Chua Duoc Su

Deluded people often find joy in the suffering of others or animals. Conversely, those who are mindful find joy in avoiding evil, in not harming people or animals, and in doing good, virtuous, and beneficial things for themselves and others. Therefore, speaking of the joy of mindfulness is speaking of the joy of a person in this worldly life, but not in the same way as the mundane world; that is, it transcends the joy found in the ordinary perceptions and thoughts of worldly people.

Many of you also want this and try to achieve it, but haven't succeeded yet. According to the encouragement of venerable monks, to achieve this, you must first understand that compassion is the essence of life, helping you to love and respect all people equally, especially those who often cause you difficulties, oppose and contradict you, and don't follow your wishes. Therefore, to have joy in mindfulness, you must always demonstrate a mindset of self-cultivation and learning to continuously improve yourself. Therefore, when you begin studying Buddhism, you need to practice life skills until you master them.

Following compassion is the letting go of bad habits, applied in the four postures of walking, standing, lying down, and sitting, helping you develop artistic life skills in learning and training. This is the true teaching. Everyone can listen and understand. Whether you are a beginner or have been practicing for a long time, you can find benefits in learning and training, transforming suffering and pain into peace and happiness. This means that everyone, regardless of their level of understanding, can listen and comprehend to apply it in their daily lives.

When you study Buddhist teachings, you must learn to let go gradually until you feel complete peace and happiness. Clearly, that peace is not given by anyone, but is something you achieve through your own efforts to live moments of serenity and freedom. True peace cannot be bestowed upon you by any supreme being. To cultivate boundless compassion, the Buddha showed you how to perfect yourself step by step, from low to high levels. These virtues must be cultivated through your own efforts, not dependent on others. Therefore, self-reliance is the fundamental key in the process of learning and training to achieve enlightenment and liberation. Only when you have peace and happiness can you open your heart to love others equally. Conversely, if you still rely on the help and support of others, you cannot achieve liberation.

Thus, to attain joy in mindfulness, you must always apply these aspects:

- Compassion is genuine love, the result of self-transformation with a selfless and altruistic heart in understanding, empathy, and forgiveness.

- Tolerance opens your mind to accept opinions, perspectives, and beliefs in life.

- Forgiveness helps you let go of feelings of inferiority that lead to resentment and hatred when others offend you.

- Understanding and empathy mean putting yourself in the difficult situation of others when conflict arises.

These virtues help you alleviate suffering and pain, bringing about genuine love and compassion. Buddhism always emphasizes compassion alongside wisdom, like the wings of a bird. Wisdom here is recognizing the truth of life, leading to inner peace and liberation. Practicing compassion primarily involves practicing altruism, tolerance, understanding, and empathy. Therefore, it is an extremely important factor in achieving enlightenment and complete liberation. Compassion is also an effective antidote to jealousy, envy, resentment, and hatred that arise in your heart. You know that negative emotions can produce toxins that destroy health, both physical and mental. Among these various toxins, repressed hatred creates psychological chaos, posing a risk of neurological disorders and depression. Conversely, when compassion grows, the heart and soul expand to accept all situations and all people, alleviating pain with love, extending a friendly hand to others when they need help. Thus, compassion is an energy warm enough to heal wounds, strong enough to overcome obstacles. It is the latent energy essential for humanity, a precious inner strength that you can all cultivate to develop and benefit others.

To achieve mindful joy in life, the venerable monks strongly advise you to cultivate compassion. Only compassion can share the joys and sorrows of many others. Many Buddhists think that kind people are lovable, while fierce people are hateful. Thus, if your heart still loves some and hates others, it cannot be called equal compassion. You must strive to love both kind and fierce people without hating them. By skillfully practicing this, your compassion will grow ever larger.

