DHARMA IN EVERYDAY LIFE

By Nhat Quan

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Being born as a human is not easy, because you have to go through countless reincarnations, changing myriad lives to transform from matter, plants, and animals to humans, enduring innumerable hardships and sufferings. Therefore, the Venerables often teach:

- It is difficult to obtain a human body

It is difficult to encounter the Buddha's Dharma

Yet today you have obtained a human body, and also know the true Dharma to practice, that is a very great blessing. You have obtained this blessing thanks to your practice in previous lives. Only by reincarnation can you evolve, no one in this world can escape it, even a Great Arhat who descends to earth without practicing cannot return to his old position.

There is a question:

- Who are we, where do we come from, what do we come to this world to do, and must endure thousands of sufferings, birth, aging, sickness, death... Where do we go after death? Will we be reborn in this world again?

Many questions torment the mind of a thinking person.

Today, science has made great progress, above astronomy, below geography, using atomic energy, making human material life as comfortable as the Gods. With jet planes, instantaneous information via radio, internet, and handheld mobile phones, you can talk to anyone, anywhere in the world, anytime. But it has not yet answered the above questions to your satisfaction. However, because humans have not yet progressed spiritually to a high and pure level, humans have not yet been able to use all the powers that the Creator has prepared for humans. Because whatever the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Immortals have, humans have them all. However, as a human being, karmic ties, human senses are limited to the material form, so the six senses:

- Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind

Have not yet achieved the six supernatural powers, that is:

- Eye supernatural powers, ear supernatural powers, telepathy supernatural powers...

That is why you still have many consequences of endless suffering. The true masters: Vietnam, Tibet, India, and China have attained the Way in this world and they have achieved those secrets. Meanwhile, because you are still a common mortal, still have the seven emotions, and the six desires, and still have many low desires, you do not know anything further. Today, thanks to the Holy Masters, especially the Buddhist masters, who have gradually revealed that humans with their physical bodies are composed of seven elements:

- Earth, water, fire, wind, space, perception, and consciousness.

And:

- Five Aggregates

According to the Venerable:

- Humans come to this world to enjoy blessings or repay karma,

Through this humans temporarily borrow a limited time of this physical body to learn, practice, and cultivate to advance to the ranks of Gods, Saints, Immortals, and Buddhas. Therefore, you should not consider this tangible, perishable body as lasting, eternally lasting to seek immortality. Do not embrace, cling to, and be a slave to the urge of lust to create unjust sins, but must be dragged forever into the cycle of reincarnation, borrowing and repaying, repaying and repaying, never-ending.

According to the teachings of the Buddha:

- To do the work of evolution, to escape from the cycle of reincarnation, in an evolutionary chain of the same consciousness, but with different forms..., in each stage, each process is borrowed differently to progress.

Therefore, there is no place where the form is immutable. After a long period of evolution, those consciousnesses are like one or more travelers, from East to West, from South to North, who have changed many means of transportation. Each consciousness, for the means, is the body of each stage that you have carried.

When you come to this world for a certain period, either one lifetime or hundreds of thousands of lifetimes. Finally, you will return to the source, the place where your true mind and Buddha nature originate. Buddhism calls this returning to the origin. But to return to the origin, you must find a way to escape the cycle of suffering and degradation in this world of suffering! The Buddhas often teach that:

- If you want to escape the state of suffering and degradation, the first thing is that you must judge the truth and falsehood of life.

All that is material, tangible, illusory, and fleeting, even if temporarily borrowed, will only last a hundred years and then perish, but how many people live to be hundreds of years old? Even if you have one, you are just a decrepit old man, with gray hair, wrinkled skin, and weak and trembling hands and feet. Living with a withered and old body, heavy karma is constantly tormenting you. Even if you have many children and grandchildren, you are the only one who can bear it, you alone carry it, day and night. That is not to mention the time when you carry heavy karma and serious illness. Even if you are in a silver mine, a gold mine, with many relatives, but compared to a lonely and emaciated person, living in a corner of a market under a bridge, how is the physical suffering any different? That is only discussing the human body, not discussing the black and white, honor and shame, the warm and cold changes of life and affairs. As you all know, because of the binding force of karma that creates a body, no one has escaped the suffering of the physical form. Although, at first, it is the essence secreted by the parents, borrowing interrelated elements to form. Although supported by the seven elements, these seven things are always in conflict with each other. Therefore, impermanence, aging, sickness, and death do not make an appointment with anyone. Morning remains, evening disappears, and in a moment you pass to another life. It is like the dew in the early morning of spring, in a moment it is no longer lasting. Like this thought following another thought, changing extremely quickly, so in a moment, an exhalation without returning is already another life. So you should not calmly let your life pass by in vain.

