From a "fundraising" girl who traveled the world to rediscovering herself through meditation and art.

The magic carpet and the first charity project at age 17.

Nguyen Thuy Ngan is often known by titles such as: the girl who specializes in "hunting" for sponsorships from American billionaires, one of two Vietnamese people who received $30,000 to undertake a charity trip around the world from billionaire Thomas Watson's foundation, the girl who brought 7 kg of luggage to five continents... Ngan calls herself by the name Jasmine Nguyen.

Sharing about her name, Jasmine Nguyen said: "One of the breakthroughs in my life was leaving home for the first time at 17, when I received a scholarship to study in the US. I saw this as an opportunity to improve myself. In the US, people didn't know who I was or what I had done. They only knew who I was today. That's also why I named myself Jasmine, after the Disney princess from Aladdin. I was impressed by Jasmine's courage, when she dared to sit on the magic carpet to see the world."

At the age of 21, Ngan learned about the scholarship fund of philanthropist Kathryn Wasserman Davis. “My dream at that time was to bring knowledge and open up a new world for underprivileged children through English and computer skills.” Without hesitation, Ngan dedicated herself to the project and excelled, winning the $10,000 prize. Ngan shared: “For a 17-year-old girl, $10,000 felt like a huge responsibility. How to use the money wisely and how to make the project more impactful was something I constantly thought about.”

Jasmine Nguyen then received support from the Phillips Scholarship Fund, established by billionaire couple Jay Phillips and his wife. The fund aims to help immigrant women and children in Minnesota overcome feelings of inferiority and cultural barriers to integrate and study. She was awarded $16,000 to experiment with these solutions.

As the Asia-Pacific regional manager for AngelHack, an innovation organization promoting technology, Jasmine has organized and secured funding for 20 programming competitions, including 4 in Vietnam.

When her business was thriving and running smoothly, Jasmine Nguyen made a bold decision, "a leap no one could understand," as those around her remarked. She left the company to become the head of Diviners, a non-profit organization founded to heal wounded souls through meditation and art.

From "fundraising girl" to "child who rediscovered herself"

Reporter: What was the turning point that led you to practice meditation?

Jasmine Nguyen:Ngan is one of two Vietnamese people who received $30,000 to undertake a round-the-world volunteer trip from billionaire Thomas Watson's foundation. Over that year, Ngan traveled to England, Rwanda, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Singapore, and Chile, staying with over 50 families and connecting with 300 social enterprises. And her work managing the Asia Pacific region at AngelHack also gave her the opportunity to travel to many countries, learn about, explore, and organize activities related to innovative entrepreneurship in different nations. She realized: all those experiences were outward-looking. The more she traveled, the more she felt compelled to turn inward to her inner world.

My pilgrimage to India and participation in a 10-day meditation retreat in Chennai made me realize that I hadn't truly understood myself. This experience allowed me to confront and deeply connect with myself. And this is what led me to practice meditation.

Interviewer: How did you share your decision with your family and those around you?

Jasmine Nguyen:I once shaved my head as a gesture of devotion during a short retreat at a temple in Dong Nai. At the time, my mother cried a lot and strongly disapproved. I also realized that I couldn't convince her with words alone; I needed to prove myself through positive changes.

I once tried to escape my strained relationship with my mother by going abroad to study at 17, but geographical distance wasn't the solution. I decided to persuade her to join me on a transformative retreat called "Turning Trash into Flowers" (Trash in the Soul) organized by Indian meditation master Ojas Oneness in Vung Tau. For the first time, I saw my mother smile so much, for the first time I saw her dance so freely like a child. After the trip, we became closer. Five days passed, and I felt like I had accomplished something I hadn't been able to express to my mother for 25 years.

PV: After practicing meditation combined with art, what noticeable changes have you experienced in your body, mind, and spirit?

Jasmine Nguyen:Meditation combined with art is like the combination of yin and yang, movement and stillness. Detaching oneself from the constant movement of life, achieving stillness, can be quite difficult for some beginners. But through artistic activities like painting and dancing, inner blockages can be cleared. One has the opportunity to observe the changes in their body, focus on themselves, and gradually enter a meditative state.

The combination of meditation and art makes meditation more accessible to many people because everyone inherently possesses an artistic soul. Once we released the blocked energies within, my mother and I laughed more and felt happier, able to be ourselves again.

PV: Meditation is often misunderstood as being detached from everyday entertainment like the internet, movies, and books. Do you feel that practicing meditation conflicts with normal entertainment content?

Jasmine Nguyen:Meditation is often confused with religious practice, sectarianism, or denominations. But in reality, meditation is a way for us to practice viewing issues objectively instead of judging them based on subjective opinions. For example, our lives are like a river constantly filled with thoughts. Our minds are easily swept away by these streams of thought. Meditation is a way for each person to detach themselves from the water, to observe issues more clearly, and to avoid being overwhelmed and swept away by difficulties and hurts.

Therefore, applying meditation to the enjoyment of entertainment will help us gain more multifaceted perspectives on movies, books, and music. We will experience and learn about the positive aspects of entertainment content or recognize its negative sides. We become more mindful and are no longer swept away by emotions as before.

Master yourself and be purely mindful.

PV: How does the high level of materialism today affect you in your meditation practice?

Jasmine Nguyen:Materialism certainly has a significant influence on meditation. However, I choose to practice meditation in everyday life, without separating myself from material things. This is challenging, but it's also an opportunity to learn self-mastery and maintain pure mindfulness. For example, when I run a non-profit organization, I naturally need funding to continue operating. Therefore, I opened a vegetarian restaurant with the hope of creating a source of support for the organization.

We live in a world driven by exchange, trade, and commerce. Undeniably, we are all part of this commercial world. My challenge now is to conduct business mindfully. To do this, I must clearly define my business purpose. I am working for the community; I am establishing a workplace for those who need jobs to live and develop themselves. This requires me to always maintain calmness and high concentration so that my mind is not swayed by the material world. For me, this is even a higher level of spiritual practice.

PV: Many people say that meditation should be comfortable and pleasant, but many others share that practicing meditation involves pain and even internal struggles. What is your experience like?

Jasmine Nguyen:For beginners, meditation can be challenging because we're not used to meditating for extended periods. We're also easily distracted by work and relationships. When faced with pain, loss, or hurt, people often seek pleasures to soothe those feelings. But in meditation, the only thing we can do is confront ourselves and those pains.

Meditation helps us to become aware of and deeply understand ourselves, thereby developing the ability to observe with insight. Once we understand healing, all wounds will gradually disappear effortlessly.

PV: How does pilgrimage to sacred lands benefit spiritual practice compared to simply practicing meditation?

Jasmine Nguyen: When I go on pilgrimages to sacred lands, I always feel so small before the universe. Furthermore, the energy of Mother Nature naturally guides me inward. Exploring a new land and culture is a way for us to acquire knowledge. But transforming that knowledge into wisdom is not easy. Because wisdom doesn't stop at understanding; it's also about comprehending the meaning of life and how to live more beautifully each day.

That's why I often choose to travel alone, following the trend of adventure travel, as a way to fully turn inward. Besides that, I also participate in meditation communities. Meeting mindful people helps me learn many good things in life.

Interviewer: Thank you very much.

Yen Nhi