My Trip to Vietnam: A Search For Esoteric Knowledge

Lotus flower pond in Ninh Binh

When my feet first landed on Vietnamese soil in the Old Quarter in Hanoi, the air was steamy and thick. Cars and motorcycles honked. It was difficult to get a feel for the new land because there was a lot of movement. But Vietnam revealed herself little by little each day. It was almost like she held her secrets close to her bosom until one earns her trust, like the slow undressing of a coy lotus flower. With time, I saw her beauty.

Day three, and my husband and I are at Cat Ba Island. The waft of gasoline and fresh fish overpower my senses as motorcycles zoom past. The construction workers hammer and lift metal objects, and their sweat turns their uniforms to a darker shade of green. Women skip about in their floral dresses and umbrellas. Men hang off their motorcycles emphatically shouting out, “Taxi” to each foreign face. A paradoxical sensation consumes me. I’ve been here before, but not in this lifetime. Not with these high-rises.

I’m currently reading A Fortune Teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzani, which is about an Italian journalist who followed the advice of a Chinese fortune teller who warned him not to travel by plane in 1993, because if he did, he would get into a fatal plane crash. This sent him on a quest to learn more about the history of divination and astrology across Asia and how globalization and the love for power, money, and status are overshadowing their ancient spiritual knowledge. As I’m writing this from my hotel room in Vietnam, I’m wondering what herbal remedies the natives would have concocted and what the astrologers would have foreseen in the stars in this same town hundreds of years ago.

Did you know that the Vietnamese use the Chinese Zodiac for their astrological system but instead of the rabbit, they use a cat?

We’re off to the next city– Ninh Binh. Shortly after we arrive, we rent a moped scooter. As my husband and I zigzag the serpentine road in the countryside, I spring off the back of the two-wheeler because, being the astrology nerd that I am, I immediately recognize the statues of the Chinese Zodiac. The next day, I also see baby Buddha figurines with the animals of the Chinese zodiac as well– homages to the grand architect of the cosmos. To me, the statues signify that through Buddha’s teachings, we can overcome our lower animalistic instincts and operate on a higher level of consciousness. I pause to take a picture with baby Buddha, then continue my serene journey down a path where arching tree branches interlace overhead. 

As I wander about, I ask myself, “Did Vietnam exchange its spiritual customs for the Babylonian monetary system?” During my entire trip in the northern region of Vietnam, I didn’t see any monks, but I witnessed long lines of sweaty tourists with their cameras ready to shoot Buddha statues in the incense-filled pagodas. The clicking of shutters replaced the sound of a bell and sacred chants. I wondered if they studied the peace in his face and were inspired to seek enlightenment. Or had this illuminated master become a mere symbol of spiritual ascension, prepackaged and sold to a materialistic world hungry for a painless/easy path?

Many from the West, like me, go to the East or indigenous lands in Latin America in search of spiritual meaning and purpose in order to balance out the overemphasis on materialism, success, and hard work.  What’s the point of having a car, a roof over our heads, and a few bucks to squander if we don’t have inner fulfillment or an understanding of our purpose?  

Terzani (1997) chronicles the appeal of the East to many Westerners:

…the East, with its aura of exoticism, has again become a source of inspiration for many young Western people, who look to Eastern religions and practices for the answers they no longer seem to find in churches at home. More than the great philosophers of the homegrown variety, Oriental mysticism, Buddhism, and Asian gurus seem to be able to help those who want to escape the prison of consumerism, the bombardments of advertising, and the dictatorship of television. Western youth, coming from a super-organized world, where everything is guaranteed, where even their desires seem dictated by an interest which is not their own, are more and more interested in exploring Oriental paths of spirituality. (pg. 9) 

Buddha statue from Bai Dinh Pagoda in Ninh Binh

Perhaps as modern Western influence spread, many in the East wondered, “What’s the purpose of spirituality if it feels like my stomach is eating itself every night and my flimsy roof caves in during monsoon season?” Perhaps the East and the West represent two extremes we should avoid, as we, according to Buddha, search for the Middle Path. Yet, what we see in the modern world is a parody of his teachings. In the East, new high-rise hotels with sterile views of ancient pagodas represent the commodification of the sacred, forgotten past. Terzani (1997) stated, “Copying what is ‘new’ and ‘modern’ has become an obsession, a fever for which there is no remedy” (p.54). In the West, snapping photos of ancient spiritual artifacts in temples or decorating one’s home with busts of Buddha embodies a kind of spiritual consumerism. Both are weak attempts to find a middle way because there’s no major internal sacrifice or discipline involved, but perhaps it’s a step in balancing the material & spiritual scales. 

As our world becomes ever more consumeristic and modern, what spiritual refuge remains? When ancient knowledge is replaced by Western restaurant chains and endless entertainment, where can a person escape the daily grind? I hope that for future generations, the search for meaning will shift from the external noise to the quiet wisdom within.

I would like to hear your thoughts. How can we reconcile our physical needs with our spiritual well-being, creating a reality where we are not only secure but also genuinely happy and peaceful in the face of life's uncertainties?

References

Terzani, T. (1997). Fortune-Teller told me: Earthbound travels in the Far East. Crown.

Greetings! I'm Gina, a California native who has been voraciously studying astrology since 2018. I use Tropical Vedic Astrology and cartomancy as my main vehicles in my cosmic quest for profound spiritual understanding and healing. 

I hold a B.A. in Psychology and an M.S. in Marriage & Family Therapy. With over fifteen years of counseling and teaching experience, I've always enjoyed listening to people's stories and helping them on their path.

If you want to discover who you are on a deeper level, download my free ebook today: https://www.hercosmiccrown.com/offerings

The content on this page is to be treated for entertainment purposes only and should never replace professional advice. Her Cosmic Crown uses astrology and the cards as a tool to help with guidance, providing advice during readings. We will not be responsible for the decisions you make after a reading. Greetings! I'm Gina, a California native who has been voraciously studying astrology since 2018. I use Tropical Vedic Astrology and cartomancy as my main vehicles in my cosmic quest for profound spiritual understanding and healing.