Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Most of the world think that we are born and grow up in our natural way. “That’s the natural way I was born and have grown up. That is who I am.”

But that is wrong. We all are born naturally as soft, innocent, and pure babies. That is our natural nature.

Then we grow up and learn from everyone around us – basically form our environment and culture – to be greedy, hateful and ignorant (tham, sân, si), to grab, to fight, to lie, to cheat, to be arrogant, to abuse, to oppress…

That is not “the natural way,” folks. That is the way of human cultures. We grow up to become a product of our culture, not our natural way.

Naturally we are soft, innocent, and pure.

That is why the Sixth Zen patriarch, Hui Neng (Huệ Năng) said: “Point straight to your true heart, see your true nature, and become a Buddha.” (Trực chỉ chân tâm, kiến tánh, thành Phật).

(Reminder: Hui Neng was illiterate. He could neither read nor write. But when he heard his neighbour read the Diamond Sutra verse “Not sticking to (grasping onto) anywhere, the Enlightened heart is born,” he instantly became Enlightened).

Jesus also said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-5).

The kingdom of heaven here is your heavenly peaceful state of mind as well as your union with God.

So, our natural way is soft, innocent, and pure. We have been downgraded as we grow up.

All the spiritual teachings are simple – stay to be like children.

And when I say “spiritual,” please don’t think that it is a matter specifically saved for priests, monks, and nuns.

Spiritual matters bring you peace and success right here on earth, however you define success, as well as success in your spiritual realm.

With compassion,

Hoành

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Trần Đình Hoành
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