Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are the world because the world is made up of every single person on this planet. The world is our big family. And everyone of us needs to contribute to the family’s nourishment.

That is the responsibility of every human being.

If you think the world is so far away and it has nothing to do with you, then you are so behind the time. Wake up, brother! Continue reading We are the world →

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

US university students are now protesting all over the US, and students in other countries over the world are doing the same, to support the Palestinians in stopping the Israel – Hamas war. Israel, with the support of US, stubbornly continues the warring way, which is the most destructive war since World War II.

The lesson is that you cannot prolong injustice for too long. Oppressed people always find ways to fight back. Vietnam history has proven that point over and over again, with many victorious wars against foreign invasion armies. Calling them stupid or terrorist or troublemakers doesn’t help. Killing them, torturing them, imprisoning them don’t help. Oppressed people will find ways to fight back until they are free. Continue reading Be nice and have peace →

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Your most dangerous enemy is not your political opponent, or business competitor, or a person who is intending on killing you… Your most dangerous enemy is yourself.

All others enemies are outside you and far from you. You can always defend against them.

But you usually can’t defend you from yourself. In addition, you usually fool yourself without knowing about it – you do wrong, but you fool you as right; you’re arrogant, but you fool you as humble; you’re are greedy, but you fool you as generous…

Only you can drag yourself to the mud.

So, be aware of yourself. Look at yourself in the mirror and look for the true you. Reflect upon yourself often each day to see what good and bad deeds you have done. Be honest to yourself. You should love you enough not to fool you.

Most importantly, too many people fool themselves all their life without knowing it. That is Ignorance, the root of all sins.

What a pity!

With compassion,

Hoành

© copyright 2024
Trần Đình Hoành
Permitted for non-commercial use
www.dotchuoinon.com

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Confucius said: “If you know say you know, if you don’t know say you don’t know, that means you know.” (Tri vi tri, bất tri vi bất tri, thị tri dã).

The problem is, we know that we know, but we don’t know that we don’t know. Many people think they know something while they indeed know nothing about it.

Ignorance exists in two ways:

First, we don’t even know something exists, so we don’t know that we don’t know about that thing.

Second, we think we know about something, but we indeed know nothing about it, or know every little about it.

These cases of not-knowing happen to most people of the world, and they are the basis of Buddhism’s Ignorance in the Three Poisons: Greed, Anger, Ignorance.

So, how to know that we don’t know?

Firstly, don’t assume that you know anything.

Secondly, listen. Listen to people’s talking, preaching, singing, lecturing, praying, conversing, discussing… The more you listen, the more you discover things you don’t know.

And this also means: Talk less and listen more.

Wish you know what you don’t know.

With compassion.

Hoanh

© copyright 2024
Trần Đình Hoành
Permitted for non-commercial use
www.dotchuoinon.com

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Jesus said, “[I] did not come to be served, but to serve.” (Matthew 20:28). This is true not only for Jesus, but for all of us.

To be served means focusing on “me” – that is chấp ngã (grasping onto “me”) in Buddhist terminology. Continue reading The Life of Service →

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Most of you, probably all of you, want to be spiritual. If that is true, you need to live the spiritual way. Worldly way and spiritual may be in the same spectrum from 0 to 100, but they are two completely different ways at two completely different levels. You want to be spiritual, then you need to master the spiritual way. Continue reading The spiritual way →

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We have heard “Justice for all” – for me, for you, and for everyone else.

But I tell you: If you are wise, forget about justice for yourself. Meaning, remind yourself: “I don’t care about justice for me.”

Why? Continue reading Justice for me →

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

All the Masters of the world – Lao Tzu, the Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, Mahata Gandhi, Mother Teresa – teach us to love everyone of the world, leaving no one out.

If you haven’t tried loving everyone, then you don’t know. But if you have seriously tried it, you at least have had a glimpse of how powerful it is in sanctifying your heart and your world. Continue reading How to love everyone →