DHARMA IN EVERYDAY LIFE

By Nhat Quan

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When you are concerned with the social community, how to make the human community live in peace, prosperity, happiness, and harmony, then according to the Venerables:

- Basically, you must know how to connect with others.

This is a feeling of attraction to a larger group of people than yourself, where you feel a sense of community, strengthening the community relationship. Therefore, you need to find a way to create friendships with others, to establish a sense of connection like brothers and sisters.

The point here is that you must become aware of what is considered basic for you to connect with others, and learn the various ways in which you can connect with them. Consider carefully. Analyze. Ask yourself, what are the different characteristics that you can share with others. Therefore, to have a good relationship and human happiness, you must first know some basic premises.

- First, you have to know what factors in society can influence individual happiness.

- Second, you have to look at the factors that can influence human happiness, a sense of connection with others and a broader sense of community play a key role in human happiness.

- Third, you look at the trends in modern society, and see the increasing isolation, or connection between one nation and another, between one community and another, and the lack of a deep sense of connection between people.

The more you reflect on this fundamental problem, the more it seems that the whole of modern life is surrounded by this problem, creating it, feeding it, pushing it forward, and taking you to bigger and bigger problems, and potentially even disasters. Underlying this erosion of social bonds are complex social forces. The forces of a terrible and pervasive power destroy human peace. In a society that is moving faster and faster, these social forces seem to be creating a powerful current that is pulling you inwardly.

So the question arises. How do you slow down the force of this terrifying current that seems to be carrying you to greater misery, and perhaps even destruction?

According to the Venerables, the way to build a stronger sense of community is to develop a deeper awareness and to create bonds between you and others. Such awareness can be developed by carefully reflecting on the characteristics you share with others and the common concerns of a human being. These bonds have deep roots in the spiritual heritage. They go back to the Sixth Century BC when Buddhism began in India and spread throughout the world. It seems logical that this ancient teaching of consciousness, of oneness, or spirituality, should strengthen the bonds and growth of the community.

Reflecting on the decline of your sense of community, the growing alienation in your society, and the destructive forces that create them, these initially seemed to be truly insoluble problems. But now they seem solvable by beginning to build a renewed sense of community, a sense of solidarity, through which you must know, or have the art of listening to others to find the truth with complete clarity.

Happiness or suffering depends entirely on you. Take responsibility decisively into your own hands, instead of into the hands of those forces that only know how to make human life plunge into the hatred and conflict that pervades society. Of course, you don’t have to change the course of modern society to create a greater sense of community. You just have to act, each person, each moment, reaching out to connect, to resonate with others with similar interests, which is everyone, and you have to learn the art of listening. The art of listening is the virtue of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva.

Remember, when you want to practice the listening vow of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, while your mind is always running after wandering thoughts, your body is always acting in a way that is not beneficial to others, then you cannot sit still, to listen to the voices of others. In the Surangama Sutra, the Buddha taught:

- The six senses are the cause of the cycle of birth and death and the six senses are also the cause of liberation.

Therefore, after the Buddha asked his 25 holy disciples to present their practice and attainment, the Buddha taught Bodhisattva Manjushri to choose the perfect sense organ to practice. Finally, Bodhisattva Manjushri chose the ear organ as the most perfect sense organ above all other practices. That is the way to practice:

- Listening back, listening to the self-nature of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.

Listening back means that instead of from the past until now, you have been running after sounds, having sound means hearing, no sound means not hearing, forgetting your constant listening nature. Now you are aware of the connection between you and others in the social community, you know how to practice, just remember that you have a clear knowing nature, listening to everything without being attached to any particular sound.

Avalokiteshvara means observing, examining, and listening to the suffering of others to save them according to circumstances. He always contemplates life by listening to sounds according to the principles of dependent origination, selflessness, and altruism, thereby knowing how to help you overcome worries and fears, and escape the bondage of suffering.

