Ca^y Tre ? What about Bamboos?

"Tre gia` ma(ng mo.c" means in Vietnamese " When the bamboos grow old, the young shoots rise up". This expression has as many meanings to the Vietnamese people as symbols the bamboos have in their culture. http://www.kauai.net/bambooweb/bamboosli...

In the expression : " Tre gia` ma(ng moc.", interpreted as " when the parents grow old, the children continue the work left unfinished ", there is the stoic acceptance of the natural law of the universe. When one generation can no longer assume the task because of old age, it will be taken over by the younger one. Such realities of death and dying are not taboos in Vietnam. Rather, it emphasizes the continuity of life.

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Vietnamese people are not just living for themselves, they live for generations which come after them, their children, their grandchildren and their great grandchildren, their lives continue into posterity.

The proverb " Co.p che^'t dde^? da, ngu+o+i ta che^'t dde^? tie^'ng" (The tiger leaves its skin behind, the man, his reputation) has underlined this concept. Even if the bodies wither away and disappear, their spirit will live on.

A thousand years under the domination of the Chinese and a hundred years of colonization by the French cannot destroy the spirit of survival and independence of the Vietnamese people. So are the bamboos, forever green, with shoots that rise up and spread and hold on firm to the land. .

" Tre gia`, ma(ng moc." ?

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The detachment from life. It is useless to cling to life 's pursuit of happiness. True happiness lies in the comprehension of the universe. One needs to reach the ideal of self-emptiness. To clear one's mind, to empty oneself from all desires Such is the mental attitude of those Tao`s followers who practise "Thie^`n" Life is transient. It is here today but gone tomorrow; the detachment from needs and wants. "Tham , Sa^n, Si" the three sources of human misery. The meaning of "Viinu", the meaning in sanskrit of bamboo and emptiness.

The bamboo, of the family Gramineae (Grass family), chosen once as the national plant of Vietnam , symbolizes the Vietnamese spirit for its versatility, tenacity, resilience ; It is elegant in appearance and grows easily and abundantly without requiring much care. Like the Vietnamese, this plant is a tough survivor. It is strong yet flexible. It is a symbol of endurance and compromise.

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