Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Most people of the world make a huge mistake – they go with the masses. Whatever numerous people do, they would consider as correct, right, standard. In the Vietnamese culture, we have the quintessential phrase “Không giống ai” (not like anyone). If you are không giống ai, you are wrong or, at least, weird. If you do something không giống ai, you are nutty in the head.

The traditional Vietnamese culture focused heavily on conformity. There were many rules of conducts, each strictly enforced by the whole society. Say, in the village, if you were unmarried and got pregnant, you would be cạo đầu bôi vôi (your head shaved and painted white with lime) and be ostracized by the entire village, and your parents would be so shameful.

With a tradition like that, everyone had to conform to the society’s norms and rules. Không giống ai was a sin. Today, although the rules have relaxed much, people still have the strong mass mentality.

But the masses are ignorant. Do you see how they live? Lying, cheating, corrupting, grabbing, grasping, backstabbing, badmouthing, betraying… Nothing worthy to talk about.

However, that is not anyone’s fault. We all are born into the human flock – everyone just watches everyone else and imitates each other. That’s how flock creatures learn to live.

The only problem is that animal flocks are more peaceful and orderly, but the human flock is full of constant fighting of all kinds. Using the evolutionist language, as humans evolve, they become more intelligent physically and less intelligent spiritually. Obviously, humans evolve in 2 opposite directions at the same time; that phenomenon doesn’t exist in other animals.

That is why every spiritual school has a way to explain that phenomenon.

The Buddhist says that the human’s original heart is pure, but through the Twelve Links of Dependent Arising (aka Dependent Origination, Thập nhị nhân duyên), starting with ignorance, human suffers.

(The Twelve Links of Dependent Arising are: (1) Ignorance – Vô minh, (2) Mental formations – Hành, (3) Consciousness – Thức, (4) Name and form – Danh Sắc, (5) Six sense sources – Lục nhập, (6) Contact – Xúc, (7) Feeling – Thọ, (8) Craving – Ái, (9) Grasping – Thủ, (10) Existence – Hữu, (11) Birth – Sinh, (12) Aging and death‍—as well as sorrow, lamentation, suffering, unhappiness, and strife‍– Già, Chết, cũng như sầu buồn, than vãn, đau khổ, bất hạnh, và xung đột). Read more on Twelve Links of Dependent Arising here >>)

The Abrahamic schools (Judaism, Christianity – Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant – and Islam) explain: “Because humans separate themlselves from God, they become sinful and savage and miserable.” This thinking is simpler and easier to understand, but it is still a mystery to the unbelievers.

That is the problem with the human flock.

The saints, you can count them on the tips of your fingers. But saints don’t do anything big; they simply avoid the foolish things that the masses do. That’s all.

So, what I am trying to tell you?

Don’t run with the masses, brothers and sisters. The masses keep you unspiritual and suffering.

Don’t do what the masses do. Listen to your sacred heart (tâm linh). Remember, saints don’t do anything big. They just avoid all the silly things that the masses do.

Just avoid anything the masses do, not necessarily because you want to be a saint, but because you don’t want to be silly, ignorant, and unhappy for life.

Live simple and, therefore, pure and happy. And, whether you care or not, you will be closer to God and all the Saints.

With compassion,

Hoành

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