Right and Wrong: The Boundary That Seems Clear Yet Is Fragile

Venerable Thich Chan Quang’s teaching invites us to reflect on how we judge right from wrong. We explore when firmness is needed, when tolerance is essential, and why the journey to find truth matters so deeply. Have you ever stood between two choices, one seeming right and the other seeming wrong, yet still felt hesitant? Right and wrong are just two simple words, but they represent the sharpest opposition in life. From our school days, we have been pressured to be correct and never make mistakes. However, as we enter the world and the path of practice, everything becomes far more complex.

Right and Wrong – An Opposition That Allows No Choice

In mathematics, only correctness is permitted; in grammar, only accuracy counts. Mistakes mean lost points. As we grow up, we must live according to human standards and avoid what contradicts moral principles. When we step through the gates of Buddhism, we immediately encounter right view and wrong view. The Buddha requires us to walk the correct path and forbids us from taking the wrong road. Venerable Thich Chan Quang emphasizes that while living in this world, we have the right to seek only the righteous path, the correct way to go, and no one dares to allow themselves to enter the unrighteous path. It seems simple enough. But wait—if right and wrong were truly so clear, why do we still feel conflicted? This is because judging who is right and who is wrong is never an easy task.

Judging Right and Wrong – A Slippery Slope into Subjectivity

Venerable Thich Chan Quang offers a very earthly example. Seeing someone live generously or give alms, we hastily assume they are right. But if they spend hundreds of dollars in a restaurant overnight, tipping a server a hundred dollars, while remaining indifferent to the poor in their neighborhood, is that truly generosity? Thus, looking at appearances, we may misjudge. Even when observing a meditator entering meditative concentration, we lack the authority to know if it is right concentration or wrong concentration. The teacher states that evaluating right and wrong is extremely difficult and delicate, easily falling into subjectivity. The Buddha compared human judgments of right and wrong to a dragon twisting and dancing—sometimes high, sometimes low, never fixed. Today we praise something as right, tomorrow we criticize it as wrong; today we honor it, later we call it heretical. Such judgment is fragile and unreliable. Therefore, before fitting anyone into the mold of right or wrong, we need compassion. What is right and wrong often mixes together. Their method of practice has its own elements of right and wrong. Within the wrong, beware that there may be emptiness or hidden truths. Those practicing different dharma doors are not necessarily heretical; those chanting for funerals are not necessarily lacking positive aspects. We must look at many sides before concluding.

The First Standard: Objective Laws of Science

So, what do we rely on to judge right and wrong? The teacher presents two standards. The first is objective laws—scientific principles that have been verified. Two plus two always equals four; water freezes at zero degrees Celsius under standard pressure. These laws are eternal and undeniable. Yet true science is very humble. The scientist Newton once said that what he knew was like a drop of water, while what he did not know was the entire ocean. Science does not dare to deny what has not yet been discovered. The more we understand, the smaller we feel. Consequently, spiritual realms such as samsara (cycle of rebirth) and cause and effect (karmic law), though not yet proven by science, are not hastily rejected by genuine scientists. They leave open the possibility that one day these laws will be found.

The Second Standard: Traditional Concepts – Prone to Imposition and Subjectivity

When objective laws are absent, people often cling to social customs and traditions. But each culture has completely different concepts of right and wrong. In India, class distinction is considered normal, with the belief that order lies in bloodline. They bathe in the Ganges River, even when a bloated corpse floats nearby, and they still scoop up the water to drink. For Vietnamese people, this is unacceptable. The teacher also speaks frankly about Western cultural invasion. He notes that we do not need to promote sexual freedom; simply hanging such images can change society over ten years. We are being Westernized, from lifestyles to offensive images on the streets. Muslims fiercely protect their traditional morals, while we accept changes too easily. This is worrying. Nevertheless, some values remain enduring, such as filial piety in the East, which no society can disregard.

The Longing to Find Truth

No matter how difficult it is to judge right and wrong, humans always long to find the truth. This is precious. What is frightening is not the possibility of being wrong, but losing the desire to seek what is right. The teacher reminds us that those who only live for pleasure, buried in money and ignoring morality, are the ones most worthy of concern. Knowing this, choosing to leave external pleasures to come to the temple and listen to the dharma talk is already very valuable. Each time we sit down to listen to the teachings, each time we question ourselves in silence, we are walking the path of seeking truth. There is no need to rush to judge who is right or wrong. Let us bravely look within, nurture compassion, and persistently search for the truth—for ultimately, the truth will lead us to peace and happiness.