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Writing the Love Letter that Ends Hell
The history of Buddhism from 1964 to 1999 is a significant subject, yet the immediate work of helping those who suffer takes precedence over historical documentation. While many spend years obtaining a university diploma, it is often more vital to invest time in restoring communication and happiness with loved ones. Instead of writing books about others, one is encouraged to “write a book on oneself” by transforming into a free, happy person. When direct dialogue is difficult due to irritation, writing a letter becomes a crucial practice. This letter employs the language of loving kindness, admitting the possibility of wrong perceptions and asking for correction. It acknowledges the other person’s suffering and its roots in ancestral habit energy. Before sending, the letter should be reviewed by a Dharma brother or sister to ensure the language is calm and the insight is deep.
Writing such a letter, or creating art, is not limited to the time spent at a desk; the work is produced while watering vegetables, walking, or cooking for the community. Just as growing lettuce is essential for writing poetry, living deeply in every moment of daily life allows insight and compassion to bloom. Enlightenment is not separated from dishwashing. A true love letter is made of the insight and compassion cultivated during these daily acts, capable of producing transformation within oneself and the other person.
Hell is created by the mind, and only the mind can destroy it. This is illustrated by the story of David, a wealthy but egoistic young man unable to maintain relationships due to his arrogance and tendency to blame his parents. After a miraculous encounter with a woman named Angelina who comes to life from a painting, he eventually loses her because of his inability to listen or love. On the verge of despair, he remembers to burn the “incense of the heart”—the incense of mindfulness, the incense of śīla (precepts), the incense of concentration, and the incense of insight. Through this practice, he discovers his own responsibility for his suffering, sheds tears of repentance, and commits to Beginning Anew, allowing for the return of happiness.