Mr. Thich Minh Tue: I have never claimed to be a monk.

On the afternoon of May 17, on his journey from the North to the South, Mr. Thich Minh Tue, whose real name is Le Anh Tu, 43 years old, stopped to rest at an empty lot in Cam Thinh commune, Cam Xuyen district, Ha Tinh province. Hundreds of people surrounded him to listen to his conversation, including some men dressed like monks. When talking, Mr. Tu always referred to himself as "son".

Mr. Tu said his hometown is Ky Tan commune, Ky Anh district, Ha Tinh province. In 1994, his family moved to Gia Lai province to live. He had previously practiced at a pagoda for a short time and was given the dharma name Thich Minh Tue. "Minh means bright, tue means wisdom, the meaning of the name is the path of enlightenment. Later, when I felt that I no longer had a connection with the pagoda, I left and still kept this dharma name," he explained.

Mr. Tu said that he is not a Buddhist monk, does not practice and is not a staff member of any pagoda or monastery of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. Over the years, he has only listened to the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni and practiced asceticism. This practice has 13 ascetic practices, of which asceticism is one of the highest and most classic practices of Buddhism. Ascetic practitioners accept difficulties in matters of food, clothing, and housing (wearing patched clothes, begging for alms, eating one meal a day, not accepting offerings, refusing all comforts...).

To follow the ascetic practice, Mr. Tu started walking to many provinces and cities since 2017. At first, he sometimes traveled by bus. From 2020 to now, Mr. Tu has always traveled on foot, only occasionally traveling by water, he has to use a boat or ferry to cross the river. Up to now, he has set foot in almost every part of the country, only 3 provinces Tay Ninh, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre have not been to because these localities are not on the main road.

"My journey is to walk for the rest of my life. The purpose is not to convey anything, because everything in Buddhism has been taught by Buddha Shakyamuni. I just want to practice the teachings of Buddha, to help perfect myself. While walking, I always wish for everyone to always be happy, to live happily with their families," said Mr. Tu.

Mr. Tu shared that he used to doubt the teachings of Buddha, but now that he is more mature, he wants to study and follow those teachings to see if he can find happiness and peace. When he decided to leave home and his job to travel on foot, he thought very carefully before asking his parents for permission to leave.

Because of his determination to follow the ascetic practice, Mr. Tu always picked up pieces of cloth thrown on the side of the road or in the trash and sewed them into clothes to wear. He would not accept any that he intentionally threw away. He only ate one meal a day. When he was on the road, if he met someone with a good heart and the affinity to give him vegetarian food or water, he would use just enough. When he passed rivers and streams, he would stop to bathe. In the evening, he often rested on the side of the road, and when he needed to go to the toilet, he would stop at gas stations.

"For me, all walking journeys are not difficult. When moving, if your mind is peaceful, happy and you can overcome the obstacles, you will feel that there are no more obstacles ahead," he said.

During the walk, many people wearing monk-like robes followed him. Mr. Tu said they were not his disciples, but if anyone wanted to come along, he would not stop them. Occasionally, they would take a break to chat, and he always advised them to remember to ask their families for permission. If at any time they felt they did not want to continue the journey, they could return home.

"If someone distributes flyers or receives money and then tells you to share it with them, that's not right. You carry your own belongings, you don't need people to protect you or receive money on your behalf. If they receive it, they will take responsibility for it. Whoever does it will have to accept the consequences and be punished," said Mr. Tu.

Regarding the recent days when walking through the provinces and cities, many people surrounded him to take pictures and film, Mr. Tu said that if people followed him to practice walking, exercise, walk in a straight line, and maintain order and quiet, that would be good. But gathering together to jostle and push each other to record, broadcast live, and shout in a chaotic manner is not recommended, because creating noise will cause discomfort to those around.

Although he has not been in contact with his family for the past 6 years because he does not use a phone or social media, Mr. Tu shared that he always remembers the gratitude of his parents for giving birth and raising him. He always keeps in mind to follow the Buddha's teachings to repay his gratitude, praying for his relatives and family to be lucky and safe. Although he has no property or material possessions, he gives his relatives the confidence that he will never cause them suffering, such as by violating the law or affecting Buddhist organizations.

Responding to the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Executive Council's assertion that Mr. Tu is not a Buddhist monk, Mr. Tu said he had nothing to do with the above document. He has never admitted to being a monk and he himself "feels unworthy of being a monk because his morality has not reached that level."

From Ia To commune, Ia Grai district, Gia Lai province, Mr. Le Xuan, 84 years old, Mr. Tu's father, shared that the family has 4 children, Le Anh Tu is the second child, after finishing high school he did military service. After being discharged from the army, Tu transferred to secondary school and then followed a friend to Phu Yen to work as a land surveyor for a private company.

In 2015, Tu suddenly returned home and asked his parents to let him become a monk to "liberate himself". After a night of thinking, Mr. Xuan and his wife agreed to let their son become a monk, but still told Tu "if you decide to become a monk, don't break the precepts, otherwise stay home, do business, and get married".

According to Mr. Xuan, before leaving, Tu said he would study at a monastery in Saigon. Since then, the family has not contacted him again. A few days ago, people in the village showed him some videos that were getting attention online, and Mr. Xuan recognized his son.

"My husband and I feel sorry for our child's poor diet, thin and dark skin, but the family always supports him in his career. We hope he will be strong and not greedy for money or material things, and will attain enlightenment," said Mr. Xuan.