Bodhisattva is someone who has attained enlightenment but is not completely like Buddha, is someone willing to share suffering and pain, to alleviate the pain and unhappiness of all living beings. Because Bodhisattva understands the truth of life, he does not see himself as the giver, the receiver, or the beneficiary. Therefore, he connects equally with love and opens his heart without distinguishing between relatives or enemies. In other words, the practice of listening is to always listen to others praising and criticizing you, while you still maintain a calm attitude, without any disturbance in your mind. That is the person who has transcended the practice of listening. That is why Bodhisattva Manjushri advised the masses and Ananda:

- Turn your listening organ, and return to listening to your listening nature, achieving the listening nature is the supreme path. This is the path to Nirvana of all Buddhas as numerous as dust particles.

Because the listening nature is the natural operation of a normal body. Listening to makes it pleasant to the ears, especially when you hear sweet words. Listening to make yourself angry, frustrated, and suffering when hearing harsh criticism makes you feel extremely uncomfortable. For ordinary beings, listening is already difficult, and for those with high positions, wealth, power, fame, etc., listening is even more difficult. Because the ego is already expanding. Moreover, people have two fears:

- One is fear of inner thoughts

That is, human thoughts never stop, like monkeys swinging from tree to tree, and horses running in the fields.

- Two is fear of external obstacles.

When you have wealth, you have to protect it, fear of thieves…

You just practice the virtue of listening, you can perfect yourself through a pure body, mouth, and mind. Listen to others speak or listen to them confide their sadness due to loss and pain. You can listen to all the cries for help from all living beings. In such a respectful way, you can achieve a part of the virtue of listening.

By practicing the virtue of listening, you can sympathize and forgive each other, through the bridge of love, and become a refuge for your family and relatives, like Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara who is present everywhere to save suffering beings.

In the era of civilization and material science, the explosion of information to spread inaccurate news, confused many people, such as rumors that the world will disappear in the year 2000, and in 2012... Therefore, practicing listening to bring you a source of joy and happiness is necessary. Listening is a magical miracle, helping you to have faith in the face of life's storms.

The reason why the listening practice of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is honored with an inconceivable title is that he always spreads joy to everyone and is ready to help all living beings overcome fear and suffering, who are suffering from many misfortunes in life. Such as natural disasters, fires, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, being harmed by evil spirits, being imprisoned, being robbed, being usurped by kings and mandarins, and poverty and hardship. With the listening practice, you let others pour out their hearts and you are the one who knows how to listen. You just need to listen, respectfully and with understanding, then that person's suffering and pain will be reduced to some extent. You practice following the listening practice of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, as a solid spiritual support for everyone to imitate and follow. From a common person, you can become a noble Saint thanks to knowing how to recite His holy name. Because the sutra has said:

- Chanting the name of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the merit is more excellent than all.

So the question is, how do you chant?

The answer is:

- Reflecting on your true hearing nature, so that you are not influenced by external sounds, therefore you always live with the hearing nature.

Chanting the name of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is a method of practicing contemplation of life so that you can see its true and false nature. Therefore, each of you must save yourself, and overcome the suffering that is present. Wherever there is unhappiness and suffering, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is appearing. Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara has incarnated into many components of society, depending on the causes and conditions, the Bodhisattva saves sentient beings. As in the Lotus Sutra, the Universal Gate Chapter says:

- Sometimes it is necessary to be a king, then be a king, sometimes it is necessary to be a prime minister, then be a prime minister, until the poor….,

That is, whatever the living beings need, the Bodhisattva manifests according to that cause and condition, to suit the wishes and aspirations of everyone. Or to put it more clearly, the Bodhisattva enters the world to give medicine according to the illness. Therefore, if you want to practice the virtue of listening effectively to save living beings, you must know the roots and preferences of each living being. For example:

- The Bodhisattva sees that living beings are greedy, stingy, miserly, selfish, petty, and possessive of their private interests, which are the cause of suffering, so he should generously give alms, help, and share, to eliminate the narrow-mindedness of anger and greed.

