Chua Duoc Su

In this world, due to all subjective and objective reasons, there will inevitably be mixed joys and sorrows. But joy is rare, so few people mention it, while obstacles always come with suffering and disasters are numerous. Therefore, people feel miserable and bored. However, humans are also very noble and great, because humans have extremely lofty ideals and pursuits. Thus, as a human being in society, you cannot satisfy the natural state and social survival, and you cannot meet the immediate circumstances that nature and culture have given to humans. Therefore, your imagination also becomes rich, such as:

- Sunset, autumn rain, falling leaves, bare branches, withered petals. A pebble exposed to the hot sun, or a wave swept away by the ocean, all can cause people to feel happy or miserable.

In different life situations, each person is different, so the suffering is at different levels for each disaster. But anyway, deprivation is still the most basic suffering in life that you and many people have experienced:

- Lack of material things, that is, the lack of basic survival conditions such as food, clothing, housing, and transportation are not guaranteed, which makes you produce material suffering.

- Lack of spirit, that is, a monotonous life, poor culture, tormented emotions, and cold and lonely circumstances make people, after eating and sleeping enough, still unable to be at ease and carefree as they like, so they give rise to suffering and boredom.

Experiencing suffering means that human life is honed. Indeed, patience, courage, ability, talent, and all the great qualities of human life are honed in suffering and disaster, in the process of testing suffering. Therefore, all those who fear suffering and avoid suffering cannot form a complete personality.

The meaning of experiencing suffering is a state of awakening and a new creative impulse that is synthesized into a great one, always making your life move toward the future. Experiencing suffering is like a good teacher, a useful friend of humanity. Human strength can only be cultivated from suffering and will grow stronger and stronger. The human soul can only be more perfect and healthy under the influence of suffering. Human creative impulses can only be happy and peaceful under the stimulation of suffering. Therefore, the Buddha always reminds and talks about suffering first so that you can recognize suffering and grasp your happiness when you have it. However, people think that Buddhism is pessimistic and has no joy. What you say is subjective, and you do not understand anything about Buddhism. In reality, Buddhism is full of vitality, full of joy, the moments of joy in Buddhism arise from the shallow to the deep in your heart through five stages of practice:

1- Joy arises from the mind of Rejoicing

Rejoicing means to follow, joy is to be happy. Rejoicing is to be happy alone. When you see your friends or relatives doing good deeds, you develop a joyful mind, that is rejoicing. The more happy the person doing good deeds is, the more happy you are. The person who develops a joyful mind is happy because you do good deeds, then the merit of the person who develops a joyful mind is equal to the merit of you doing good deeds. That is the benefit of rejoicing.

The reason rejoicing has such great merit is that those who have labor and money to help others are free from greed and selfishness. Those who develop a joyful mind are free from jealousy because normally people in the world see someone better than them and have a jealous mind. The opposite of rejoicing is jealousy. Like two Buddhists going to the temple, Person A has ten dollars to donate to the temple, and Person B doesn't have any, so he gets sad and says sarcastic things, but doesn't have the heart to rejoice and follow. Seeing someone doing something you can't do, you can't be jealous, that's a bad habit. Now you have the heart to rejoice, you have eliminated the bad habit of jealousy in you. The person who gives alms can let go of greed and selfishness, and the person who rejoices can let go of jealousy, so the merit of the two people is equal. It's similar to the first torch that is burning, and someone holding a second torch comes to light it. When the light is finished, the first torch is still burning, and the second torch is also burning, the light of the two torches is not different. When the torch is lit, the light is not diminished. Likewise, the person who does good deeds, themselves has merit, and the merit of the person who rejoices is equal to that of the person who does good deeds. The practice of rejoicing is very easy, you don't need to have a lot of money to create merit. If you just see someone doing good deeds, you know how to rejoice and praise, then you already have merit.

