And today is the first day she has enough courage to ask Thầy a question. She has been very shy.

[One sound of the bell.]

Dear Thầy, dear Sangha, in my family, my blood family, there are many generations of people who have suffered with depression and anxiety. And this has been transmitted to me and to my daughter. And so my question is about those who suffer with elements of depression and mental illness that perhaps come not only from how we consume and rumination on difficult things, but also from biological seeds that come to us from our ancestors and how we practice to transform the biological seeds as well.

I think the environment plays a very important role. We have all kinds of seeds in our cells—all kinds of genes in our cells. A gene of depression, a gene of joy. And it is an environment that turns on that element of depression, or turns off. Choosing an environment or creating an environment is the answer. When the country was divided into North and South, and mother passed away, I had depression and the doctors couldn't help me. I healed myself just thanks to the practice of mindful breathing, mindful walking, and I put myself into an environment conducive to healing.

And when the seed of joy, the seed of compassion has been watered enough, you can restore the balance. And you keep the practice so that the other kind of seed will not be watered again. It's very important. And then you transmit and continue to transmit that kind of positive, wholesome element to the next generation. That is what Thầy practice also. Because Thầy's deepest wish is to transmit the best things that he has been able to achieve and try to transform the things that he is not happy with.

And this is a permanent, long-term practice, always allowing the good seed to be watered by a good environment, and always trying to protect yourself from the watering of negative seeds. Because the negative seed will always be there, even after you have become a Buddha. A Buddha is not a person who does not have negative seeds. A Buddha is someone who knows how to protect himself so that the negative seed in him will not be watered by himself and by others.

And the Buddha is someone who knows how to allow his good seeds to be watered every day so happiness and compassion can grow every day. So I do have a seed of depression. And all of us have a seed of depression. But if we know the practice of right diligence—maybe we have a time to learn about right diligence tomorrow—and then we will be OK. The other kind of seeds will have no chance to manifest and take us away.

[One sound of the bell.]