The Harmony of Social Work and Religion
by Do Van Trai, MSSW
It has been 10 years since the first day of my involvement in the social work world in 2006. It was not too long, but surprisingly, my feeling and passion are still intact. Since that year, in many different ways, social work has transformed me both in personal and professional ways. In this writing, I would like to share my idea as the thanksgiving gift to all social workers who laid the first groundwork for the development of social work nowadays.
It is important to think about the combination of social work and religion. This idea came to me during my years studying at Asian Social Institute. In my school, everyone follows a religion. Some follow Catholic, others are Buddhist or Muslim. It is something really special that I have never experienced in the past. The school has a chapel, so during the years there, although I am Buddhist and not Catholic, I did attend mass every night. From my side, I suppose that it isn’t different between Catholic, Buddhism, and Muslim. All religions aim to help human beings build a pure life. In ASI, my time was not only for study but also contemplation about harmony between social work and religion. I hypothesized social work as a way to lead and religion as a guideline. By practicing the harmony, social workers are able to leave selfishness/ego out.
An unforgettable part of my memories from ASI is the trips to Talim Island. I often went there with Professor Dennis Batoy, who was ASI’s vice president. We together worked with poor and uneducated women to empower them with activities such as planting, fishing, and training. I also practiced my theory while working with these women. I have realized that it was really useful. I could listen to their sharing joyfully and comfortably. It was the first step, and then I encouraged them to do the works by their hands. It was really hard, but I always kept believing and went along with them from the beginning to the end.
In Buddhist teaching, the word Nirvana comes from the root meaning "to blow out" and refers to the extinguishing of the fires of greed, hatred, and delusion. When these emotional and psychological defilements are destroyed by wisdom, the mind becomes free, radiant, and joyful. This means that Nirvana is not far away from our life; it exists around us. Therefore, I believe that social work is one of the keys to open Nirvana. Now, I am confident in saying that I am proud to be a social worker and I commit my life to social work development in particular and a better world in general. Thank you to social work.
Do Van Trai received the Master of Science in Social work in 2013. He is a Professor of Social Work, University of Labor and Social Affairs, Trung Hoa Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam. His fields of interest are gender equality and people with disabilities.