Peace Amidst Joy and Suffering: Do Not Cling, Simply Accept

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, people often hesitate to go out for fear of bad luck. However, Venerable Thich Chan Quang shares a different perspective: overcoming that fear to visit the temple brings double blessings. This is because we are dedicating one of the most sacred days to the Three Jewels. Yet, there is a deeper truth in his teaching: peace is not the absence of suffering, but learning to embrace pain to resolve past karma and find pure joy.

### Facial Expressions, Eyes, and Cause and Effect (Karmic Law)

Each person carries within them a map of karma, deeply imprinted on their face and eyes. The teacher explains:

If you look at the face of an ordinary person living an ordinary life and see constant happiness, you know their future will be blessed. Conversely, if you look at someone’s face and sense persistent sadness, their life will likely encounter many disasters.

No cosmetic surgery can change the eyes, for the eyes record the entirety of one’s life. Therefore, do not pray for beauty; instead, pray for morality and merit. Some people are beautiful yet suffer unfortunate fates, simply because in previous lives they only sought physical attractiveness. When we practice spiritual cultivation, our appearance naturally becomes noble and dignified.

### Buddhism Teaches Two Things: Creating Merit and Being At Ease

Buddhism does not promise to grant blessings through begging. The teacher states:

When we come to the Buddha's teachings (Dharma), the Buddha teaches us two things. First, we strive to create merit. Second, we remain at ease amidst all circumstances of life.

Creating merit must be done with moderation. One cannot sell all family assets to make offerings without the consent of one’s family. Being at ease means accepting everything that arises with calmness.

### Do Not Struggle When Suffering Arrives

When we fall into difficult situations, we often try to escape, borrow money, or seek help from others. But the teacher warns:

It is precisely this struggling that makes us suffer more than the original pain itself.

Instead, sit still, face the pain, and embrace it. This is how we repay old karma. The teacher tells a story about hunger: when one eats until full, then fasts, and immediately accepts the hunger, heaven and earth provide food.

Sit in silence facing your suffering, accept it, and hold it close. In the end, let us see who truly perishes.

### A Story About Letting Go

There was a wife crying because her husband left her for another woman. The teacher spoke sternly:

Do not cling.

She awakened, let go of a heavy burden, and felt happy. The truth is that when we cling to pain, we suffer even more. Only by letting go lightly do we realize that heaven and earth have been protecting us all along.

Suddenly, she released her heart, and it became incredibly light.

### Three Ways to Face Insults

When insulted, some people get angry and curse back, while others pretend to be deaf. But the teacher advises:

Listen to every word, embrace every word, and accept every word.

This is the strongest response for a Buddhist practitioner. The teacher recounts how the Buddha, while in Kosambi, was surrounded by the entire city shouting insults. He remained calm, listening without reacting. His disciple Rahula investigated and found that the Queen harbored hatred toward the Buddha. The Buddha repaid this karma through acceptance, thereby achieving purity.

### Blessings from Acceptance

When we stop running away, we return to the true Dharma. Practicing peace amidst joy and suffering is the path to liberation. Each day, practice accepting what comes with a mind of compassion. This is the greatest blessing.

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, we go to the temple not to beg for favors, but to learn how to let go. Begin with a smile, a breath, or a recitation of the Buddha’s name. Peace is not far away; it resides in our eyes and in our acceptance. Let suffering become a living teaching, and allow joy to arise from it.