Monks, mangoes
and moving forward
Interfaith voyage to Vietnam explores reconciliation
When Emory rising senior Gina Cutlip saw her reflection in the still water of a lotus pond at a Buddhist monastery, she realized she had come a long way — and not only in terms of distance.
Yes, she had traveled more than 8,000 miles from Atlanta to Vietnam, but she had also expanded and deepened her interests since arriving at Emory three years prior. It seemed that one minute she was learning Buddhist meditation in Cannon Chapel, and the next she was standing before singing monks on the steps of a pagoda, deep in a Vietnamese forest.
This was quite the journey, Cutlip thought, looking at her face in the water. Suddenly, the ripples from a passing koi fish disturbed her floating image, and she returned her focus to the present — and to the pagoda ahead, where a cat waited with blinking eyes.
The monastery was one of many highlights for the 12 Emory students who visited Vietnam this May through the Journeys of Reconciliation program, an interfaith travel learning experience sponsored by the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life. The program, which is open to undergraduate and graduate students, began in 1986 to explore peacemaking efforts across faith traditions through travel.
Emory students experienced many sides of Vietnam, from verdant deltas and jungles to bustling cities.
Emory students experienced many sides of Vietnam, from verdant deltas and jungles to bustling cities.
On the heels of a spirited journey along the ancient Silk Road in Uzbekistan in 2025, more than 80 students applied to join this year’s two-week trip. Those selected came from a variety of religious backgrounds, and the itinerary reflected the group’s diversity.
With Buddhism being the predominant religion in Vietnam, students saw several Buddhist monasteries in both the countryside and cities. They also visited a Catholic cathedral, a mosque, an ancient Hindu sanctuary complex and other religious sites, speaking with faith leaders at each location.
Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, inspiring the choice of destination, says the Rev. Gregory McGonigle, university chaplain, dean of religious life and a co-leader of the trip. The anniversary, he explains, presented an organic opportunity for students to consider “ways of healing and understanding after conflict, how we can work together to find peaceful paths forward, and what religion’s role can be in creating those paths.”
The Journeys of Reconciliation flag, here at the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City (the former U.S. Embassy in Saigon), accompanied the group every step of the way.
The Journeys of Reconciliation flag, here at the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City (the former U.S. Embassy in Saigon), accompanied the group every step of the way.
On the trip, students learned how people of Vietnam advocated for peace in trying times, and how the country’s relationship with the United States has developed since the end of the war.
Starting in Ho Chi Minh City, the group made its way north to Hanoi. Highlights included the War Remnants Museum, which details the effects of the war with the United States; visiting the square where Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức famously self-immolated in protest of religious persecution; and meeting with leaders in the U.S. Consulate to discuss the dynamics between the countries today.
“There is perhaps no better place than Vietnam for us to reflect on themes of reconciliation,” McGonigle says. “I hope the trip inspires our students to work for peace and mutual understanding — between faiths, cultures, countries and governments.”
McGonigle was joined by co-leaders Liz Martin, program coordinator in the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life; Tara Doyle, a senior research fellow in the Candler School of Theology; and Linh Le, a recent alumna of Candler who grew up in Vietnam.
On their journey, Emory students visited several religious sites, including the historic Từ Hiếu monastery. Photo from Getty Images, HuyNguyenSG.
On their journey, Emory students visited several religious sites, including the historic Từ Hiếu monastery. Photo from Getty Images, HuyNguyenSG.
A monastery in the trees
The reflective lotus pond, dotted with lily pads, wasn’t at the base of just any Buddhist monastery. It was Từ Hiếu, the root monastery of Thích Nhất Hạnh.
One of the most renowned monks of modern times, Hạnh began his monastic training there in 1942, walking through the same pagoda archways that towered above the heads of Emory students.
Hạnh is known for his philosophy of “Engaged Buddhism,” which encourages followers to act with a social and environmental conscience. In the United States, he is also remembered for his partnership with Martin Luther King. Jr. and their joint call for peace during the Vietnam War. In 1966, the two famously came together for a public meeting and press conference in Chicago.
The Buddhist monks of Từ Hiếu shared their history and current practices with Emory students.
The Buddhist monks of Từ Hiếu shared their history and current practices with Emory students.
Due to his commitment to nonviolence, Hạnh was exiled from his home country during the Vietnam War. He returned to Từ Hiếu in 2018 and died there in 2022.
“It was inspiring to learn about him and his impact on the world,” says Cutlip, a biology major from Warner Robins, Georgia. “His work was so tied to the mission of the program, to help us understand the systemic roots of conflict and how messy and long term the process of peacebuilding can be.”
For Martin, the visit was an opportunity to engage with the work of a theological icon.
“I’ve read some of Hạnh’s works, and they’ve been about the power of compassionate listening and how your theology should call you to act in the world and make it a better place,” she says. “Those lessons inform how I want to be in my interactions with students and everyone I encounter. It was hugely moving to see the place where this inspiring person started and ended his monastic work.”
When the group arrived at Từ Hiếu, Martin recalls, they were greeted by the chanting of novice monks — boys around ages 8 to 15 — who were led in song by their mentors.
