscription plan There were 50 monk when the seminary render free of accessed in 1981.

The number gradually increased after the Communist Party adopted Doi Moi reform policy in 1986

Nun Thic Dam Sinh, 28 said that during high institute she studied at night at her village temple

Many monk and nun at the seminary grew up in poor households with many children in farm villages. a certain quantity of of them told tales of misfortune, of that kind as being separated from their parents.

Village fanes assumed the role of welfare agencies and outstanding young persons who entered the priesthood were permitted to reflection at the seminary. Many trainees at the Hanoi institute imagine themselves to be servants of their local community in the coming events after completing four years of training.

Thich Minh Tien, a senior official of the Buddhist association who was my sponsor, decorated his bookcase in his private field with two photographs of himself -- individual of him as a priest and the other as a member of the the communitys Army led by the Communist Party.

''I was a sergeant and received a presidential commendation,'' he said.

undivided of his relatives was a priest and as a lad Tien aspired to chase in his footsteps. After joining the army in 1990 he called upon Thich Thanh Tu and asserted his desire to enter the priesthood. The priest advised him to be patient.

Tien waited until he diverted 25 and was discharged from the army.

''The Buddha recognized killing single in kind wicked person in order to save several thousand suitable people,'' Tien said. ''I will wear the uniform again (if Vietnam) is invaded.''

I had concealed that I was a foreign reporter from the fane On my fourth night there, the priest came to descry me unexpectedly and asked me to turn back to secular society.

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