A Buddhist Monk at Rollins College

Winter Park, FL --- A soft breeze was blowing off of picturesque Lake Virginia through the open doors and windows of the French building.  About 75 degrees, it could not have been a more suitable setting for a  presentation on meditation.

   Quang Le, a monk and meditation teacher from Vietnam, sat quietly in the front of the room with a half-smile on his face.  He occasionally stood to greet one of the attendees but seemed very content just to sit and wait for people to arrive at this meeting of the Rollins College Philosophy and Religion Club on October 21, 2015. 

   Le is not only a Buddhist monk and meditation teacher, but he is also a student at Rollins College.  Le says, "I  came to the United States in 2013 to improve my English, learn the limitations of my traditions and share the benefits of meditation with as many people as I can."  

  Le has been practicing meditation for over ten years.  Drawn to the happiness and well-being he knew it could bring,  he began practicing in a big Buddhist temple in Vietnam in 2004.  Later Le had an opportunity to become a disciple of the Vietnamese Buddhist Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced Tic-Not-Haun). Thich Nhat Hanh is ranked 4th in the world’s top 100 spiritual leaders, according to Watkins Mind Body Spirit.  Le seemed just a little more joyful as he shared how Thich Nhat Hanh shaved Le's head. The shaving of the head is a symbol of a person’s commitment to live the monastic life.

  Part of the monastic lifestyle is the practice of spreading peace wherever one can.   Le does this through giving talks on meditation, mindfulness and peace within oneself. 

  Quang Le began by stating the main reasons for practicing meditation:  “Meditation will increase happiness and well-being.  Meditation will reduce suffering.” In addition to increasing happiness, he explains, “meditation can help one study better and sleep better.” There are all kinds of possible benefits.  In one of the more unusual examples,  Le tells of a man who called to thank him;  Le's instruction had helped the man’s son give up a video game obsession. 

  “Meditation can generate love, kindness, and compassion,” states Le. This can be achieved through four kinds of contemplation, according to the lesson:  contemplation of the body, contemplation of the mind, contemplation of the feelings, and contemplation of the spirit.  More than merely thinking on each of these ideas, Le shares “one can see the body inside,” and “use meditation for healing.”

  When meditating, Quanq’s process is simple, “Focus on your breathing.  Counting breathing in, out.  I know that I am breathing in.  I know that I am breathing out.  Don’t force.  Just observe.”

   Walking meditation is one of the more unexpected concepts  Le introduced.  “In walking meditation, one walks slowly… mindfully…Stop to observe nature…Don’t say anything, just observe.”

  In living the monastic life,  Le chooses to do as little harm as possible in the world.  This includes being  a vegetarian.  In addition to not wanting to be responsible for the death of another living thing,  Le expresses he does “not want to ingest the bad energy.”  It is his practice to be mindful of all that he ingests.
   Le spoke again at an Interfaith Council event held at the Hindu Temple in Casselberry on November 1.  The goal of the Interfaith Council, which hosts events all around the central Florida area, is to bring leaders in all faiths together to discuss topics such as respect for one another, religious tolerance, and peace.  
  In his presentation, Le shared, "Many people talk about peace.  Many want peace; they just do not know how to do it." He imparts one way to bring peace to ourselves is to be mindful of the nutrients we ingest.  He goes on to share there are four ways of ingesting: by mouth, sensory impressions, intention, and consciousness.  
  Ingesting by mouth is the food one consumes.   Le chooses to be vegetarian, ingesting food he believes gives him the most positive nutrition.  A less obvious nutrient one ingests is that which one takes in through the senses. From the conversations one takes part in to the television and video games one plays,  these images are being integrated into one's life. Le goes on to point out the thoughts one thinks are part of what one feeds oneself. Thoughts can effect behavior and even one's health. Finally,  Le shares the final thing one ingest is consciousness.  This can be one's individual consciousness,  which is how one thinks about our interactions with the people and world around them, or it can be a collective consciousness, in which one is uniting with others to affect conditions in the world.

  In his speaking engagements,   Le is on his way to having a profound affect on the consciousness of many. As for future plans, Le hopes to stay in the United States “forever.” After he completes his B.S. in Psychology, he plans to work for a while and pursue his Master’s Degree in Religion, as well as a Ph.D.