As she took in the sounds, she was struck by the monastery’s earthen hues and the soft light that filtered through the tree canopy above. So much of what she had seen in Vietnam was bright and vibrant, but Từ Hiếu was understated, with muted colors cast in permanent shadow.
Nestled in the Vietnamese forest, Từ Hiếu was a highlight for many on the trip.
Nestled in the Vietnamese forest, Từ Hiếu was a highlight for many on the trip.
“A lot of places we visited were very colorful, and this was sort of the opposite,” Martin says. “It was very serene.”
At least until the chanting stopped.
Then the initiates rolled out a ball and began a spirited soccer match in the courtyard. What was once a zone of quiet contemplation had come to life — full of laughter, playfulness, and Emory students relishing the experience.
An interfaith journey
This wasn’t the first trip to Vietnam for Aaron Ta, a rising sophomore. He was there a few years ago, just south of Ho Chi Minh City where his parents grew up, visiting extended family and enjoying the rhythms of daily life.
When he saw that Journeys of Reconciliation was headed to Vietnam, he knew he wanted to return — and to see the country from a new perspective.
Ta, a double major in religion and neuroscience and behavioral biology, is a member of the Emory Buddhist Club. He was raised in Houston and spent his high school years living and studying at a Buddhist monastery near Louisville, Kentucky.
His favorite part about the Emory trip was the exposure to other religions, especially in a Vietnamese context.
“I felt an ‘internal wow,’” he says of first seeing a historic Catholic cathedral in Hanoi.
Emory student Aaron Ta (far right) was inspired by the diversity of religious life in Vietnam — including this Catholic cathedral in Hanoi.
Emory student Aaron Ta (far right) was inspired by the diversity of religious life in Vietnam — including this Catholic cathedral in Hanoi.
Inside, Ta spoke with the priest who showed him the Stations of the Cross, a 14-step Catholic prayer sequence where the worshipper moves to different “stations” representing the events leading to Jesus’s death.
The stations were depicted in artwork along the walls of the cathedral. Ta was immensely moved by the images.
“It was breathtaking,” he says. “It just made me think about how there’s so much I don’t know and so much I want to know. Even in this Buddhist country, there’s still so many thriving communities of faith that are each strong in their own way.”
Throughout the trip, different students took on leadership roles and offered context about their own religious practices to others.
When the group toured a famous Hindu sanctuary complex called My Son that dates back to the fourth century, Emory Law student Avadhut Khade, from Vernon, Connecticut, helped others understand the iconography.
A practicing Hindu, Khade explained the sanctuary’s carvings and statues. They showed Shiva, a major Hindu deity, and Nandi, a companion to the deity who takes the form of a bull. He also shared his knowledge about the history of Buddhism and Hinduism, and how they are closely tied in India, where both religions originated.
“Everyone was helping everyone understand,” Khade says of the group dynamic. “We all come from different backgrounds and different upbringings, so it was nice to share and learn about our own traditions, and how they related to what we were seeing in Vietnam.”
That’s what made the trip special, says Martin. Her favorite moment occurred during a cooking class, when she looked at the students seated around her.
Some of the trip's most meaningful conversations happened over group meals, says Liz Martin (front right).
Some of the trip's most meaningful conversations happened over group meals, says Liz Martin (front right).
“I was at a table with one Hindu, one Buddhist, one Muslim and one Christian, and they ended up talking about the nature of the divine,” she recalls. “I couldn’t create a better set-up for interfaith dialogue. That’s a major goal at the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life, to provide spaces of vulnerability where there can be in-depth sharing and listening with interest and respectful curiosity.
“It’s the kind of thing we work all year to get to on campus,” she adds, “and it just happened naturally on this trip.”
Fruits of travel
Khade couldn’t believe the size of the mangoes at breakfast. They were nearly twice as big as what he’d get in the United States.
“We also had dragon fruit and watermelon,” he says. “I don’t think I have ever had any fruit that tasted like that. Everything was sweet and soft, almost like ice cream.”
While he couldn’t bring the fruit with him back to Emory, Khade says he still left Vietnam with plenty of lessons.
“This trip inspired me to travel more,” he says. “It’s important to get outside and realize the world is bigger than what’s around you. Vietnam is such a unique country.”
The trip has already prompted several conversations on the homefront.
“It was great learning about Vietnam from the local Vietnamese people,” Cutlip says. “It really highlights the reconciliation aspect, and it made me think about what we can bring back — as a group here at Emory and as individuals. I’ve already been spreading what I’ve learned to my hometown friends, and I’ve had great discussions with my parents.”
Ta also talked with his parents. He learned more about their direct experience with the Vietnam War, which ended when they were young, and its aftermath.
He says he’s leaving with a richer understanding of his parents’ home country — and also with a new set of friends.
“I’m really grateful for the connections I made with the group and the group leaders,” he says. “I had seen all of them around campus, but when you’re on a trip like this, you’re really able to connect with everyone. I came home with such good friends, and I hope to continue to nurture each and every relationship while I’m at Emory.”
One student's image of tranquility: a lonely sampan resting on the shores of a lagoon in Huế.
One student's image of tranquility: a lonely sampan resting on the shores of a lagoon in Huế.
Story and design by Daniel Christian.
Photos courtesy of Liz Martin and the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life, except where noted.
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