The reason you shouldn't hate fierce people is that when they easily lose their temper, when they raise their voices and yell at someone, they are already suffering. They are suffering, so you need to love them, find ways to help, comfort, and encourage them to alleviate their suffering. Similarly, in a family, when parents know their children are doing wrong, they must love them and skillfully find ways to encourage, teach, and remind them. Depending on the circumstances and situations, help your children understand and awaken. Compassion in Buddhism means loving all equally, not just loving the good and hating the bad. It is through a broad and compassionate heart that you have the opportunity to create much merit. Compassion is about loving people equally, regardless of whether they are kind or wicked; you should show compassion and help them equally when needed. Those who commit evil and sinful acts are hated by everyone, causing immense suffering. Therefore, towards wicked people, you should try to remind and encourage them to become kind; only then can you truly be a compassionate person who doesn't abandon anyone. If you hate them like everyone else, you will inadvertently push them into a bottomless pit of sin with no end.

All of you, out of self-love and a desire to benefit many, must strive to cultivate and develop a broad and compassionate heart, for that is your greatest asset. Your practice must be enlightened and clear-sighted; you cannot remain blind and ignorant forever. Therefore, those who are true practitioners must prepare for this in this life. If families and societies, where husbands, wives, and children all take refuge in the Three Jewels and observe the five precepts, then life will be peaceful, moral, and free from fear of theft, adultery, hatred, or enmity, because everyone is aware of your spiritual practice.

Thus, if you want a peaceful and happy life of a person who knows how to cultivate mindfulness, you must first have a compassionate heart and a letting-go nature. Furthermore, you must know how to do good deeds expressed through body, speech, and mind. In this way, your good karma and good heart will be clearly refined and cultivated, and thus will grow. When you can do this, you will always have sufficient faith in karma and self-belief, so do something to contribute to the world. When you love people and the world, you feel more confident in your abilities. With such strong faith, within your own capabilities, you can then think about helping and sharing with others. While weak and spineless souls never know how to extend compassion to another.

To support a true Buddhist who tends towards cultivating loving-kindness and equanimity, you first need to prepare some necessary mental states:

1- Kindness

The kindness that the Buddha taught here means not being overly calculating or mechanical. You can live, you can see the good in others and forget their bad. That is because you have learned to empathize and forgive. A person with an easygoing nature is someone who knows how to open their arms to be tolerant and magnanimous towards others. This means that when your mind is too mechanical, true love cannot arise. If you calculate too much, you will find it difficult to develop compassion, unable to see life with a pure eye and a broad mind. A person with a kind heart not only speaks truthfully but also does not seek to exploit others or do anything for personal gain. Kindness is a manifestation of someone who knows how to live truthfully, only speaking and doing things based on their own understanding, not doing things to please others. A kind person respects the truth and speaks honestly, so their mind is always peaceful and happy.

2- Kind but not foolish

The word "kind," in Buddhism, refers to a person whose life does not harm anyone, a life of someone who observes the precepts, a person who can bring others a feeling of peace, tranquility, and comfort.

Not being foolish is synonymous with not being arrogant, meaning not being petty or calculating. Generally, all states of mind when you compare yourself to others, being equal to them, better than them, or worse than them are states of arrogance. Therefore, when you compare yourself to others, arrogance arises. If arrogance arises in someone's heart, that person will never progress. Because if you see yourself as superior, you won't learn and improve. If you see yourself as inferior, you will feel inferior, tormented, and hurt. If you prioritize superiority, intelligence, and knowledge, then in that arrogance, compassion cannot develop. Therefore, being kind without being foolish is an essential qualities that help each person develop boundless compassion.

A Buddhist is not foolish, but neither should they be arrogant or haughty towards anyone; they must also show humility towards everyone. Arrogance always goes hand in hand with failure and easily offends others. Arrogance is the attachment of the ego to success in business, material possessions, or outward appearance. All of this is merely to glorify this selfish ego, and arrogance manifests as conceit and pride in seeing oneself as superior to others; therefore, you often look down on others.

