Today’s A Journey
through Aesthetic Realms
will be presented in
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
with subtitles in Arabic,
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Hungarian, Indonesian, Hungarian, Indonesian,
Italian, Japanese,
Korean, Mongolian,
Persian, Portuguese,Persian, Portuguese,
Russian and Spanish.
Âu Lạc (Vietnam)
is a nation with
a longstanding
traditional culture.
Aulacese musical
heritage is bountiful;
since ancient times,
many soul-stirring musical instruments
have been created with
diverse sounds like those
of the copper drum,
gong, lithophone,
bamboo xylophone,
cymbals, and panpipe.
In 2003, Elegant Music,
a style of Huế royal court
music, was recognized
by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO)
as an intangible cultural
heritage of the world.
Âu Lạc’s music represents
the unique features of
each region, for example,
Quan Họ folksongs
in the north,
Huế tunes in the central,
and modern folk opera
in the south.
In addition, there are many
other forms of music,
including hò,
lý, ceremonial songs,
Aulacese classical theatre,
chèo traditional opera,
hồ quảng opera,
and so on.
Indeed, the essence of music is imbued
in the hearts of people
in this beautiful country,
and has been cultivated
until this day.
In today’s program,
we’re pleased to
introduce some of the
folk songs and musical
genres representative
of southern Âu Lạc.
At an international
gathering with our
Association members
in San Jose, California,
USA,
in February 16, 1991,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
sang
“Southern Aulacese Hò Singing,”
written by composer
Phạm Duy in 1956,
about the gentle
and bountiful land
of southern Âu Lạc.
We invite you to enjoy
an excerpt of this song.
Nhà Bè River divides
into two branches.
Go to Gia Định or
Đồng Nai as you wish.
The road to the mountain
village isn’t far
Pass Red Soil District,
you will then arrive
in Biên Hòa.
In Aulacese (Vietnamese)
traditional folk music,
lý is a singing genre
that is mostly based
on folk poetry in the form
of six-eight couplets.
The rhythm varies
between fast and slow
in a recital style,
so lý singing genre has
hundreds of different tunes.
Through simple lyrics,
lý songs often describe
images and feelings
as experienced in life.
Enhanced
by tender melodies,
lý is very accessible and
therefore quite popular.
When being close to
gentle and compassionate
vegan souls, the trees,
plants and flowers are
even brighter in color,
and nature is more
peaceful and beautiful,
offering humans
countless delicious
and fragrant fruits.
“How happy was the
sight of fruit-laden tree!
Sweet fruits filled the
branches, how adorable!
Tasty and fragrant
yellow star fruits
fell off the tree
as a loving gift for him.”
“Star Fruit Tree,”
a Southern Aulacese
folk song,
written and performed
by our Association
members,
will now be presented.
Once upon a time,
there was a young man
who was gentle
and innocent.
The land, house, gold
and diamonds—
his brother took all,
leaving him
this star fruit tree.
How touching
was his honesty!
Without thinking,
he went to plant the tree
and cultivated it
with all his love.
He waited day and night
by a thatched hut
for the tree to grow
lush and tall, blossom
and give a bounteous
harvest of delicious
star fruits.
How happy was the sight
of fruit-laden tree!
Sweet fruits
filled the branches,
how adorable!
Tasty and fragrant
yellow star fruits
fell off the tree
as a loving gift for him.
Fond of the fruits,
the fairies picked them up.
As they enjoyed
the sweet fruits,
they thanked the grower.
The sun rose high
in the late morning.
The fairies left and
had yet to meet him.
They pitied him
for his hard work
How would they repay
him for tending the tree?
We wish to pay for
the star fruits. Thank you.
One day
he hid and watched,
finding that the fairies
loved his delicious
star fruits.
Knowing that he was
a kind vegan soul,
they asked to
repay his favor.
Precious gems
and beautiful pearls,
gold and silver, they
wanted to offer him.
He said,
“I do not wish for those.”
A fairy offered him
“Immediate Enlightenment”
– the guide!
O wonderful,
the key is here!
