Are You Walking the Path, or Merely Practicing a Technique?

This afternoon, I met an old friend. She proudly shared that she had just visited a temple to make offerings of seven candles, hoping for peace and prosperity. I smiled and asked her, "When you made those offerings, what was in your heart? Did you feel compassion for others?" She was taken aback, for she had never asked herself such a question. This is a query we must all pose to ourselves: Are our daily actions truly following the Path, or are they merely techniques?

The Path and the Technique: Two Distinct Roads

At first glance, both the Path and the technique seem like methods to perfect one’s life. Yet, there is a fundamental difference between them. Venerable Thich Chan Quang explains that the Path carries the philosophy of life, whereas a technique is simply a method or skill used to achieve a result. In other words, the Path is a journey guided by vision, spirit, and ethics. A technique, however, is merely a way to reach a goal, whether that goal is material wealth, fame, or health.

Three Types of Techniques in Daily Life

In his teaching, the Venerable categorizes techniques into three types. First, there is technical skill, linked to science, which helps humans create machines, build houses, and produce goods. Examples include carpentry, architecture, and medicine. Second, there is mystical technique, passed down from ancient times, such as fortune-telling, astrology, feng shui, and Reiki. These rely on secret laws connecting humans and the universe. Third, there is art, which elevates technique through creativity and emotion. Music, painting, and flower arranging are arts because they touch the heart.

None of these techniques are inherently bad, but they stop at being "effective." Without a guiding philosophy of life, they do not lead to enlightenment or spiritual transformation.

When Does a Technique Become the Path?

A technique begins to breathe with the essence of the Path when it is infused with philosophy and ethics. The Venerable illustrates this point clearly. If walking in the morning is merely physical exercise, it remains a technique. But if one says, "Each step brings me closer to the Divine; each breath is a borrowing from heaven and earth," then it takes on the flavor of the Path. Similarly, practicing Tai Chi may start as a martial art, but when the practitioner lives by the philosophy that "softness overcomes hardness" and values inner stillness, it becomes a path of cultivation.

Heterodox Paths: Philosophy Without Ethics

A philosophy can become a wrong path if it lacks a foundation of ethics. The Venerable mentions the Saan sect, which had its own philosophy but one that destroyed moral standards, leading people toward pleasure and domination over others. He warns that some heterodox paths are essentially evil paths. Therefore, when encountering any practice, we must examine two things: Does its philosophy guide us toward noble spirituality? And does it uphold the ethical law of cause and effect (karmic law)? If either is missing, we must be cautious.

The Law of Cause and Effect: Path or Technique?

The law of cause and effect (karmic law) is an absolute truth. However, it can be reduced to a mere "technique" if we use it solely to seek personal gain. The Venerable teaches that one might believe in karmic law and perform good deeds, yet lack true virtue because their heart holds no love for others, only concern for themselves. When we give alms expecting help in future lives, or treat charity as an investment of merit while feeling cold toward the recipients, our actions are mechanical. The Venerable shares the story of a Buddhist devotee in the Mekong Delta who performed many good deeds but constantly complained about the lack of results. Her heart was filled with selfishness and fear for herself, not love for others. Such actions are techniques, not the Path.

Walking the Path in Everyday Life

The Path is not found in external rituals, but in a heart full of love and compassion. Let us do good not out of desire for reward, but because we see suffering in others and wish to alleviate it. Live each day as an opportunity to expand the heart and transform greed, hatred and delusion. Then, every action becomes the Path. As the Venerable teaches, the Path leads to truth, grounded in philosophy and ethics, aiming for liberation. Let us walk this road not just with our feet, but with a pure and clear mind/heart.