In the world, you often see, even siblings in the family, the younger brother fails in business and is poor, seeing the older brother prosper and become rich, the younger brother feels jealous of the older brother. Therefore, the brotherly love fades away and becomes distant. Because the jealous mind does not want anyone to be better than you, seeing someone better than you gives rise to jealousy, which is a common human disease. Therefore, when you study the Dharma, you must practice rejoicing. Rejoicing from living conditions, and behavior, to doing good deeds, etc., you should all practice rejoicing. When someone does something that you are not capable of doing, you should be happy with them. If you rejoice, people will not hate you but will love you, and may even help you. People who know how to do good deeds can let go of greed, and people who know how to rejoice can get rid of jealousy. Thus, each person gets rid of a bad habit, so the Buddha said:

- Merit is equal.

So don't feel inferior because you are poor and don't have money to donate to the temple so you don't go together. You think that is against morality. Study, understand, and apply the Buddha's teachings correctly, and then you will see that Buddhism is fair, not biased towards the rich, nor does it abandon the poor. Everyone has blessings as long as you have a good heart.

2- The second joy is joy and renunciation.

Joy is happy, renunciation is letting go. Joy and renunciation have two aspects:

- Joy and renunciation of external wealth.

- Joy and renunciation of stubborn worries in your heart.

If you have abundant wealth, you should happily give it up, helping the poor and hungry. The wealth you have created with your sweat and tears, if you feel it is enough or more, then happily give it up to the poor and needy or those who have less. That is joy and renunciation of external wealth. However, it is also a bit difficult to do, because there are many people, others see that they have more but they see that they lack. Being poor is because when you have one coin, you want two coins, when you have two coins, you want ten coins, when you have ten coins, you want thirty coins, you want until the day you die but you still feel it is not enough. That way you cannot let go. Therefore, if you want to let go, you must learn the Buddha Dharma. The Buddha taught:

- Want less, know contentment.

When you know enough, you can let go, if you do not know enough, you cannot let go. A person who does not know enough is like a bottomless bag, no matter how much you put in, it will all go away, no matter how much you put in, it will never be full, because of the disease of not knowing enough, you cannot let go. In terms of daily practice. For example, every day, at noon, you eat three bowls of rice, which is enough to be full, even if there is delicious food, you still eat three bowls, the remaining part you help others, or give food to animals. Even if it is your remaining part, it is still a way to let go. That is talking about food, there are many other things, such as clothes, you have three sets of clothes enough to wear, add a fourth set and it is more than enough, but with a fourth set you still feel it is not enough, buy a fifth set and you still feel it is not enough. So when will it be enough to let go? When you do not know enough, you will never be able to let go. If you want to let go, you must know enough, only when you know enough can you let go, the surplus is given to help others without any regret. That is the mind of joy and letting go, happily helping others, not being forced.

Joy and letting go of material things outside is difficult but easier than joy and letting go of stubborn worries in your heart. When someone bothers you, your face is sad or frowns. If you want to stop worrying, you must practice letting go. This letting go is forgiveness letting go. Worry here is worry and anger, those two things are stored in your heart, and you must let them go. Anyone who holds on to resentment will suffer, suffer from the present to the future, not just in the present. Therefore, when you know that you are holding grudges against this person or that person, you must happily let them go, meaning that you must throw away all the worries you are holding in your heart. If you want to let go of your possessions, you must know enough. Now, if you want to let go of grudges, in your heart, you must see that life is impermanent, death is near, and you do not need to hold grudges in your heart and cause more suffering. Because you think that death is coming, you can let go of grudges. Grudges only make you suffer, make others suffer, and do not benefit anyone. Reflecting like this, you let go of everything, do not get angry with anyone, and focus on cultivating a peaceful mind.

Going further, you see life as an illusion, here today, gone tomorrow. Living in a temporary and fragile world; you are temporary, people are also temporary, why don't you love each other, don't support each other. If you love each other, and support each other, then in daily life when you mix and mingle with each other, step on each other, or bother each other, you should ignore it. You must think about death, don't let your heart be sad or angry! Thinking about death, you will see that life is temporary, life has no guarantees, so why be sad or angry with each other? Let go of everything you hold in your heart. No one lives forever, so why should you be angry or resentful?

You have studied Buddhism for many years, so have you practiced letting go? When you go to the temple to worship Buddha, are you still angry with your friends and brothers?

