Biography of Venerable Thích Huyền Diệu — The Monk Who Declined a Nobel Peace Prize Nomination

(Translated by Ven. Hue Son)

Venerable Thích Huyền Diệu, widely known in contemporary Buddhist circles, is a highly respected Vietnamese monk whose life and contributions have left a profound impact on Vietnamese Buddhism and its presence abroad. He is the founder of the Vietnam Buddhist Monastery (Việt Nam Phật Quốc Tự) on foreign soil and has made remarkable contributions to the development of Vietnamese Buddhism worldwide.

Early Life and Ordination

Venerable Thích Huyền Diệu’s secular name is Lâm Trung Quốc. He was born in 1946 in Ba Tri, now part of Bến Tre Province in Vietnam.
Born into a poor family, he ordained as a novice monk at an early age under the guidance of Elder Venerable Thích Hoằng Nhơn at Mai Sơn Temple in Tịnh Biên (An Giang Province). This early ordination became the turning point that transformed the entire course of his life.

Education and Spiritual Awakening

In 1969, while studying at the University of Nantes and the Sorbonne in France, Venerable Thích Huyền Diệu first visited Bodh Gaya, India — the sacred place where the Buddha attained enlightenment.

Kneeling before the Vajra Seat under the Bodhi Tree, he was overwhelmed with emotion. His lifelong aspiration seemed to unfold before him. Yet, as he looked around and saw temples built by many developed nations, he felt a deep sense of longing and sadness:
Vietnam, despite its 2,000-year Buddhist heritage, had no temple represented at this holy site.

This moment ignited an unshakeable vow to bring a Vietnamese Buddhist presence to the land of the Buddha.

Journey to Build Vietnamese Temples in India and Nepal

Living frugally while teaching abroad, he saved every coin he earned. With support from European and American students, he embarked on the monumental task of building a Vietnamese temple in India.

Building the First Temple in India – Bodh Gaya

In 1987, after surmounting countless obstacles, he purchased his first small plot of land — only 450 m² — while other nations received government-backed plots spanning thousands of square meters.
Vietnam, in the early 1980s, was still impoverished after decades of war, and Buddhism had not yet entered a period of revival. At Bodh Gaya, Venerable Thích Huyền Diệu was the only Vietnamese monk residing in the area, making the task even more formidable.

Unexpectedly, fortune arrived in the form of landowners willing to sell neighboring plots. Slowly, piece by piece, the land expanded until it reached approximately 30,000 m², where he established the first Vietnamese Buddhist temple in India.

Building the Second Temple – Lumbini, Nepal

Because he was the first foreign monk granted permission to build a temple at the Buddha’s birthplace, the King of Nepal in 1993 provided a special aircraft to fly him over Lumbini to select land for a second temple.

However, upon arriving on the ground, he was disheartened:
The land was marshy, swamp-filled, scattered with lakes and muddy ponds — a site extremely difficult for construction.

With only 60 USD left in his pocket, Venerable Thích Huyền Diệu began the work himself:

• forging steel,
• casting foundations,
• planting lotus and water lilies,
• building essential structures by hand.

His simplicity and humility infused the soul of the second Vietnamese temple at Lumbini, distinguishing it amid the many architectural styles of the sacred site.

Advocacy for Peace in Nepal

In 2002, Nepal plunged into chaos after the royal massacre, triggering a prolonged civil war. Witnessing the suffering, Venerable Thích Huyền Diệu felt a profound calling to help end the conflict, which claimed more than 14,000 lives.

In 2005, he wrote an influential letter to the King of Nepal and leaders of various political parties, urging them to restore peace — especially to protect Lumbini and the nation at large.
The letter gained widespread attention and elevated Vietnam’s image in the global Buddhist community.

After Nepal’s civil war ended, Venerable Thích Huyền Diệu was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions — but he declined the honor, choosing instead to remain a humble monk devoted to peace, harmony, and the promotion of Vietnamese Buddhism abroad.

Positions and Achievements of Venerable Thích Huyền Diệu

• Former chief editor of the newspaper Gió Nam (discontinued one year later after reporting the Mỹ Sơn and Mỹ Lai massacres at a U.S. court on 21 December 1969 through attorney Paul Martin King).
• Doctor of Theology from the Sorbonne University, France.
• Founder and Abbot of Vietnam Buddhist Monastery, Bodh Gaya, India.
• Founder and Abbot of Vietnam Buddhist Monastery, Lumbini (Nepal).
• President of the International Buddhist Federation of Lumbini.
• Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Nepal (which he respectfully declined).
• Pioneer in calling upon the global Buddhist community to restore Buddhist sacred sites in India and Nepal.
• Played a pivotal role in persuading Maoist guerrilla forces and the Nepalese government to sit at the negotiating table — contributing significantly to ending the 10-year civil war that claimed over 14,000 lives.