Purify
the body and mind,
meditate
morning and evening.
A sincere heart,
a simple vegan lifestyle,
he’s esteemed
for his commitment
to green living.
This life, he’s determined
to practice spiritually
and become enlightened,
blessed by
God and Buddha.
How heart-rending is
the plight of animals
and humans –
the countless miseries
they endure!
O Heaven,
take pity upon them!
May all beings
live in peace.
May all be vegan
and elevated
in consciousness.
May the world wake up
and turn into Paradise.
How delightful to watch
the fruit-laden tree!
He’s happy,
so the star fruit tree
is happy.
He’s happy, so
all the animals are happy.
From now on,
people live in harmony.
In Aulacese
(Vietnamese) culture,
cải lương
(modern folk opera)
is a popular theater art
that dates back about
three centuries, when
the flourishing South
was a new land.
Among those who
settled in the South at that time were musicians
from the royal palace in
the ancient capital Huế.
Since then, the kind
of ceremonial music
often heard in the palace
became more
widely known
among the populace.
Eventually, new songs
were composed.
Many amateur
musical groups were
formed, adopting music
and song as a form
of elegant entertainment.
From about 1912
to 1915,
the artists of these
musical groups began
to combine
gestures to their songs.
Since then,
a new genre called
ca ra bộ was born.
Performers conversed;
sometimes a song would
be used as dialogue.
Ca ra bộ continued
to develop to create the
theatrical art that is now
called modern folk opera.
According to
Aulacese belief,
the Kitchen God reports
to the Jade Emperor
on the 23rd day of
the last lunar month
every year about how
things stand on Earth.
This year especially,
the Kitchen God has to
ride the cloud in a hurry
back to Heaven
before the appointed day.
To understand
the Kitchen God’s hidden
concern, we invite you to
watch a short Aulacese
modern folk opera, titled
“The Kitchen God’s
Report,” written
and performed by our
Association members.
I am the Jade Emperor.
Here in Heaven, life is
peaceful and blissful.
But looking down
on Earth, I feel sorrow,
because there,
animals and humans
are both in misery.
Revered Jade Emperor!
The Kitchen God
wishes to see you.
How strange!
It’s yet to be the 23rd day
of the last lunar month.
Why is he here to see me?
Revered Jade Emperor,
the Kitchen God said that
he has an urgent matter.
All right, let him in
immediately.
Be at ease.
You look
haggard and skinnier.
It’s because lately
haven’t been able to
eat or sleep well.
Why?
My Lord, I don’t know
how is it that many
humans and animals
found my cottage.
They flocked there
more and more every day.
They asked me
to report to you
for wise judgments.
They directed
loudspeakers
towards my hut and
lamented noisily.
I had no heart to
ignore them, so
I have go see you before
the appointed time.
Quickly submit the report
so that I comprehend
the matters.
The number of
complaints this year
is record-long.
I typed with the speed
of light and still
couldn’t finish them.
My computer also
went on strike.
It couldn’t take anymore.
So I have no report
to submit to you.
Then what do you
want me to do?
My Lord, I have
no written report,
but I bring with me
the “living” report. I think the “living” report is probably
more dramatic than my “ paper” report.
What is the “living”
report? Where is it?
Dear Lord, here it is.
Everyone,
keep quiet please!
The animals may speak
first.
The beloved pig, please.
O Compassionate
Jade Emperor!
You bestow upon
humankind an abundance
of nutritious and delicious
vegetables and fruits.
Yet they insist on
turning me into food.
Even my friends: cows,
chickens, ducks, deer,
goats, geese, dogs, and
cats are also turned into
roasted, barbecued
and dried meat.
Alas, our grief and distress
are countless!
Not Agree to
Have My Fur Taken!
NOT OK!
And I am as gentle as...
a rabbit!
Yet humans heartlessly
skin me for my fur to
make coats without
asking me for an “OK.”
But, not only me,
even the beavers, lynxes,
weasels, foxes, squirrels,
and seals are skinned
as well.
Humans cruelly
massacre us for our fur.
