Weighing Your Morality: How Many Kilograms Do You Carry?

Venerable Thich Chan Quang invites each of us to place ourselves on the scale of morality. Are you susceptible to bribery? How much are you willing to give away? How many insults can you endure? Do you truly know how moral you are? Consider this question: if someone offered you one hundred billion dong, would you accept it in exchange for an act contrary to your conscience, Buddhist teachings, or your country? If you would accept ten billion, then your morality is worth only ten billion. This is how Venerable Thich Chan Quang encourages us to weigh our own virtue in his dharma talk.

### What Is the Price of Morality?

The teacher notes that when faced with bribery, we often proudly say no. However, as the amount increases, we eventually begin to waver. He explains that human morality is not infinite. When tempted to do wrong, our moral compass initially resists. But as the price rises and surpasses our ethical threshold, our hearts begin to drift. Our morality has a specific value. A person of infinite morality cannot be bought at any price. In history, Tran Binh Trong stands as such an example. Captured by Mongol invaders, he was promised kingship over the South if he cooperated. He replied, "I would rather be a ghost in the South than a king in the North." According to the teacher, such a person may have attained the stage of Stream-Entry (Sotapanna), as fame and profit could not shake them. We must ask ourselves: at what number will we collapse?

### How Much Must You Give to Increase Your Weight?

The second criterion is generosity. Suppose you have ten million dong in your pocket and encounter someone whose house has burned down. How much would you give? The teacher states that this figure measures our morality. While the first standard measured the bribe that leads us astray, this second standard measures the money we sacrifice to help others in distress. Imagine that ten million dong is not spare change, but the budget for your family’s entire month. Would you dare share half? That is the difficult equation and the true measure. Giving when we have enough is easy; giving when we lack is true morality.

### Patience: How Many Insults Can You Bear?

The third criterion is patience in the face of verbal abuse. The teacher offers relatable examples: being called names like dog or buffalo, or hearing cruel remarks about a woman’s husband dying early because she was negligent. Consider the subtle accusation: "Yesterday you were here, and afterwards I lost twenty million dong. Please, as friends, return it to me." Such words gently shift blame onto you, making it hard to remain calm. The teacher cites the Ten Reflections, which include: "Do not seek to clear up misunderstandings. To explain is cowardly, and to retaliate prolongs enmity." Most of us have not yet reached this level of practice. At what point does anger arise? When falsely accused at our sorest spot, do we explode? That breaking point reveals the weight of our morality in patience.

### Physical Harm: How Many Slaps Before Anger Arises?

The final criterion involves physical violation. Does anyone remain unangry after a slap? The teacher shares a story of two nuns whose garden was damaged by a neighbor’s chicken. One nun was upset, while the other comforted her, saying, "It scratched the garden, not us." Morality means guarding the mind against anger to avoid further loss. If vegetables are ruined, we lose vegetables; but if the mind becomes angry, we lose our moral standing. Yet, when physically struck, we usually react immediately. The teacher asks playfully, "One slap on this cheek, one on that—still angry?" Some might say no, but by the third slap, they erupt. Thus, their morality weighs only as much as two slaps. Bodhisattvas remain serene even when limbs are cut off, having destroyed anger entirely.

### Weigh Yourself Daily

Through these criteria, let us recognize how many "kilograms" of morality we possess. The teacher does not wish for us to feel discouraged, but rather to repent and improve. Morality is not fixed. Each morning, we can add a little compassion, a little patience, and a little letting go. Eventually, we may step onto the scale and find ourselves heavier. If we attain a heart like Tran Binh Trong or a Stream-Enterer, our morality becomes infinite, beyond any price that can buy it.