Kindness, without being foolish, is a virtue that goes against the desire to dominate and be superior. You are tolerant and magnanimous, always seeing your own faults more than the faults of others. By recognizing your mistakes, you realize your errors and correct them, thus living a better life and transforming suffering and pain into peace and happiness. Conversely, constantly seeing the faults of others is unhelpful and only pollutes your mind, making you feel annoyed and dislike others, leading to resentment, hatred, and conflict.

3. Simplicity:

A simple and modest life means living a pure, frugal life, always peaceful, at ease, and serene. You are content with your present circumstances and environment, skillfully expressing compassion towards others. Simplicity is almost like contentment; you know when enough is enough, without excessive personal desires, thus living a peaceful and light life. You arrange everything harmoniously, from your home and belongings to your clothes and food. Because of this, you find peace and happiness because you are content with what you have, without extravagance or luxury. You should understand that even if you buy and own many material things, it only makes your heart more greedy, selfish, and attached to them. Of course, your life also needs necessities to meet daily needs and provide comfort. But if you desire too much, your suffering will only increase, because human greed knows no bounds. If you are content with what you have, you will easily live a simple life, letting go of worries and suffering. Therefore, you need to let go of all notions of greed and attachment so that your ego sheds its clinging. Without restlessness and agitation, you will not be overwhelmed by worry and fear. If you do not look back at yourself to see how your restlessness and agitation only make your mind more tired, anxious, and worried, then you will not have a moment of peace for reflection and meditation, and therefore will not have the opportunity for inner peace and happiness.

Simple living can also be understood as a simple life, eating simply and sleeping simply. You live without causing suffering to your spouse, children, family, and loved ones for your own needs. Those whose lives are too extravagant cannot develop compassion and loving-kindness towards everyone. The simpler the needs of life, the better the development of compassion. Once you focus too much on your own needs, you worry more about yourself, and you will cause suffering to others. You will see insensitive and even cruel souls who only think of themselves and forget the human dignity of others. Remember, if your needs are too high, you also become selfish, and your compassion will certainly be greatly limited.

4. Frugality:

Knowing how to be frugal is also a good virtue that shows diligence, perseverance, and saving what has been created by the hard work and effort of others. Frugality also means being content with what is meager and not demanding too much for yourself. If your life is only spent chasing fleeting material desires, it is a waste of effort and time for an entire lifetime. Frugality also means being content with as little as possible, rather than striving to acquire as many possessions as possible. Therefore, those who practice frugality always live in peace and happiness.

5. Restraint of the Senses:

Restraining or keeping the senses pure is one of the key principles that the Buddha taught you to maintain balance in life. Of course, as a human being, you must see, hear, smell, taste, touch, and think. But to keep the six senses always balanced and pure, you should know how to moderate them. Enjoying paintings and appreciating scenery is fine, but only to a moderate degree; don't become overly attached. Once you become dependent and clingy, your life will inevitably lean towards that direction, and you will not be able to develop compassion.

To achieve this, you need to practice mindfulness and awareness, helping you realize that hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching are just hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and feeling; therefore, you must always watch your senses so that when you hear, see, smell, taste, and touch, you do not develop attachment or aversion. Because liking something leads to passion and attachment, while disliking it gives rise to anger and resentment; both cause you suffering. When you see something, it's just seeing, but you add so many things about the person or thing you see, thus giving rise to love and hate, and attachment to it; the same applies to other senses, including knowledge and thought.

But you must also understand that purifying the senses doesn't mean eliminating or suppressing them, but rather recognizing them with wisdom, knowing their true nature. When you purify your senses, your desires will gradually diminish over time, helping you to find peace and freedom in all circumstances. Desire disturbs your mind, preventing peace. The more intense the desire, the greater the unease, especially when those desires are not fulfilled.

It is interesting to know the following factors:

- Kindness, gentleness without being foolish, simplicity, and other factors...

