I was born in 1942, and brought up in a poor family in the East of South Vietnam at the hard-soil rural countryside.

I lost my father at the age of 3 and was orphaned at the age of 10, away from home, left my native village and struggled for my survival and future since the age of 11. Due to my past experiences I understand the pain and heartache of what it is like to be poor, homeless and living in poverty.

I worked hard and was able to educate myself and became a teacher of mathematics, physics and chemistry, and in 1966 joined the South Vietnam Army. In 1970, I left the army and continued teaching until April 1975, when at the end of Vietnam War, I was sent to the re-education camp for 4 years.

I left Vietnam in August 1979, and stayed in a refugee camp for 3 months. In December of 1979, was accepted by the Australian immigration to settle down in my new homeland of Australia.

I underwent a further education at university and continued teaching in Australia until 2003.

I gained a PhD Degree / Application of Buddhism in the combined research area of Hua Yen Philosophy and Prajnia Paramitta (Perfection of Wisdom) including the ongoing further research into the studies of Buddhism.

In 1996 I took refuge in Lay Bodhisattva in Precepts. In 2002, I became fully ordained in Bodhisattva in Precepts (in a Great Paramoksa Ceremony organized in Sydney). I studied, researched and completed the Buddhist Dharma Teaching in 2003.

Currently developing a program for Buddhist Dharma Teacher Training, and will put forward a proposal to participate in The World Sangha Committee’s activities in the near future.

Due to my personal experiences of poverty I vowed that throughout the rest of my life my goals are entirely focused on helping poor and disadvantaged people everywhere. Between 2004 and 2007, the Phuong Tinh Niem Phat Duong organisation and the Phuong Tinh Charity which was founded and established as a foundation to achieving these goals.