Sweet Potatoes and Dharma: The Story of His Holiness Enlightened Master Fabric Monk (Sư Vải Bán Khoai) (vegetarian), Part 1 of 2

His Holiness Fabric Monk (vegetarian), known affectionately as Sư Vải Bán Khoai, the Fabric Monk Who Sells Sweet Potatoes, was a venerated enlightened Master Who appeared in the early 1900s in the Mekong Delta region of southern Âu Lạc (Vietnam). Despite His profound influence, much about His life remains cloaked in mystery. Some documents suggest His name was Mỹ, but His full name, birthplace, and even His exact origins are uncertain. He lived simply, dressed in plain cloth garments, and wandered through towns and rural villages.

Sư Vải Bán Khoai was often seen rowing a small boat along the Vĩnh Tế Canal near Châu Đốc, clothed in the ordinary fabric garments of a commoner, selling sweet potatoes. This simple act was more than livelihood; it was part of His spiritual mission. He offered the potatoes not for profit, but as a symbol of kindness and spiritual nourishment. He gave sweet potatoes to passersby, healed the sick with strips of cloth torn from His own robe and scarves, and devoted Himself wholeheartedly to serving others with compassion and humility. Through these everyday acts, sharing food and gentle conversation, He conveyed profound truths about compassion, selflessness, and moral purity.

Sư Vải Bán Khoai’s spiritual teachings centered on two core principles. The first was the Four Pillars of Gratitude (Tứ Ân), which called for devotion to the Three Jewels – the Buddha (Enlightened Master), Dharma (True Teachings), and Sangha (Spiritual Association) – along with deep respect for one’s parents and ancestors, loyalty to the nation and its people, and compassion toward all humanity. The second was the wholehearted chanting of the name of the Worshipped Amitabha Buddha (vegan), Niệm Phật, a practice He upheld as a simple yet profound path to moral transformation and spiritual awakening, accessible to all regardless of social standing.

Beneath Sư Vải Bán Khoai’s humble demeanor lay the prowess of a highly skilled martial artist. One story, recorded by Professor Nguyễn Văn Hầu, a noted scholar of Aulacese (Vietnamese) literature, vividly illustrates this. His methods of preaching and the contents of His book, “Sám Giảng Người Đời (Prophecy for the People),” reflected the teachings of Buddha of Tây An (vegan), Buddha the Master (Đức Phật Trùm) (vegetarian), and the True Master Ngô Lợi (Đức Bổn Sư Ngô Lợi) (vegetarian). Buddha the Master, Đức Phật Trùm, is considered the second reincarnation, or successor, after the Buddha of Tây An. The True Master Ngô Lợi, Đức Bổn Sư Ngô Lợi, is considered the third reincarnation, or successor, in the Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương lineage, coming after Buddha the Master, Đức Phật Trùm. Many followers of the Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương, Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa, and Hòa Hảo Buddhist traditions believe that Sư Vải Bán Khoai was the fourth incarnation of Phật Thầy Tây An.