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The Quality of Life
Life operates according to a natural mission that includes survival, reproduction, and the continuation of the cycle: every living being “strives to rise up” in order to survive; then animals give birth, plants produce flowers, fruits, and seeds to ensure the perpetuation of life. Evidence of the “intelligent design” of nature includes the natural “matchmakers” (bees, butterflies, and the wind) that help with pollination and seed dispersal, as well as the camouflage abilities of certain species to avoid predators.
When human beings have satisfied the three basic needs—food, clothing, and shelter—they begin to crave greater material comforts, yet “material things are not everything needed to attain true happiness.” Many people, even with high incomes (the minimum wage for Vietnamese people in America is about 12,000 USD per year, for Americans 20,000 USD), still lack spiritual comfort: love and a place of refuge. The role of a spiritual teacher is compared to the “mother leaf” that nourishes the banana tree, serving both as a support for newcomers and being nourished by their own practice and teachings. Through the practice of mindfulness in each breath, each step, and every daily activity, each person can enhance the “quality of life”—freedom, peace, responsibility to ancestors and future generations—and fulfill the mission of being a place of refuge right in the present moment.