If you are still angry, then right now pray to Buddha to witness that you let go of everything, so that your heart is empty and no longer entangled with anything. Even if you have been angry with someone for ten years or twenty or thirty years, you must let it go today. Anger is a poisonous snake, why would you keep a poisonous snake in your heart? If you keep a poisonous snake in your heart, sooner or later you will be bitten by it. Therefore, when you know that anger is a poisonous snake, you must immediately let it go, chase it out of your heart, and not keep it. Knowing this is cultivation. Anger is not happy, when there is no more anger, the mind is empty and void, then you are very happy. If you want to be happy, you must practice letting go of external things, letting go of the anger in your heart. Only when you let go of both inside and outside can you have true happiness.

The reason Maitreya Buddha smiles all the time is because he is joyful and forgiving, and you are always sad because you are stubborn and resentful. Stubborn and resentful are the causes of suffering and illness, so you must let go. You always want to be a handsome person, and you also want to be a happy person, so you should not harbor the cause of suffering. So when you are angry with someone, sad with someone, you know that you are harming yourself, making yourself bad, making you suffer, making you sick.

Forgiveness is a very necessary and precious virtue for your present life. If you want to be happy, beautiful, and live long, you must practice the virtue of forgiving. If you do not practice forgiving, you will die young, be sick, and be bad. So from now on, practice the virtue of forgiving like Maitreya. That is the second joy.

3- The third joy is Dharma Joy.

Dharma is the true Dharma, joy is happiness.

Dharma joy is happiness with the true Dharma. When you listen to the sutras and study the Dharma, you see that the Buddha's teachings are very practical truths, not far-fetched or illusory, and can be practiced, you start to feel happy, and then you feel light and happy in your heart, that is Dharma joy or Dharma happiness. The reason is that when you listen to the sutras and study the Dharma, you see the truth, and your heart is light and happy. When you listen to the sutras and study the Dharma, and feel light and happy, then you are the one who has the joy of the Dharma. But the person who listens to the sutras and studies the Dharma and sways back and forth, that person does not have the joy of the Dharma. If there is no joy when listening to the sutras and studying the Dharma, even if you go to the temple, it will be difficult to be diligent. If you enjoy something, you will try to do it. If you do not enjoy it, you will do it reluctantly and not try to do it. When you study the Dharma, you must contemplate it, then you will see that the Buddha's teachings are the truth. When you see the truth, you will be happy. That joy is the joy of the True Dharma or the joy of the Buddha Dharma, which is the true joy. When you have true joy, you will be diligent and enjoy practicing. If you do not enjoy the Dharma, even if you practice, you will only seek wealth, fame, position, etc., not practice with joy. When you study the true Dharma, you will be happy with the Dharma and practice, not seeking anything else. So when you listen to the sutras or read Buddhist books, you must diligently contemplate it. Thinking correctly, ultimately seeing the truth, then you will be happy. That joy creates the strength that makes you diligent on the path of practice.

When you have that joy, you are less likely to be discouraged by difficulties or obstacles. But when you read the sutras and feel sleepy, or yawn while chanting, then you cannot find joy in the path. Without joy, it is difficult to progress in your practice. That is the joy of Dharma joy or Dharma happiness.

4- A deeper joy is the Delight of Meditation.

The delight of Meditation is joy in meditation. In Zen, it is described that during meditation, when your body and mind are at peace, your breathing is light, at that time you feel light and relaxed, different from usual. This joy is light and airy, not a joyful, bustling joy. Only when you are deep in meditation, your body is at peace, your breathing is regulated, and your mind is focused, then a light joy appears, this joy is called Zen pleasure by Buddhists.

Newcomers to meditation feel pain in their legs, their bodies are tired, and sweat flows, it is not fun at all, so some people say that meditation is as painful as a punishment. But when you get used to meditation, your body and mind feel light and peaceful. When it is time to meditate and you do not sit, you feel like something is missing, like when it is time to eat but you do not eat, you feel hungry. Meditation must be like that too. Therefore, you must go and meditate to feel at peace, like when you are hungry and need to eat, you must eat to be full. That is why it is called the Food of Bliss of Meditation.

