Tribute and Condolences from the Executive Board of the Ho Chi Minh City Buddhist Sangha to the Late Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man

Looking at this page of the condolence book, one can see the Sino-Vietnamese inscription: “Vinh Quy – Thiên Chúa Vĩnh Hằng”: meaning “Gloriously Returning to the Eternal God.”

1. On the Meaning of the Two Characters Vinh Quy (榮歸)

In the secular world, people often speak of “vinh quy bái tổ” (returning home in glory to honor one’s ancestors) upon attaining worldly fame and success. Here, however, the character Vinh (榮) is written with the radical Mộc (wood/tree) as its foundation, crowned above by the radiance of fire. This “Vinh” does not signify fleeting worldly prestige or empty glory; rather, it points to the true glory of a life wholly dedicated to God, a life that has become a noble example and enduring inspiration for humanity.

As for the character Quy (歸), it means “to return.” In Buddhism, we speak of quy y (taking refuge); for the Cardinal, however, his “return” was a return into the loving embrace of the Creator. Death is not an ending or a loss, but a homecoming. When a person has fulfilled his mission in this earthly life, his departure becomes a glorious return—a gentle journey home, like the Zen saying: “The wild goose passes through the vast sky, its shadow cast upon the cold waters...”

2. On the Four Characters Thiên Chúa Vĩnh Hằng (天主永恆- Eternal God)

This embodies the spirit of “Harmony without Uniformity” (Harmonious yet distinct). Though our religious expressions may differ, the ultimate destination of goodness converges at a single point. Using the term “Thiên Chúa” (天主) —the most revered title in Catholicism— reflects absolute respect for His Eminence’s faith.

The character Thiên (天 – Heaven/Divine) features a wide horizontal bar, akin to the open sky sheltering all living beings.

The character Chúa (主 – Lord) has a dot placed at the top, like the light of wisdom illuminating the darkness.

Most notable are the two characters Vĩnh Hằng (永恆 – Eternal/Everlasting). The character Vĩnh (永) symbolizes a stream of water flowing endlessly, never running dry. The character Hằng (恆) contains the radical for Heart/Mind (心) beside it. Only that which springs from the Heart, and only service rendered through the Heart, can attain immortality and transcend the limits of time.

Regardless of one's religion, if a person lives fully with love and responsibility, upon their departure, everyone will “return in glory” to their own realm of eternity. This truly represents the highest communion between God and the Buddha.

When we visit our brothers and sisters in the Christian faith, we do not experience a sense of estrangement. Why is that? Because whether it is the sound of a temple bell resonating through the air or the ringing of church bells, their ultimate purpose is the same: to awaken the human conscience and to direct our hearts toward goodness, truth, and beauty.

The Buddha taught compassion (karuṇā), while Christ taught charity and self-giving love. Though the terms may differ, their inner essence is one and the same: a love that knows no boundaries.

A Buddhist monk may wear a brown robe; a priest may wear black clerical attire; religious sisters may wear their habits. Yet when they stand side by side in a field hospital, caring for the sick during a pandemic, the boundaries of religion fade away. What remains is our shared humanity—the living manifestation of hearts moved by compassion, dedicated to relieving suffering and bringing hope to those in distress.

As you can see, Vietnamese culture possesses a remarkable beauty. It is like a great river that welcomes and embraces every stream flowing into it. Catholics in Vietnam today have also learned to honor their ancestors, often placing an ancestral altar alongside the altar dedicated to God. This is a wonderful expression of the harmonious integration of faith and filial piety.

We do not need to change one another’s beliefs; rather, we need to understand one another more deeply so that we may love one another more fully. When our hearts are at peace, we can recognize the beauty of truth wherever we look.

A rose blooming in a church garden and a lotus flowering in a temple pond may appear different, yet both depend upon the caring hands of human kindness and the light of wisdom to flourish. Without them, both will wither in the same way.

Therefore, I encourage all of us to remain steadfast in our own faith traditions, while at the same time opening our hearts to embrace our brothers and sisters of different beliefs. For in the end, we are all siblings of the same origin, born from our nation's legendary hundred-egg sac (đồng bào). We all share the same longing for a world of peace and for a life of harmony and well-being here on earth.

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