My artistic style flows directly from my writing. When I write, images rise naturally to illustrate my stories. The text below is the inspiration behind this piece.
 At Tu Hiếu, I envision Thầy in all of his life cycles. I see him as an innocent 16-year-old boy full of vitality, entering through the three-door gate with his older brother’s arm around him. I see him shivering in the early mornings before spending much of the day tending cattle and collecting leaves and shrubs. I see him studying The Essential Vinaya for Daily Use, and teaching Chinese to Auntie Tu. I see him hiding in the forest when the monastery is no longer safe and deciding to invite the Great Bell on the night of Tết, despite the high risk. I see him joyful at the sight of thousands of lights flashing in the night. I see him learning the practices of Mindfulness and Meditation that he will share with the world.
 I see Thầy touching the door again, filled with joy when he returns after 39 years in exile. And I see him returning in a wheelchair for his final stay. I stand in front of his hut, where his ashes lay, and I see what he sees. I say: “I have arrived, I am home.”
From my book Vietnam, Where the Lotus Blooms, (p. 28)