How very terrifying!
Our suffering is greater
than the sand
in the Ganges River,
O Jade Emperor!
Safe Hours to Go Out.
Revered Jade Emperor!
Even crabs, shrimps,
and fish cannot have
a peaceful day.
Anyone who left home
without checking for
“safe hours” would
end up in the fishing net
right away!
Oh, fishing nets are
spread everywhere!
How frightening!
O Jade Emperor!
As for us whales
and dolphins, we’ve
saved many human lives.
We’ve always done
good deeds
since time immemorial.
Yet they heartlessly
turn their benefactors
into cuisine.
How unjust for us!
Please help us,
Jade Emperor!
O child!
I also feel anguished!
Many Masters have come
to Earth, all of whom
have advised humans
to love all beings, but
not many people follow.
Listening to them,
I also feel deep grief.
And humans, if you want
to complain about
anything, do it quickly,
so that I can go home
soon to take my computer
to the repair shop.
Revered Jade Emperor!
I’ve never done anything
immoral in my life.
I lead a pure and simple
life with 3 meals a day of
roasted pork, hamburger
and salted-pepper
fried shrimp.
Yet droughts, floods,
earthquakes and tsunamis
keep coming my way,
destroying my home.
My wife and children
were swept away
by the flood, my father
was taken to Heaven
by the tsunami.
And my aged mother,
unable to survive
the last heatwave, also
left the world for good.
Oh, how very unjust!
Please take pity on me.
I’m a good person.
Revered Jade Emperor!
I’m the one who suffers
the most injustice.
I observe
all three obediences and
four virtues of a woman.
I have virtues aplenty.
Chickens, ducks, pigs,
and cows, I raise them
all because I love them.
I love them very much,
so I raise them so that
they reproduce well.
Then I sell all to a dealer
and I never slaughter
any animal.
However,
epidemic diseases spread
in my whole family,
both my husband and son
passed away.
You heard yourselves
just now
the heart-rending cries
of the animals.
If you don’t want to suffer
pain, don’t inflict pain
upon others.
Bestow love
by a vegan lifestyle
so that all beings may
live peacefully, then you
will also live peacefully.
Here, it’s a gift for you.
We understand now!
From now on, we will
love all animals.
Please be so generous
as to forgive us!
From now on
we’ll be good friends.
From now on,
peace and happiness
will reign on Earth!
Oh, happiness!
Allow me to take leave,
O Jade Emperor,
I’m going back to
my blissful cottage.
By the humble cottage,
verdant vegetable beds
and gentle bamboo
grove, simple-hearted
rural people share
their sweet and joyful
moments, while
tender human love paints
a peaceful pastoral life,
redolent of rice
and vegetatian.
“Gentle rural village,
charming green
bamboo grove
Sound of singing
mingling with
the afternoon flute
Love is tender for a
village girl by the cottage
Her prayer: may all live
happily and peacefully.”
We invite you to enjoy
a southern Aulacese
folk song titled
“Rural Village” with
lyrics and performance
by our Association
members.
Gentle rural village,
charming green
bamboo grove
Sound of singing
mingling with
the afternoon flute
Love is tender for a
village girl by the cottage
Her prayer: may all live
happily and peacefully.
Rural villagers are gentle
like soft moonlight
Honest and kind,
they love all beings.
Young men carrying rice,
walk briskly in the breeze
Scents of wild flowers
and ripened rice
infuse the air.
Rural villagers are gentle
like soft moonlight
Honest and kind,
they love all beings.
Love is tender for a
village girl by the cottage
Her prayer: may all live
happily and peacefully.
Rural villagers are gentle
like soft moonlight
Honest and kind,
they love all beings.
Sun shines, songs of
peace heard everywhere.
Her prayer: may all live
happily and peacefully.
Thank you for watching
our show on
traditional folk music
from southern Âu Lạc.
Please tune in to
Supreme Master
Television
for more folk music
programs in the future.
Coming up is
Vegetarianism:
The Noble Way of Living,
after Noteworthy News.
So long for now.