Vietnamesischer Mönch verlässt Laos und reist nach Thailand: Thich Minh Tue, der Anfang des Jahres ein Internetheld war, ist auf einer Pilgerreise nach Indien.

SS: On December 31, 2024, Thich Minh Tue—whose barefoot pilgrimage through Vietnam and Laos has captured widespread attention—entered Thailand at the Chong Mek border in Ubon Ratchathani Province. Crowds of onlookers, including Thai and Lao locals as well as Vietnamese YouTubers, knelt in reverence, scattering flower petals and sprinkling water on the road as he and five other mendicant monks passed through immigration. Volunteer escorts helped handle formalities, allowing the group to continue unhindered. Though he is not officially recognized by Vietnam’s state-approved Buddhist monastic order, Tue’s quiet determination has drawn an ever-growing following, who now watch as he embarks on a 1,300-kilometer walk across Thailand—ultimately bound for Bodh Gaya in India, where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment.

My thoughts/non-thoughts: Thich Minh Tue’s journey is more than a mere act of personal faith; it has evolved into a subtle yet potent symbol of the tension between state-sanctioned religiosity and individual spiritual authority. Like figures in Buddhist lore—embodying simplicity yet wielding an unexpected moral influence—he walks barefoot through Southeast Asia, leaving an indelible mark on every land he touches. He thereby poses a silent but profound challenge to state-sanctioned sanghas, urging them to contemplate their own purpose and responsibilities as guardians of the moral and spiritual well-being of society.

Beneath this challenge also lies a stern reminder that monastic authenticity is not bestowed by outward symbols alone—shaved heads, ochre robes, or a life sustained by alms. In Vietnam, where official sanction dictates who may wear the saffron robe, Tue finds himself barred from doing so, yet this imposed limitation has become a subtle act of defiance. By adopting simpler garments of white and other subdued hues, he casts light on an old admonition: some may display the banner of renunciation yet remain bound to worldly aims, whereas true monks find freedom in an unswerving devotion to the path. Tue thus calls into question the notion that a monastic calling can be conferred by the state or rubber-stamped by institutions, asserting instead that genuine renunciation begins—and endures—in the heart.