From the peak of power to the decision to leave the throne
Tran Nhan Tong ascended the throne at the age of 21, at a time when the Mongol Empire was threatening to invade Dai Viet. With his strategic genius and ability to unite the people's hearts, He and his royal father, along with the generals, twice led the army and people to defeat the Mongol invaders in 1285 and 1287 - 1288, firmly maintaining the nation's independence and autonomy. That was the pinnacle of a monarch who possessed both supreme power and illustrious military exploits.
Yet, after only 14 years of reign, in the Quy Ty year (1293), when the country was at peace, He decided to cede the throne to his son Tran Anh Tong and retreated to become the Retired Emperor. By October of the Ky Hoi year (1299), He officially renounced the world to practice asceticism at Yen Tu Mountain, taking the title Huong Van Dai Dau Da, living an ascetic life and founding the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Sect the first purely Vietnamese Zen lineage in history.
What is worth mentioning is: He did not let go because of failure, nor because of coercion, but let go right at the absolute peak of success. That is the very first lesson of letting go letting go is not accepting defeat, but a proactive choice, stemming from an understanding of what is truly important.
Lesson 1: Wealth and glory are not the roots of happiness
According to many Buddhist records, during his time on the throne and then as Retired Emperor, Tran Nhan Tong never felt completely happy, despite holding absolute power and ultimate wealth in his hands. Only when stepping onto the path of practice did He truly feel peaceful joy something that money and fame could never bring.
From that very experience, He wrote the famous ode "Ode to Living in the World, Joyful in the Way" (Cu tran lac dao phu), affirming that people can absolutely live joyfully right in the secular world, as long as they know how to let go of their attachment to material things and fame. This is the first lesson and also the root for all other lessons of letting go: happiness lies not in what we possess, but in how our minds perceive and let go of attachment to them.
Lesson 2: "The Buddha is not far away, the Buddha is right in the mind"
An interesting story often mentioned when discussing the roots of the Tran dynasty's philosophy of letting go is the story of Tran Thai Tong the grandfather of Tran Nhan Tong. When this king once intended to leave the throne to enter Yen Tu mountain to seek the Buddha, National Master Phu Van advised that there is fundamentally no Buddha in the mountain, the Buddha only exists right within each person's mind if the mind is tranquil and lucid, that is the living Buddha.
That spirit was continued and developed more fully by Tran Nhan Tong: He did not only seek the Buddha in his mind while sitting on the throne, but also truly stepped out of the palace to experience letting go through his entire ascetic life. The lesson here is: letting go does not necessarily mean leaving life behind, but more importantly, letting go of the entanglement within one's own mind.
Lesson 3: Letting go is not running away from responsibility
A common misconception is that letting go is synonymous with shedding responsibilities and completely separating oneself from life. But Tran Nhan Tong's life shows the exact opposite. Even after renouncing the world, He still cared deeply about the destiny of the country, still frequently instructed the succeeding king on the way of governing the nation, and still traveled everywhere to propagate the Buddha dharma and advise the people to live according to the Ten Wholesome Deeds. To Him, even when ascending the mountain to practice asceticism, His heart always remained directed toward the eternal survival of the nation.
This is exactly the special point of the "living in the world, joyful in the Way" philosophy letting go here means letting go of attachment and greed for personal fame and profit, not letting go of one's responsibility to life and to the people around.
Applying the lesson of letting go to modern life
In today's pace of life, when many people are still busily chasing after achievements, material possessions, or the fear of losing what they currently have, the story of Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong suggests a different perspective:
- Letting go does not mean losing, but choosing to keep what is most important: that could be inner peace, mental health, or meaningful relationships, instead of clinging to everything until exhaustion.
- Letting go must start from the mind, not from the circumstances: there is no need to leave your current job, family, or life to be able to let go; what needs to change first is how the mind clings to outcomes and to external recognition.
- Letting go at the right time, even when at the peak: sometimes, the best time to let go is not when exhausted or defeated, but precisely when we are still lucid enough to realize what is truly necessary for ourselves.
Returning to Ngoa Van to fully feel the lesson of letting go
If the above lessons only stop at words, it will be hard to touch the depths of emotions. The most complete way to understand Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong's letting go is to once set foot at Ngoa Van Hermitage where He lived the final years of his life in practice and peacefully entered Nirvana. Amidst that pristine mountain forest space, covered by clouds year-round, many tourists share that they feel clearer than ever the meaning of "letting go" not through theory, but through the very tranquility that envelops the mind when standing before this sanctuary.
This is also why short-term meditation retreats at Ngoa Van Zen Village are increasingly sought after by many as a way to personally experience the lesson of letting go that a king chose over 700 years ago, right amidst their own modern pace of life.
Conclusion
From a king standing at the peak of power to a Zen master at peace amidst the mountains and forests, the journey of Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong is the most vivid proof that: letting go is not abandoning life, but learning to live more fully and gently with what is truly important. That is the timeless lesson that Ngoa Van where He left His final footprints is still quietly preserving for later generations.