What are you living to contribute to the world?

A question that seems simple yet changes everything: 'What am I contributing to this world?' – Venerable Thích Chân Quang helps us recognize the root of blessings from merit and the true meaning of life.

Amidst the rush of daily life, we constantly worry about sustenance, fame, and profit. Have you ever paused to ask yourself: "What am I living for?" If the answer is only "to enjoy" or "to survive," then perhaps we are missing something very important. In a close sharing, Venerable Thích Chân Quang placed into our hands a mantra: "What am I contributing to this world?" Let us listen together.

Do not look at others; look within yourself

When we see a frail elderly person selling lottery tickets, or a lonely monk with no visitors on New Year's Day, we often feel sorrowful and think it is their fate. But Venerable Chân Quang reminds us: this could be ourselves if we do not prepare. Why? Because the karmic law of cause and effect excludes no one.

"Therefore, when we see an old person who is poor and lonely, do not think it is not our concern. It will become our concern if from now on we do not do something to prevent it."

So what will prevent suffering? It is blessings from merit. And blessings from merit do not come from luck, but from what we do today.

Lacking blessings from merit is the root of all suffering

The Venerable explains clearly: why is that person poor, lonely, or disabled? Because they lack blessings from merit. Giving them rice, grain, or money is only temporary relief; it does not change their fundamental nature.

"We understand through the karmic law of cause and effect that it is simply because they lack blessings from merit. So, to change their destiny, to change their fundamental nature, to change their status, we must elevate their blessings from merit. There is no other way."

But how do we elevate blessings from merit for others? First, we must elevate them for ourselves. When we are well-fed and content, we then have enough energy to bring value to the world.

The world outside is very harsh

Stepping outside the temple gate, life is no longer a place where one "eats more than they work." People in the world calculate and compare every little thing. A person who fulfills their duties but does not bring profit to the company will be dismissed. Even parents can sue their children if they contribute nothing to the family.

"Outside, people calculate the effort you put in, bit by bit. They consider whether what you do benefits them or not. Then they hire, they employ you."

Therefore, each of us must always hold this thought: "What am I contributing to this world?"

The mantra: "What am I contributing to this world?"

Venerable Chân Quang advises that every morning upon waking, before starting the new day, we should question ourselves.

"Always remember just one thing. What am I contributing to this world?"

This self-inquiry brings two things: first, it is a "countermeasure" to avoid being discarded by society, and second, it builds moral character and elevates blessings from merit. When we appear in the world with the aspiration to bring benefit, we will no longer be a burden but will become a valuable existence.

Ethics, wisdom, and the ideal of life

On the path of practice, some only wish to live in seclusion, disregarding the world. But the Venerable teaches that whether one is a monk or a layperson, we must still strive to create blessings from merit. The ideal of life is a great goal, a distant goal that brings benefit to many people.

"The ideal of life is formed by two things: by people with ethics and by people with wisdom. A person without ethics cannot have an ideal. A person without wisdom cannot have an ideal."

Distinguish between ambition and ideals. Ambition is for oneself; ideals are for others. Only those who know how to live for others can have a noble ideal, can walk the correct path of the wise and virtuous.

Every day, let the question "what am I contributing to the world" become your guiding principle. Start with the smallest actions: helping someone overcome difficulty, comforting someone who is sad, sharing a true teaching. Blessings from merit are accumulated day by day, and life will smile upon you. That is the path to true happiness.