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The Buddha's Intimate Friend
Noel is a time for family reunion, just like Tết in Vietnam, evoking the longing for a true home—a place of warmth, love, and peace. Both Jesus Christ and Siddhartha were born into wealth, but could not find a true home, so they set out in search of it. In the West, there is a saying, “there is nothing like home,” but many people, even while living with their families or in their own country, do not feel “at home” because of the absence of love and fulfillment (la plénitude).
The Buddha taught that our true home is right in the present moment, it is the island within (Attadīpa)—a safe place that contains our spiritual ancestors, the light of the Dharma, and solid peace. Each breath, each mindful step is both the path and the destination:
There is no way home.
Home is the way.
With mindfulness and concentration, we can “go home” instantly, without having to cross space or time.
List of some special terms
1 true home
2 the island within (Attadīpa)
3 fulfillment/la plénitude
4 there is no way home / home is the way
5 mindfulness and concentration
Maitreya’s Difficulties Sutra - Part 2