Some of you do not know that being a human is difficult, and even more so do not take the path of cultivating goodness as the most important, so you freely create sins. Sins are created even more sins, most recently in everyday life. Therefore, you do not serve your parents with sweetness, and you abandon and distance yourself from your relatives. You are incapable of peace and order towards society, and you abandon all your inheritance obligations towards your family, and you abandon your village and neighborhood. Sins only cause more sin.

Therefore, to support the path of transformation for human life, the Buddha appeared in the world to teach sentient beings, to enlighten the ignorance of human life, and to teach the rules of dignity and purity as ice and snow. To stop is to keep. To act is to commit a crime. That principle restrains the initial mind, the rules are complete, the chapters and sections are clear, and this precept helps you to change and abandon evil. Yet you do not know how to appreciate it. It is truly regrettable to let a life pass by empty, and later regret is difficult to catch up. If you have never kept the teachings of liberation in your heart, then you cannot attain the wonderful Dharma.

That is why many of you reach old age, but your stomach is empty and you don't know anything, because you don't want to be close to good friends and wise people, so you only know how to live, behave arrogantly, and you have no control over your body and mind. You speak loudly and loudly with your relatives and those around you. You don't know how to be respectful to each other. Such behavior is due to your initial laziness, so your evil desires just keep increasing. Then old age comes in the blink of an eye.

When you fall ill and lie in bed, all the pain surrounds you, constrains you, makes you worry day and night, and makes you feel terrified, the road ahead is vast, and you don't know where to go. Only then do you know how to regret, like someone about to die of thirst digging a well, it's too late? You can only be angry at yourself for not preparing to practice early because, in your old age, there are many sins, so when you are about to leave this life, your life falls apart very quickly, and your heart becomes even more terrified. Your consciousness must follow the force of karma. Like a debtor, whoever is strong will pull first, a mind with many evil karma will fall into the heavier place first. Therefore, the devil of impermanence and murder always haunts the mind. One thought follows another, causing harm without stopping. Life cannot be prolonged, time does not wait. Thus, the three realms of samsara cannot be escaped, and such a body is hard to describe the long time in samsara.

The sad thing is that you were born in a time far from the time of Buddha. Therefore, you do not know much about the Buddha's teachings, your heart is lazy, and you are also arrogant and conceited. If you do not eliminate your arrogant nature, it is really difficult to change your life to become a noble person. Yet you only think about sitting upright, folding your arms, and do not know how to cherish every inch of time. If you do not make an effort to practice, the result of the path will not have the factor of accomplishment. Thus, not only will this life pass in vain, but everything in future lives will also be of no benefit. Therefore, the Venerables often say:

- The world is a place of ephemeral, a river of delusion, and temporary. Don't be too attached to it and destroy your evolution path.

When you know how to transform, you have taken steps to reach a vast horizon, with a mind and image completely different from the secular world. You continue the lineage of the Buddha brilliantly, causing evil karma to disappear, to repay the four favors, saving the three realms. To finally have a dignified body and a beautiful appearance, a noble spirit. Being like that is due to the good roots planted in previous lives so that you can have that special retribution. The opposite of evolution is to fall into the cycle of reincarnation. Therefore, you should remember that humans are creatures with a more sacred nature than all things. You know what is right, what is wrong, what is good and evil, what is sin and virtue, what is shameless, and what is not shameless. You must know how to evolve yourself, that is the duty of being a human being in this world. The question is how to evolve.

According to the Buddha's teachings, If you want to evolve the only way is through studying and practicing to light the lamp of the Dharma and keep that sacred light forever in the heart, which is self-awareness. Next is to bring the Dharma to life, which is to awaken others to awaken and enlighten people to understand, to together light the lamp of the Dharma, which in Buddhism is called the lamp of the mind. It can also be said that:

- First is to practice the Buddha Dharma

Then is to transform sentient beings

That is:

After studying the Dharma, the mission of each person is, in addition to self-cultivation and self-liberation, to also bring the Dharma into life to enlighten sentient beings, so that they can quickly awaken, turn from evil to good, and turn from evil to righteousness. To gradually improve from oneself to human society to the utmost goodness, the utmost beauty.

If you are determined, wearing the Dharma robe, to escape the cycle of birth and death, then thinking like that morning and night, you must be diligent. In your heart, you make an appointment for yourself to be a worthy Buddhist, a pillar of the Dharma, a model for the future, you often think like that. When speaking, you must relate to the scriptures, when discussing, you must rely on the research of the source.

