Điếu văn

Minh Sư Nguyễn Trí Dũng

Dear brothers  and sisters and sister Ann,

Many years ago our mother has told us she will live until 91 years old. It is the exact age when my mother, named Hong Phuc  has passed away, on the last Saturday morning  of the 7th  February 2015.

She has eleven children and two of her daughters have passed away before her. She has lived during a very difficult time in our country. She and her family have moved from the North to the South  of  Vietnam and then to Australia due the Communist takeover.

Our mother represents a traditional woman who has truly dedicated to the whole of her life for her family, her husband and children. In modern times, we can rarely find this type of woman.

Our mothers for all of us present the whole sky above us, they are the river of love which flow inside us and they are the land on which our trees can grow to produce flowers and fruits. Truly, if we have lost our mothers, we have lost the whole world. For this reason, my sister Hao Tam and brother Morgan have cried many times since her passing away.

Our mothers have given to us, our physical bodies. In them, our souls have found a place to stay. We have grown, by their milk and their blood. All of us, attending this funeral service, say thanks to the God Almighty, to bless us for having our mothers and by them, God Almighty has created us, in this world.

During the time of my mother’s sickness, for six years until her death, our sister Hao Tam was a constant companion with her, taking her in and out of the hospital, many times. She was the main carer for her, during this difficult period of time, although she is a full-time teacher. Our family has recognised her special contribution and her efforts, to go through all the hardships with her, during this period.

Thanks also are given to the other sisters in our family, such as Bac Ai, An Dien, Quyen, My Hanh  who came to help my mother every week.

Our family also thank many of our brothers and brothers-in-law, for their help and prayers such as SieuThuong, Morgan, Harris Madden, Harris Graham, Marwadi and Raphael.

Our  brother Morgan  and his wife Thien An who were  living  next door to our  mother’s house and their father Dr. Aamirudin and his wife, Kim Anh, have come to help my mother regularly, during the week.  Their prayers and their care are always appreciated by our family.

Our mother has also received services from her grand daughters, Hong An and Ossana who helped her for many years. Our family may never forget their love and care for our mother. Before the time of her passing away, Ossana has received a message from our mother in her dream that I am going to leave this world very soon and remind her to become a good grand daughter.

Special thank also are given to Raphael, his wife Quyen, during the last period of her life before going to Hawksbury hospital, our mother has stayed in their house with them for a short period of time.

The first selamatan on the first day of her death, to pray for our mother was held at Harris Madden’s house and the second selamatan of the third day of her death was organized by Hao Tam, Morgan and his wife Thien An. Today, we will also never forget the valuable prayer services for her conducted by sister “Ann’who was so kind to be with us. She is from the sister of St Joseph and has spent 49 years of her life to dedicate to Jesus and the Cross.

As Subud members, above all, we gave special thanks to Ibu Rahaju. She  is a  daughter of our spiritual guide in our Subud brotherhood, Bapak Muhammad Subuh, which all the members around the world are always very grateful, for the latihan received from Him. IbuRahaju could be considered a  mother of all the mothers in our Subud brotherhood. About six year ago, before our  mother began falling sick, during one of my trips to Indonesia, she has asked me to provide her the name of our  mother for her so she can say a pray for her. We are very grateful for her care and prayers  for our  mother, during her long period of illness. Without Her prayers  and love, the journey of our  mother to the  other world could be much more difficult.

We always remember the time when we have escaped from VN to overseas due to the Communist takeover of our country. We were so much graceful to God Almighty at the time when we got into a plane, to take our family from the airport to the American ship which took us to the Guam Island. Today, our mother’s death is also another escape for her, but from this world to another world.  For this special occasion, we are not only going to say thanks to God Almighty but together also to celebrate for her a new life in the new world. We have celebrated when we are born in this world and we also celebrate when the God Almighty took us away to be born in another world.

Under the guide of Ibu Rahaju, in our Subud brotherhood, we truly recognize the role of the female, as a mother in our life. As a female, you do not need to have children to become a mother. To become a mother we need a feeling of motherly love inside us. Ibu Rahaju never had any children but every member always refer her as Ibu, an Indonesian word, which  means “ mother” because they have felt the love of a mother from her.

The love from a mother is like a rain from a sky, falling into the ground, going deeply in it to make the trees grow, the rivers to flow and the birds to sing. When the men are going to war, if they have received the motherly love from a female, they will stop to fight. The world will be a place of peace.

For Catholics, we need Jesus and also the Virgin Marry and in our Subud brother hood, in addition to Bapak Muhammad Subuh, we truly need Ibu Rahaju. In our family, we truly thank the God Almighty to have our mother together with our father.By her love and care, all her children have grown up to become the  good persons in the society.

Ibu Rahaju has sent a letter of condolence to our family and “pray that Almighty God will assist her on her journey home, and will give those whom she has left behind, faith and acceptance of her passing.  From God we come and unto Him is our return.”

During our life time, we also have recognized that we have committed many mistakes towards our mothers and sometimes have not provided enough care and love to our mothers,we dearly ask her and the God Almighty to forgive us all.

Finally, our family are very grateful for all brothers and sisters attending the funeral services of our mother and  we dearly say thanks to all of you  and please also forgive us if we have committed any mistake towards you.

Amen