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The Silent One and True Silence
The name Śākyamuni signifies one who is capable of compassion (Năng Nhân) and the silent one (Tịch Mặc). True silence is not merely the absence of speech, but an internal stillness free from the noise of worries, anger, and unnecessary thinking. While the Buddha gave many discourses, such as the Dīgha Nikāya and Majjhima Nikāya, he remained the silent one because of the peace and space within his mind. This silence is a state of being solid and free from the disturbance of wrong perceptions.
Reality cannot be grasped through the four philosophical categories or boxes:
- Being
- Non-being
- Neither being nor non-being
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Both being and non-being.
The body is not a solitary self but a colony shared by billions of living beings, such as Helicobacter pylori and Escherichia coli. In the story of the monk Anuruddha, the Buddha clarifies that he cannot be identified solely within or outside the five elements. Instead of engaging in speculation, the practice focuses on the nature of suffering and the path leading out of it.
The practice is defined by three characteristics:
- Miên mật: Unbroken, continued practice in every activity, from cooking to brushing teeth.
- Hiện pháp: Present-centeredness, where touching the present moment allows for the healing of the past and the shaping of the future.
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Lạc: Joyful and pleasant dwelling in the here and now (dṛṣṭaDharma-sukha-vihārī).
By recognizing that ancestors and parents are alive within us, we can restore communication and achieve reconciliation, even across cultural gaps between Eastern and Western traditions. This practice of looking deeply allows us to transform guilt and suffering into understanding and love.