On this trip, at the Vietnamese Embassy in India, I had an in-depth working session with a senior Vietnamese diplomatic representative in India, alongside many entrepreneurs, scholars, monks, and religious and spiritual leaders.
The story began with the business community's powerful energy, sharing around transactions, commerce, economic cooperation, market connections, and bilateral development opportunities. It was the natural flow of a diplomatic–economic working session amid a volatile global context.
When I was fortunately invited to speak, I chose to share another perspective — on mental health.
In accompanying thousands of people from every walk of life, what I see most clearly is that many succeed outwardly yet remain unbalanced within. That imbalance does not stop with the individual; it spreads to families, businesses, and more broadly to communities and society.
This perspective received clear agreement from the business community and the leaders present. The monks then continued speaking. Many realized that economic development without care for spiritual life is unlikely to be sustainable.
To me, Vietnam's Ambassador to India — Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Nguyễn Thanh Hải — carries very good energy. It is not only skillful diplomatic energy on the surface, but also inner warmth: a happy, calm and humane energy. He is truly suited to representing Vietnam in a country such as India, which places particular importance on spiritual and inner life.
The reception at the Embassy headquarters was formal yet very warm. The Embassy representative – the head of Vietnam’s diplomatic mission in India – expressed appreciation for efforts to connect the two countries’ spiritual cultures and promote awareness of mental health in Vietnam and internationally.
I believe Vietnam has a profound foundation from which to contribute to the world in this field. From Buddhism to East Asian humanistic philosophy; from meditation practice to the way Vietnamese people face suffering, transform adversity and nurture the aspiration for happiness—all are universal values that transcend national borders and cultural differences.
In my view, incorporating “mental health” into entrepreneurial education, into the spiritual ecosystem of Vietnamese communities abroad, and into international cooperation is a direction with great potential.
More than an intangible value, it can become a profound contribution from Vietnam to the world.
Tạ Minh Tuấn (Saga)
