New Year's Eve Reflections: The Secret of Miracles and the Power of Goodness

When looking back on a turbulent year, Venerable Thich Chan Quang opens a profound perspective. What truly protects our world? Miracles only come to worthy souls, and each person who practices the Dharma is an invisible weapon preserving the earth.

Some choose the temple as their most beloved home for New Year's Eve, leaving behind cozy family dinners. They bring their entire households to the pagoda, or walk silently through the triple gate alone. Why do they do this? They hear the call of the closing old year and wish to review their journey in the flow of time. New Year's Eve is a sacred moment to understand one's own heart, and also a place to look back at the past year with two eyes: one toward the worldly life, and one toward the Dharma.

New Year's Eve – Where We Understand Our Own Hearts

Venerable Thich Chan Quang began his dharma talk with a moving story. Buddhist devotees who could not leave their families nor abandon the temple found a unique solution: bringing the whole family to the pagoda to celebrate the new year. These people are truly wonderful. The teacher shared:

"Whoever dedicates their New Year's Eve to a certain place will have their cause and effect rooted there. I remember that in my own New Year's Eve, I chose the temple instead of staying at home... and that very year, I left home to become a monk."

This remark, half-joking and half-serious, makes us smile, yet it touches a deep corner of the soul. Every choice we make in sacred moments bears the imprint of cause and effect (karmic law). Choosing to return to the temple is choosing to plant a seed of goodness. And that planting will grow in ways no one expects.

Looking Back at the World: A Year Full of Tragedy and Misfortune

Gazing out at the world, the teacher sees a year filled with misfortune. Mysterious airplane disappearances, explosions, wars, and especially the rise of brutal forces killing without mercy. The world seemed to enter a bright new chapter, but reality sank into suffering (dukkha). The teacher concluded:

"This chaotic world, this miserable world, and this cruel world sometimes slip from the hands of gods and saints. Those with compassionate hearts wish for this world to be loving, prosperous, wealthy, and happy, but it is not easy to achieve. Why? Because evil is still too abundant, and bad people are still too numerous."

Humans are helpless, and even the devas are powerless because humanity is stubborn and does not know how to live well. This is the law of cause and effect (karmic law): sow bad causes, reap bad results. Sow good causes, enjoy good results. When too many minds are filled with evil, the devas turn away, and the world spins wildly within its own karma.

Why Are There No Miracles? A Good Heart Is the Condition for Protection

Faced with such misfortunes, many wonder: "Why don't I see heaven, gods, or saints helping humanity?" The teacher answers calmly: because humans are not yet worthy of help. Miracles only occur when influenced by divine beings, and these beings only influence gentle and virtuous souls. He emphasized:

"We must live virtuously first, then naturally attract the attention of the divine. At that moment, miracles will happen. A miracle occurs when we are stuck, unable to calculate any further, and suddenly luck strikes. That is precisely what a miracle is."

The teacher also warns against two extremes. First, believing only in one's own strength and schemes leads to becoming an evil person. Second, blaming everything on heaven and earth leads to disappointment and anger. Right view regarding cause and effect (karmic law) helps us maintain peace of mind. Success brings no arrogance, failure brings no suffering, because we know all events arise from conditions (dependent origination) across many lifetimes.

Vietnam and Great Miracles: The Power of Spirituality and Ethics

The teacher shares miraculous stories occurring in our country. Acts of sabotage were discovered in time without logical clues. A super typhoon with winds of three hundred sixty-five kilometers per hour suddenly turned ninety degrees and dissipated. Recalling his teaching on "How to Stop a Typhoon," he said:

"Only through spiritual ethics can we change the heavens and earth. So when that super typhoon struck and suddenly changed direction, it seemed like confirmation that my teachings were correct... Our country has many people who practice genuinely. Proof is that on New Year's Eve, they dedicate their affection to returning to the temple. It is these very people who caused the storms to break apart."

Miracles here are not magic tricks, but the result of holy souls quietly resisting negative karma. These individuals are the "invisible shields and armor" protecting the earth.

Goodness Must Spread: Each Practitioner Protects the World

The teacher recounts a story from the Old Testament where the city of Sodom was spared destruction if only ten righteous people existed. Even though the world is full of evil, a little goodness can save it. However, goodness is not yet enough to overpower evil, so the world still suffers. The teacher offers an important teaching:

"A good deed is only truly good when it spreads to others. If it has not spread, it is not yet fully good. For example, imagine meeting a hermit on a high mountain who eats only forest vegetables, lives gently, and never harbors evil thoughts... Yet his goodness is not complete because it benefits only himself. Only when his goodness spreads to this life does he become truly good."

Therefore, practitioners must not care only for themselves but must help others practice the Dharma. Each act of kindness spreads like a wave, protecting the small land we inhabit. The teacher encourages us: wherever many people practice diligently, there will be peace even amidst surrounding smoke and fire.

In this New Year's Eve, let us look back on the past year. If we feel our hearts lighter, able to practice letting go, seeing this body as impermanence (anicca) and this mind as non-self (anatta), that is the joy of the holy ones. But do not stop there. Let the goodness within you spread like the first rays of spring sunlight. Correct small mistakes, accumulate more merit. By doing so, you are protecting your country and the world. A new year is opening; choose a wholesome beginning. Then miracles will not be things we beg for, but sweet fruits we create ourselves through a gentle heart and faith.