Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Dhammapada (Kinh Pháp Cú) starts with this verse: “Mind leads all things. Mind is the master, mind creates.” (Ý dẫn đầu các pháp, ý làm chủ, ý tạo).

This short verse carries the most important truth for our living. Let’s study it.

1. Mind leads all things.

Your mind leads everything in your life – your job, your love, your car, your house, your pain, your happiness, your misery… Everything.

I suggest that you do this simple exercise to truly get the point.

This is a sentence with a blank spot: “My mind leads my ___”

Now open a dictionary and pick out any word in the dictionary to fill the blank. Ex, “My mind leads my road,” or “My mind leads my dog,” or “My mind leads my gold,” or “my mind leads my wood” …

Every word from the dictionary to fill the blank makes the sentence correct. That is what “mind leads all things” means – everything in your life is led by your mind.

2. Mind is the master

Your mind is the master of everything in your life, especially your thinking, your feeling, your emotion, your attitude, your mood, and all your other mental states, as well as all your outward deeds and actions.

3. Mind creates

If your mind is sad, it creates sadness and sad acts in you. If your mind is positive, it creates positive thoughts and positive actions in you. If your mind is angry, it creates anger and violent acts in you. If your mind is diligent and patient, it creates diligence, patience, hard work, money, car, house, and many other good things for you …

Your mind is truly the great master of your life.

So, what do you do about it?

You want to pay attention to your mind at all time. Make sure your mind always pure and serene. Your “state of mind” must always be on the good – loving, caring, responsible, positive … Stay with your mind constantly. Support your mind on its master path of righteousness and compassion-kindness.

Then your mind will always lead you to goodness, happiness, and success.

Remember verse 183, which is considered the most important verse of The Dhammapada:

To avoid all evil.
To cultivate good.
To cleanse one’s mind.
This is the teaching of the Buddhas.

Không làm mọi điều ác.
Thành tựu các hạnh lành,
Tâm ý giữ trong sạch,
Chính lời chư Phật dạy.

No evil, only good, with a pure and calm heart (Tâm thanh tịnh).

With compassion,

Hoành

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