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Answering the Questions of the Young People
A vital question must arise from real suffering, not from useless theory. Thay encourages each person to raise their hand only when their question is truly ripe, for example, these four questions already prepared:
- I want to do social work but am overwhelmed by suffering—how can I go far and last long on this path?
- My parents want me to become a doctor or engineer for stability, but I long for a social ideal—should I follow my heart or please my parents?
- Here, there are few Vietnamese men—can I choose a foreign partner, and what difficulties might arise?
- If that person is Christian and not Buddhist, do I have the right to choose?
The teachings of mindfulness and Engaged Buddhism emphasize dwelling in the present moment to transform both personal and collective suffering. When we practice, every moment is deep—even spending just three to five minutes eating an ice cream can be meditation. Social work in the Buddhist spirit must be practiced within our own limits to avoid burnout, and yet still nourish compassion in mindfulness. Ordination requires more than 100% determination, with three months of practice with the Sangha to prove one’s ability to bring happiness to the community. Thay also encourages:
- harmonizing culture and religion in intercultural marriage by keeping both spiritual roots, not forcing anyone to abandon their original faith;
- transmitting the national culture through daily ways of living (offering incense with both hands, receiving guests, eating in silence);
- organizing retreats from seven to twenty-one days so that hundreds, even thousands of people can transform their hearts and bring back to their families the practices of deep listening, loving speech, and nurturing love.