Because of my good fortune, I understood Buddhism correctly, so I realized that no matter what happens to me, I can still be peaceful and at ease.
When I understood the value of Buddhism, I turned to correct my body and mind, changed my attitude towards life, actively trained my mind and intelligence, and trained my body to be healthy.
When I understood the value of Buddhism, I turned to correct myself and perfect myself. It is useless to comment on and judge other people’s stories and their paths.
When I understood the value of Buddhism, I avoided people who like to gossip and drama because I did not want to share karma with toxic energy. Wherever there is gossip, there is no me.
Before I realized about Buddhism, I believed in Buddha and Bodhisattva as gods who have the ability to bless and bring disaster to people. But now that I realize the value of Buddhism, I understand that Buddha is a historical person, he gave up his position as a prince, fame, and material things, so why do I come to him to pray for blessings, money, and things that he gave up?
When I understand the value of Buddhism, I correct myself instead of correcting others. I understand that the ego is a giant I. I realize that I am still living with a huge “I”, sometimes I am careless and attached, so how can I change others.
Taking refuge in the Three Jewels is not going to the temple to become a monk. Taking refuge in the Three Jewels is taking refuge in the three treasures of Buddhism: Buddha – Dharma – Sangha. It is learning the Buddha’s Dharma, learning the Buddha’s virtues of compassion and wisdom, that is the Buddha nature, the mind, the truth within ourselves, that is inherent in each of us, that is what is written in the Dhammapada:
Do not do evil deeds
Do good deeds
Keep the mind pure
That is the Buddha’s teaching.
As a Buddhist, I understand that Buddhists do not need to become monks, do not need to give up work or responsibility to family and society. What needs to be let go of is greed and imagination, anger and ignorance. Learn to be tolerant with people and be happy in the present. Just understand the 4 Dharma Seals, the 4 Truths that Siddhartha discovered.
These days, since the incident about Master Thich Minh Tue, I have witnessed many debates about different beliefs and ways of practicing. I have witnessed the worship of a person who is practicing Buddhism. Buddha once taught that we should not worship a specific person but worship the wisdom that person teaches. Therefore, I choose to study the Dharma and cultivate myself according to the teachings that Buddha taught so that I can apply them in my daily life.
