Awaken: Buddhism, Nature, and Life: A Vision of Poems for West and East

I am publishing my poems as a means of raising funds for different charities. Of the funds raised by this project, 50% will go toward the local Buddhist temple and 50% will go toward the local Buddhist youth group, a non-profit organization that guides youth to be successful in life and make positive contributions to our society. Your continued support is greatly appreciated. Thank you for making a difference and making the world a better place to live. May you find joy and peace while reading my poems... The poems you will discover in this book reflect the Phe I know in the world. He bases his life on the principles of Buddhism. He follows the example of Buddhist leaders in his everyday experience. He explains Buddhist principles to others, at their levels of understanding. He writes poetry based on Buddhism as well. Even the proceeds of this book go toward the furtherance of Buddhist practice and education. The poetry reflects Phe's background in the Vietnamese culture. Many poems describe aspects of his family and of his hometown in Vietnam. Several compare and contrast the virtues and the vices of both cultures. Phe particularly describes, with exquisite visual imagery in words, his impressions of the two cultures in which he has developed. The poems reflect Phe's encounters with himself within nature. Phe lets us picture his world through his words. We see the impermanence of floating clouds, the perfection of a dewdrop, the vision of the full moon. We see the forest in its unsullied natural condition and after humankind has left it less beautiful - Helen Alexander.