At 84 years of age, Buddhist Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh has written a parable based on the Vietnamese legend of Quan Am Thi Kinh, "a real, live, bodhisattva renowned in Vietnam for manifesting infinite forgiveness and endless, patient forbearance." A woman named Kinh Tam is born into an aristocratic family in rural Vietnam proves herself to be very intelligent. But her parents refuse to let her go to a university. Instead, they force her into marriage. Intrigued by the teachings of the Buddha and the rigors of the monastic life, she leaves town disguised as a man and gains entry to a monastery as a novice.
Despite years of service and joy in her calling, Kinh Tam is accused by a local woman of fathering her unborn child. For generations of Vietnamese children, this parable has been used as a teaching tool about the courage and the strength needed to endure hardships and to love your enemies.