Those are opportunities to cultivate wisdom, which is a condition for developing compassion. Because much knowledge breeds greed, while wisdom transforms greed and selfishness. Wisdom is gained through the study of Buddhist teachings and through contemplation and reflection during practice. A true Buddhist without wisdom cannot let go of the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion. It is through wisdom that you see and know things as they truly are, understanding the true nature of life. Success, wealth, and high positions often lead people to cling to the ego, increasing their self-centeredness. Therefore, those lacking practice are easily led astray, immersed in high status and power, thus harming humanity. Therefore, every Buddhist should always remember the following:

- May all sentient beings be peaceful, happy, tranquil, and serene.

If you always keep this vow in your heart, you will never have thoughts or words of criticism, judgment, or opposition against anyone. You need to direct your compassion towards all sentient beings in the three realms and six paths. Currently, you only see humans and animals; for other species, you need divine vision to fully perceive their existence. Therefore, even what you cannot see or hear, yet which exists in this vast universe, you always wish for all sentient beings in this world to live in peace and happiness. A true Buddhist never has the intention to harm any living being. You always have a compassionate heart in life. If you always think of not harming anyone, you will be peaceful and happy in all circumstances, and you will always vow not to harm any living being, not to deceive or cheat anyone, not to be dissatisfied with anything, and not to wish anyone suffering. With such a mind, you can transcend to the realm of the Buddhas and the heavenly realms. Compassion is extended to all sentient beings from a vast, unpolluted mind, a mind free from defilement and impurity. This is the awakened mind of those who know how to let go of all worries and suffering. Meanwhile, the ordinary mind is always troubled and restless, like a mouse constantly gnawing on miscellaneous objects.

Once you live a virtuous life in this lifetime and can sow kindness in the hearts of others, this will bring you joy and peace in all circumstances. That is a way of living virtuously in the present moment. Living in the mundane world, you are not obsessed with, attached to, or infatuated with wealth, beauty, fame, delicious food, or excessive sleep. All desires and attachments are transformed, so your mind is peaceful and light. These are the key points that the Buddha guided you through with clear teachings to keep your mind pure and clear. That is why some Buddhist monks and nuns, through listening to the Dharma, have completely changed, becoming better, gentler, kinder, and more compassionate towards everyone.

Those who skillfully practice avoid evil deeds, just as the medical profession always encourages prevention over cure; this is in accordance with the Buddha's teachings. If you don't create bad karma, how can you expect bad consequences? Those who are deluded wait for suffering to come, but how can they avoid it? Like a thief who doesn't fear bad karma until they're caught and imprisoned. That's someone who fears the consequences but not the cause. When one understands this, the enlightened person is always clear-sighted, doesn't create evil karma, and therefore certainly won't suffer bad consequences. The Buddha said:

- Bodhisattvas fear the cause; sentient beings fear the effect.

Bodhisattvas know the evil cause and avoid it, so they don't fear bad consequences. Those who are deluded fear the consequences because they don't fear it when they're having fun or gambling, but when they lose everything, they complain and blame heaven and earth. Therefore, when we talk about cultivation, we're talking about enlightened people, not the foolish or deluded who find joy in the suffering of others. Enlightened people only find joy in the shared joy of many who do good deeds.

If you know how to cultivate enlightenment, you won't do evil but will always do good deeds, always keeping your mind pure, clear, and quiet, and thus you will be happy. Sitting under a tree, gazing at the sky, clouds, trees, grass, and flowers, the mind remains serene and peaceful, feeling a joy that permeates the body, mind, and surroundings. A practitioner of mindfulness, with a pure mind, finds joy in the peace and happiness of all things, without harming any living creature. Furthermore, a practitioner finds joy in overcoming ignorance, afflictions, greed, anger, and delusion. For example, if someone slanders, criticizes, or mocks the Buddha's teachings, a practitioner might feel annoyed and want to retaliate, but their mind immediately becomes aware, realizing that anger is an affliction and delusion, and that hurtful words causing suffering are sinful. Therefore, they stop immediately, and the anger gradually subsides; afterwards, the mind finds peace because of the joy of having overcome anger. If you cannot overcome anger, you will speak recklessly, uttering hurtful and irritating words, leading to verbal sparring and eventually physical conflict. Thus, unintentionally causing suffering to each other brings no benefit. Meanwhile, people in the world find boredom in solitude, while they often find joy in bustling, noisy places.