- The Bodhisattva sees the poor and needy, the Bodhisattva is willing to give alms, wealth, or strength to help whenever necessary. Thanks to his wholehearted help, Bodhisattva can easily approach and be loved by many people, thus easily subduing them through charity and sharing.

- When Bodhisattva sees living beings suffering and sorrow, Bodhisattva must use sweet, gentle, soft, and lovely words to soothe and comfort them, and not speak harshly or rudely. Because, if you help people but are arrogant and scolding like that, it is easy to make them hate, sad and miserable. Bodhisattva skillfully uses kind and gentle words, but honestly, so it is easy to succeed in the practice of listening.

- When seeing living beings being lazy and enjoying themselves, Bodhisattva must actively do something to benefit living beings, not just talk in vain. Thanks to that, they will believe, and then Bodhisattva uses the Dharma to help them turn to goodness, believe deeply in cause and effect, stop evil, and do good.

- If you want to encourage people to practice virtue together, Bodhisattva must work together, Bodhisattva must be diligent and good at many professions to work and live together with them. By living closely together, Bodhisattvas have the opportunity to use the Dharma to convince them, to deeply believe in cause and effect, have confidence in themselves, and help them follow the upward path of always sharing joy and suffering in equal love.

In addition, Bodhisattvas must also practice great wisdom to transform darkness and ignorance and live with clear awareness. Relying on the eyes, they see, and the ears hear without confusion. Seeing is just seeing, hearing is just hearing, and the ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are also like that. From there, a great compassion arises to enter the world to save sentient beings, without seeing Him as the giver, the recipient, and the thing given.

If you want to practice listening skillfully, you must first know how to give alms, speak lovingly, act beneficially, and work together. When you know and can practice like that, then in the quiet of the night, you can be silent to listen to all kinds of sounds emitted from all living beings:

- The sound of insects chirping, the sound of crickets chirping, the sound of toads, frogs, and bullfrogs echoing like a song to attract their kind.

- The sound of mothers lulling their children to sleep, the sighs of the poor, the sounds of sorrow and sadness of those who are not satisfied, or the sounds of joy and sadness of human life in a society full of turmoil, mixed with the sound of bells, wooden fish, and the gentle voices of monks and nuns kneeling to recite the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Sutra.

In the vast space of the night without the faint moonlight, at least in these moments. Listening is the most miraculous sympathy, helping you know how to control yourself without losing yourself.

In short, you practice the practice of listening, which is a very necessary practice for yourself and your life, so whoever has the chance to know this Dharma should not hesitate but make a vow. Must make a great vow:

- Above, pray to become a Buddha

- Below, save sentient beings.

Vow here means the aspiration to save sentient beings from disasters, overcome suffering, and always bring joy to all beings. You should also learn the Bodhisattva's conduct after achieving enlightenment, you should vow to enter the world to benefit sentient beings. Together work, contribute together, shoulder the burden together, share joy, and share suffering equally with all sentient beings.

Practicing and learning according to the vow of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is like a bridge connecting love, sharing life, and always helping people live close and attached. With love and understanding, dedication and service, tolerance and generosity, sympathy, and forgiveness, sharing and helping, but not seeing anyone as an enemy, only people with people feeling for each other.

Each of you who practices according to the vow of listening of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara needs to deeply experience the above teachings to be enlightened, liberated, and save all sentient beings. Therefore, you should make a vow:

- Dear Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, I vow to learn from your conduct, to know how to listen to reduce suffering in life. You are the heart that knows how to listen and understand. I vow to practice listening with all my attention and sincerity. I vow to practice listening with a mind free of prejudice. I vow to practice listening without judgment, without reaction. I vow to practice listening to understand. I vow to listen attentively so that I can understand what is being heard and what is not being said. I know that just by listening, I have already reduced the suffering of many others.

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