Full biography

The Life and Journey of Thầy Minh Tuệ

1981

Early Life — Born in Hà Tĩnh

Minh Tuệ, born Lê Anh Tú, came into this world in 1981 in Kỳ Văn commune, Kỳ Anh district, Hà Tĩnh province, in central Vietnam. He was the second of four children in his family.

In 1994, his family relocated to Gia Lai province in the Central Highlands. There, Lê Anh Tú completed high school, then fulfilled three years of mandatory military service. After his discharge, he went on to study at the Tây Nguyên College of Forestry.

After graduating, he worked as a land surveyor for a private company in Gia Lai. Despite a stable life, he felt a deep inner void — an unanswered question about the true meaning of existence.

“I always felt that something greater was waiting for me — a path that could only be walked with bare feet.”
In his own words

2015

Renunciation — Taking the Name Minh Tuệ

In 2015, Lê Anh Tú left his job and secular life behind, taking the dharma name Minh Tuệ — meaning "Radiance of Wisdom." He departed from any monastery to live in solitary retreat in a mountain cave, going out each day to beg for food.

He chose the path of Dhutanga — a form of ascetic practice in Theravāda Buddhism with the strictest rules: receiving food only through alms-giving, accumulating no possessions, sleeping outdoors or under trees, and never using money.

He has always humbly refused the title of "monk," saying he feels "unworthy." The state-controlled Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has also declined to recognize him. However, the independent Unified Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam has affirmed the legitimacy of his practice.

“I am not a monk. I am only someone trying to practice according to the Buddha's teachings.”
In his own words

2018 – 2023

Three Pilgrimages — The Quiet Years

From 2018 to 2023, Minh Tuệ completed three walking pilgrimages across Vietnam in near-total obscurity, largely unnoticed by the public. He walked thousands of kilometers, practicing strict Dhutanga asceticism and living entirely on the generosity of people he met along the road.

During these years, he sought no public attention. No cameras, no livestreams, no followers. Only bare footsteps on red dirt roads, highways, and mountain trails.

These were the spiritual foundation for everything that would follow. Those three silent pilgrimages forged in him a rare inner strength and steadiness — not for show, but to truly live.

“I tried everything to find happiness. And I realized that happiness was not in anything I searched for.”
In his own words

2024

A Phenomenon — The Fourth Pilgrimage

Minh Tuệ's fourth pilgrimage in 2024 attracted unprecedented public attention. Thousands of people spontaneously joined him on the road, causing traffic disruptions and security concerns across many provinces.

Images and videos of him spread rapidly across social media, making him the biggest internet phenomenon in Vietnam that year. The outpouring of public interest sparked deeper questions about religious freedom and the state's control over spiritual activity.

In early June 2024, Vietnamese authorities forcibly dispersed the group of followers accompanying him. This event further fueled international debate about freedom of religion and belief in Vietnam.

“It is not I who inspire people. Perhaps I only remind them of something they already knew.”
In his own words

2024 —

International Pilgrimage — From Vietnam to India

On December 12, 2024, Minh Tuệ began an international pilgrimage — a long journey following in the footsteps of the Buddha. He walked through Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, before entering India and Nepal, the birthplace of Buddhism.

On this journey, he was accompanied by a retired police officer who volunteered to serve as his bodyguard. The pilgrimage continued to be followed by millions of Vietnamese and international observers through social media.

The story of Minh Tuệ — from a land surveyor in Gia Lai to a practitioner admired by millions — is a testament that authenticity and simplicity, in any age, still move the human heart most deeply.

“One step can change the world. Not because that step is powerful, but because it is true.”
In his own words