On the path of evolution, going far, you must rely on good friends to always purify your eyes and ears, staying close, you must choose good friends to often hear things you have not heard. Therefore, the proverb says:

- Giving birth to you is your parents,

Being famous, and building a career is thanks to friends.

Being close to good people is like walking in the dew, although your clothes do not get wet, they are always soaked. Being close to evil people will increase your knowledge of evil. Doing evil morning and night, the evil retribution is right before your eyes, and after death, you must sink into the evil path. When the human body is lost, it is difficult to restore it for many lifetimes.

Therefore, when you decide to live a meaningful human life, you should meditate and study the Dharma, abandon trivial desires, spend time studying extensively with spiritual masters, and be close to good friends. The profound Dharma must grasp its mysterious place, so you must urgently apply your mind subtly and maturely, only then can you hope to one day suddenly realize the true cause, only then can you gradually make progress in transcending afflictions. And thus, you destroy the evil karma factor in the three realms, all the dharmas of the body, mind, and universe are known to be unreal, they are only manifestations of the mind.

Do not let your mind run after the worldly scene, if your mind does not run after the worldly scene, the scene will not hinder your mind. Let the Dharma nature be revealed completely, do not cut it off, but also do not continue it. Seeing colors, and hearing sounds, but just consider it normal, then your mind will not be disturbed.

Living in both movement and stillness like this is truly not wasting a life of studying the Dharma, which is also repaying the four graces, and helping the three realms. If you never regress like this, then Buddhahood can be expected, and you will become a guest passing through the three realms, so your coming and going will set a model for others.

The Buddha Dharma is sublime and extremely mysterious. I only worry that you do not have enough determination to practice it to the end. As a mortal, you are still burdened with worldly debts and cannot immediately transcend them. Therefore, you should put all your mind into the Dharma, memorize it and find the scriptures clearly, examine the meaning thoroughly, then propagate it to guide the future and repay the Buddha's grace. Do not waste your time, but use the merits of the Buddhas to support your life. In this way, both movement and stillness will have dignity, and you will become a person who understands the Dharma in the world. Many people have doubted this. Consider it as a type of vine that cannot rise above the ground by itself, but when it wraps around a pine tree, it can soar up to a thousand meters high. Therefore, you must entrust your life to the supreme factor, then you will have the ability to create great benefits. Therefore, you must sincerely keep the precepts, do not be deceitful, deficient, or neglect. Because the precepts are the ultimate cause that brings the ultimate result in every life.

Therefore, you should not waste all day, toil all day, and let time be lost regretfully without seeking to move forward and overcome. Thus, you have consumed the time of your human life in vain, and you have also betrayed all four graces. Then the more you accumulate consequences, the easier it is for the dust of the mind to clog it, so you cannot do anything properly, and everyone looks down on you. To encourage this spirit, the Buddha taught:

- If someone else is a great man, then I can do the same.

Therefore, do not despise yourself and retreat and submit to circumstances. If not, you will only live a human life in vain, gradually spending your whole life without really having any benefit at all.

In the direction of transformation, the Venerables advise:

- I hope you will rise with a resolute spirit, and open up a lofty ambition. All movements and stillness look up to the superior ones and do not arbitrarily live according to vile habits.

In this life alone, you must resolve yourself, and that is something you do for yourself, not someone else. By stopping your mind, releasing your consciousness, and no longer interacting with the worldly world.

A human body is indeed difficult to obtain, from countless eons of evolution you have become a human being. In this finite body there is an eternal, indestructible life, which has gone through countless eons of defilements, changed many names, many bodies, and remains. That indestructible thing is present in you.

You already know that this indestructible thing is your True Nature, your life, your Buddha Nature. If you separate it, this body composed of seven elements will return to the seven elements. If you understand this, then you must soon awaken, so that you no longer focus on clinging to this finite body but focus on your Buddha Nature, your Consciousness. Therefore, you must know how to borrow the fake to find the real to become a God, a Saint, an Immortal, a Buddha.

Whoever cannot do it is because he is still infatuated with the superficial fame and profit on the outside and forgets the life inside. Then he embraces the fake, his whole life is a slave to it without knowing how to value it, to polish it. So, you have condemned yourself to suffer in the lacquer of fame, position, power, food, and shelter because of it. Only when you recognize this will you not be confused and mistaken, valuing the fake and despising the real.

The fake is something limited and will be destroyed. The real is something that cannot be destroyed, so you need to know how to preserve and cultivate it with whatever you need to preserve so that its miraculous effects will last forever. That is the miraculous effect of the Dharma for you to seek and cultivate. Truly, the Immortals and Buddhas have realized it, the Sages and Saints are not mistaken because for countless eons, there have been countless people who have realized the Dharma, attained the Buddhas and Immortals that you are admiring and worshiping.

