 Trí was born in Bình Tuoc, Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai Province, French Indochina, just northeast of Saigon.His father was a wealthy landowner and his grandfather served as a Nguyễn Dynasty mandarin during the French colonial era.He earned his baccalaureate (Part II) from Petrus Ký High School, Saigon.