Mud baths and mineral waters

Our last day in Nha Trang, we splurged and treated ourselves to a trip to mud baths. We sat in a tub full of liquid mud and had the whole experience documented by an itinerant photographer! After the mud baths, we sat in the late afternoon sun, waiting for the mud to dry. Then we rinsed off the mud (or tried to rinse off the mud) and headed to a tub filled with hot mineral water. All around us were similar tubs of various sizes. There were mostly Vietnamese people, but some groups of Westerners as well. Then we went to the mineral swimming pool and paddled around until the final stop on our afternoon of self-indulgence--massage.

The massage therapist who drew the short straw and got me was a 20-something-year-old, probably from south Vietnam, although we actually didn't talk much. After hearing for years about the joy of having someone walk on your back, I finally experienced it for myself. She climbed on the massage table and started walking up my legs and onto my back. Every few steps, she'd stop, dig her toes into my back and crack it. Massage and chiropractic all in one! Then she turned me over, massaged my face and head and proceeded to crack my neck.

Earlier in the morning, the delegation was treated to a ferry ride over to Bamboo Island and the Vinpearl resort. Thay had been invited there, and we all accompanied him over. We were given a tour and then taken to a huge air-conditioned auditorium. The resort representative made a few remarks and then the exchange of gifts took place. As always, Thay offered a gift of his calligraphy.

Then Thay went on to tell us about the calligraphy. He sat at a small table on the large stage and, in his very calm and quiet voice, recited to us a line of poetry from a Vietnamese Zen master. The gist of it is this: the silk thread from the stem of the lotus can bind the tiger.

When the stem of a lotus flower is broken, there is a filament inside that holds the pieces together. This thin thread is very, very strong. A friend here told me that, in Burma, they actually harvest the fiber and weave fabric from it. In any event, the significance of this line of poetry is that our habit energies are strong, like a tiger. Our practice, which is gentle but strong, like the thread of the lotus, can calm and control the tiger.

We were all refreshed by this short and unexpected Dharma talk, even those of us who had thought we were going to be treated to a few hours on the beach at this resort. Instead, after the talk, we went to a cable car station and climbed aboard gondolas for the trip back to the mainland. It was a beautiful trip back across the water and is apparently the longest cable car in the world.

Today, we got up early and flew to Hanoi for the final stop on this segment of the trip. About 40 of the lay delegation traveled with Thay and the monastics. It was a treat to be with them, especially away from the craziness of the photographers who follow Thay everywhere.

It is good to be back in Hanoi, which feels a bit like home. It is cooler here and overcast. The traffic is horrible, and the pollution is stifling, but it is still a pleasure to be here.