Now, you should reflect on yourself and clearly see each of your thoughts. When anger arises, immediately recognize it and don't chase after it. That is self-conquest, conquering afflictions and anger. Then you will find peace, and your relationships with others will be normal, joyful, without sadness, resentment, or hatred. Therefore, when you know how to practice, you will be happy, because when you overcome the afflictions of greed, anger, and delusion, when anger arises, you immediately know how to stop it. Continue practicing mindfulness in this way every minute, every hour, every day, every month, every year, and your peace and happiness will be complete. Conversely, if you become angry and upset at the slightest provocation, and don't know how to transform those feelings, your suffering will be prolonged. Thus, when you are awake, you break through ignorance and afflictions, which are the root of true joy. While in delusion, you allow ignorance to grow, and failing to subdue it is the root of suffering. Therefore, in your practice, you must constantly reflect and control your afflictions to attain peace and happiness. There are many truly pitiable people in the world; if anyone says or does something against their wishes, they will loudly retaliate and demand retribution until they are satisfied.

You find joy in your practice when you let go of the afflictions of greed, anger, and delusion, recognizing your own Buddha within this very body. And the more you benefit others, the more you learn how to transform suffering and pain into peace and happiness in the present moment, not searching elsewhere. If you find joy in practice, then strive diligently to live with true awareness right here in this body.

You see, in this world, although there are wealthy and powerful people who enjoy the five desires, they cannot escape pain, sickness, old age, and death. Therefore, only when you escape the suffering of birth and death can you attain true and lasting happiness; if you remain in the cycle of birth and death, even with much money and possessions, you will ultimately depart empty-handed. Only when you awaken and let go of ignorance and afflictions can you escape old age, sickness, and death and attain lasting happiness. You often see that people in the world lack wisdom and take the suffering of others as their own joy. You know that cultivating mindfulness always involves compassion, so you never take joy from the suffering of others. All of you who aspire to practice Buddhism do so with the aspiration to live a peaceful and happy life. Therefore, once you have aspired to practice Buddhism, you must diligently practice throughout your life, not half-heartedly. If you do not practice diligently, when death comes, you will be caught off guard. Therefore, if you aspire to practice, you should not only focus on cultivation when you are young, but even more so in old age. Only then will you attain complete peace and happiness. If you do this, your life in this world will not be wasted at all, far better than living seventy or eighty years only concerned with eating well, dressing well, having fun, and enjoying yourself, only to find yourself in old age, sickness, and death without knowing where you are going. Those who know how to cultivate are those who are awakened, while those who do not, though alive, are like drunkards, reveling in delusion amidst the suffering of people and things. Therefore, quickly awaken and find joy in doing good deeds to help people and save things. In this way, both in life and at the time of death, you will be peaceful, calm, and happy.

In short, those who know how to cultivate will be conscious of cultivating and accumulating character and moral qualities to perfect themselves, and will open their hearts to compassion, sharing joy and sorrow with equal love. To achieve complete enlightenment, you must first revere the Three Jewels, vow to uphold the precepts so as not to harm people and things, not violate the five prohibitions, observe the Eight Precepts, practice the Ten Virtues, and know how to respectfully give alms, make offerings, help, and share with a loving and understanding heart. Through this, you will always live peacefully, calmly, and happily.

You will find joy in cultivating enlightenment when you see many people living virtuous lives, benefiting society in a spirit of unity, love, and mutual assistance.