Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I have talked about this so often over the years, but I am not sure I’ve got even one reader to understand the point. If you cannot understand the issue of non-understanding, think about this: The Buddha has come 25 centuries ago, and people – the Buddhist churches world wide – still don’t understand him and most of the Buddhists today still act like ignoramuses. Jesus came 20 centuries ago, and look at the Christians and judge for yourself.

It is so shocking to see that the teachings of the Masters are so simple and easy to understand, but throughout the centuries, the number of people who truly understand them can be counted on the fingers of your hands. I have never stopped being amazed at this phenomenon.

But the problem is easy to understand: People hear one thing, and they automatically interpret that thing into what they like, not its real meaning. Ex: Mother tells son: “Choose good friends to be with” and son chooses good friends who are gangsters in the town. He has “faithfully” followed his mom’s instruction.

I say that just to remind you brothers and sisters that hearing is one thing, understanding is a completely different thing.

And understanding is not an easy thing. The Buddhists say you can understand only when you have enough “causes and conditions” to understand (đủ duyên). The Christians say you can understand only when the Holy Spirit opens your mind and heart.

If you think that understanding spiritual matters is simply a matter of reading books, you are simply stupid – yes, stupid beyond cure.

Your knowledge on spiritual matter has nothing to do with how many books you have read. OK? Zero book. Your spiritual knowledge depends 100% on how much your heart loves people and the world.

And love is a matter of the heart, not a matter of thinking or logic. Either you love someone or do not love someone. It has nothing to do with your intelligence, knowledge, or logic.

If you love people and the world, you understand spiritual matters; if you don’t love people and the world, you don’t understand spiritual matters (even if you have the illusion that you understand. The ignorant don’t know that they are ignorant).

Sixth Zen patriarch Huệ Năng (Hui Neng) was illiterate – he could not read and write. But when he heard his neighbour read the Diamond Sutra sentence “Not abiding anywhere, enlightened mind shall be born” (Ưng vô sở trụ nhi sanh kỳ tâm), he was enlightened and was ordained to be the Sixth Zen patriarch.

If you have the right heart, you understand; If you don’t have the right heart, you don’t understand, even if you have 5 doctorate degrees in your pocket.

Do not underestimate the power of ignorance – and the worst ignorant people are people with high degrees (PhD and up), because high degrees give them the illusion that they know everything. And that is a tragedy for the world, because the masses listen to people with high degrees. Alas!

The higher degrees and honours you have, the more you need to check yourself to make sure you truly understand the sacred human heart or not. Just remember, your degrees help you nothing in understanding your sacred heart.

Over the years I have been extremely frustrated with ignorant people with high degrees (obviously because I have been placing too much hope on them).

In summary, you either love the world or don’t love the world (and love only yourself). That is the foundation of your spiritual life, my friends. If you love the world, you are spiritual. If you don’t love the world, you are unspiritual. Take your choice.

With compassion,

Hoành

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