So the Dharma is the Dharma method that helps you practice to have a strong body, less illness, a harmonious body, and a peaceful, relaxed, and leisurely mind, free from worries and illnesses.

Path is the natural vitality, the salvation from the cycle of birth and death for humans. The Dharma is the Prajna boat, the means to take you across the river, from the shore of delusion to the shore of enlightenment, but when you cross the river you must leave the raft behind. You should not cling to the Dharma, the main thing is to attain the Path, to be liberated, that is the ultimate goal. Therefore, you must make up for your efforts, and establish virtue to completely end the karmic obstacles you have caused in the past. That way, you have created a foundation that can build a solid Dharma house, and support your practice to reduce the hardships and trials. Because:

- The Path is like a boat,

- Virtue is like water,

With water, the boat can sail smoothly on the waves. Therefore, you must cultivate to meet the Path with Virtue, then you can practice and attain enlightenment. The capital of merit is compassion, wisdom, charity, and forgiveness, whether big or small, it is merit. Do not hesitate to be rich or poor, depending on your ability, do not hesitate when you help someone with a pill, a bowl of rice, or a shirt, it is also merit. Regarding the practice of merit, according to the Buddhist scriptures:

a. Mahayana Buddhism, the Six Paramitas teach people to do good deeds:

1. Do not think of yourself as the one giving the favor.

2. Do not think of the other person as the one receiving your favor.

3. Do not think of the thing given as charity.

b. The teachings of Liberation also teach you to do good deeds with the spirit of selflessness, anonymity, meritlessness, and non-profit. You do it out of compassion for the suffering, considering it as necessary as food, medicine, and breathing.

Helping people without claiming credit, without mentioning their name, without leaving any traces, without asking for repayment is truly immeasurable merit. The important thing is that you must have a sincere heart, have enough faith in the Dharma, and accept the test because:

- Without demonic examination, the Great Way cannot be achieved.

Therefore, if you do not have a sincere and patient Dharma heart, sooner or later you will have to suffer and sink into the cycle of birth and death in this miserable world. Therefore, if you sincerely study the Dharma, you will gain three benefits as follows:

1- First, your spirit will be harmonized, and your body and mind will be at peace. When your spirit, body, and mind are at peace, your body will be fresh and healthy, you will not have to worry about getting sick every time the weather changes and you will not have to spend money on medicine.

2- Second, your mind will be at peace, and your heart will not be impulsive, calculating, angry, or resentful. Therefore, you will feel light and peaceful and easily recognize your mistakes and correct them. The mind is clear and intelligent to easily solve all problems that arise.

3. Third, you can be close to the Divine by the method of purifying your mind and meditating. You will receive good fortune, which will open your compassion and wisdom. Your temperament will be gentle, your anger will be reduced, and your words will be lovely, gentle, and able to influence others.

Those are the three main practical points that the Dharma will bring to you while you are still in the world to live a good life as a human being. As for becoming a Saint or a Buddha, when your merit is complete, you will naturally achieve the fruition. Because, from ancient times, Buddhas, Saints, and Sages who have attained fruition are also no exception.

Therefore, the conduct and morality of a virtuous practitioner, once you know that this world is a field of evolution for all living beings, then you should return to live with the Dharma and step up the Mahayana ladder to learn and practice liberation. Free yourself from the afflictions that besiege your soul, and cover up your true nature, so that you can become a truly complete person. Once you have accepted to abandon the fake to find the truth, even if it is the first step, you must be careful in life, eating, dressing, living, rich or poor, you must maintain moderation, and contentment, and follow your fate, so that your inner self can be at peace. From thoughts, actions, and language, you must be humble, and gentle, but not lose your dignity and solemnity.

In short, in the direction of not wasting a human life, you should always be vigilant, encourage your mind, and always do your own thing, do not let your body drift along with your temperament. Because the pull of karma is really difficult to avoid, if the form is straight, the shadow must be straight. Cause and effect are clear like that. In the sutra, it is said that even if you go through hundreds of thousands of lifetimes, the karma you have created will not disappear. Once the causes and conditions are met, you must bear the consequences you have created. For that reason, be aware that the three realms are all punishments that bind and kill people. Therefore, you must strive to practice diligently, do not let your life pass by day and night in a waste

When you deeply and painfully realize all the sins and disasters of those sins, then you should try to concentrate on practicing. You should vow that for hundreds of lifetimes, thousands of lifetimes, wherever you are, you will be friends of the Buddha Dharma for each other:

- Cultivation is the method to cure worldly diseases,

Practice is to cut off greed, anger, and lust.

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