5- The fifth joy is The bliss of cessation.

This joy is rarely heard. It comes from the peaceful mind expressed through four verses in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra:

- All actions are impermanent

It is the place where all dharmas arise and cease

Birth and cessation are like that

Take the peaceful cessation as joy.

Peace and joy are combined with the first and last words of the last verse which is the ultimate joy of a practitioner. The first two joys are close to those who are new to the Dharma, but most Buddhists have not yet realized it, they have to realize from the first joy to the second joy, have those two joys then move on to the third, fourth joy, and finally the fifth joy which is peace and joy. Peace is quiet, joy is joy, and peace, and joy is a peaceful and happy mind.

The four verses above show you:

- Action here means the activity of the body, mouth, and mind are active. The body, mouth, and mind are active, creating karma, either good karma or bad karma. Karma comes from thoughts, words, and actions; However, thoughts disappear, words are lost, but actions of the body do not disappear, that is creating karma. However, we still call the body, mouth, and mind the place where karma is created, destroyed, and impermanent, so we say:

- It is the place where all dharmas are born and destroyed

That is, the dharmas are born and destroyed and are not permanent. Thus, all actions created in the world are impermanent and therefore suffering. After the birth and destruction are destroyed, then comes the place of nirvana. Birth and destruction here are the birth and destruction of karma of the mind, karma of the mouth, and karma of the body, but mainly the mind. Because the mind is active, the karma of the mind is still, even if it speaks or acts, it is nirvana. Thus, after all delusions are completely quiet and no longer agitated, the mind is nirvana. The nirvana of the mind is the place of true peace, unborn and undying. The mind is unborn and undying, that is Nirvana. That is the ultimate true joy that few people enjoy.

You who study and practice according to Buddha have shallow joy and deep joy.

- First, the joy of rejoicing is easy to do without effort, just let go of your jealous mind.

- Second, the joy of spending effort and money is to let go of your possessions and let go of the things that are in your mind. If you can let go of those two things, you will have the joy of letting go.

- Third, the joy of Dharma joy or Dharma happiness. This joy requires effort to contemplate and study the Buddha Dharma, then you will have the joy of peace in the teachings.

- Fourth, meditation, meditation requires effort for many months and years of practice to have the joy of meditation.

- Fifth, you will have the joy of meditation, and then finally you will have the joy of tranquility; that is, the mind is quiet, empty, without a single thought stirring, seeing all things as perfect and beautiful. There is no longer any distinction between this is bad, that is good, but only one true thought. Therefore, in Zen, it is called:

- Touching the eyes is Bodhi

That is, seeing everything is Bodhi, seeing anything is enlightenment; seeing people and things is joy,

In short, in your family, whoever is rich, whoever is well-off, whoever is happy, you are happy as if you had it yourself. In society, from friends to neighbors, whoever is rich, whoever has a title, you are happy as if you had it yourself. In religion, whoever has something good, you are happy as if you had it yourself, then there is no more suffering, there is always joy; rejoice with the joy of others!

You are not separated by jealousy, losing the brotherhood in the family, losing the friendship in society, and losing the friendship in the temple. In moments of joy, you should rejoice in the merits of everyone. If you can do so, wherever you go, you will have joy, even if you are empty-handed, unable to help anyone. On the contrary, you are poor and wear torn clothes, seeing others wearing nice clothes, you are jealous, and your face is down. How can there be any joy like that? Wherever you go, you are sad because you see people better than you, so you are filled with sadness. You should know this, in life, how can you be equal to everyone? Now you know how to rejoice when you see someone who has something better, you are happy with them, happy for them. The thought of a Buddhist must be the thought of making everyone free from suffering. Buddha is the savior of all living beings, you are a Buddhist, that is, a child of Buddha, you must have the concept of making all living beings free from suffering; if not free from suffering, at least reduce suffering. Seeing people less suffering in terms of food, clothing, or less suffering in something makes you happy. If you are jealous, you are not a child of Buddha. Therefore, to have moments of joy, a Buddhist must know how to develop a mind of joy, be happy with anyone who has something good, and not be jealous. That is the most sacred moment of joy.