One Cultivates in the City, Two Cultivate in the Mountains: Is Practicing Amidst the Bustle Superior to Retreat?

The old saying "One cultivates in the city, two cultivate in the mountains" leads many to misunderstand that practicing amidst the market is superior to practicing in the wild. However, the truth is more complex. Each environment holds its own advantages and challenges. Let us listen as Venerable Thich Chan Quang analyzes this matter.

Do you believe that a monastic practicing amidst the crowded streets is truly more skilled than one dwelling in the forest? The ancients summarized it thus: "One cultivates in the city, two cultivate in the mountains." This implies that practicing in the marketplace is the most difficult, while practicing in the mountains is less so. But does this saying still hold true in our modern era?

## The Buddha’s Teaching: Concerns About Practicing in the City

In a dharma talk, Venerable Thich Chan Quang recounted a teaching of the Buddha. Once, the Buddha observed a bhikkhu diligently practicing amidst the bustling city. Yet, His heart was not joyful. He worried that after such periods of diligence, worldly matters would influence the monk's mind, potentially causing contamination or regression.

Conversely, when the Buddha encountered a bhikkhu dozing off in an empty hut deep in the wilderness, He felt joy. He knew that upon waking, the monk would resume his meditative concentration with vigor, undisturbed by the noise of daily life.

Venerable Thich Chan Quang noted, "We often think we can maintain our formality. We stay within the temple walls, thinking they protect us. But as laypeople come and go, and we engage in religious duties, the secular life seeps into our minds entirely."

## Practicing in the City: Advantages and Challenges

Venerable Chan Quang pointed out that practicing in urban areas offers many conveniences. It is easier to study, offerings are abundant, spreading the Dharma attracts large crowds, and organizational activities are smooth. However, these very comforts are a double-edged sword.

When in close contact with the world, if one does not firmly guard their spiritual resolve, the practitioner will gradually be permeated by material values. Desires for grand houses, fine cars, and beautiful clothes creep into the soul, fading the original ideal.

## Practicing in the Mountains: A Solid Cradle for Spirituality

In contrast, practicing in remote villages or mountain forests helps the monastic gather their mind easily. They can dedicate more time to meditative concentration and strengthen their spiritual power. The teacher emphasized that meditative concentration has two basic goals: stabilizing the mind and, through that stability, realizing non-self (anatta).

A quiet environment is the ideal setting to nurture spirituality. Furthermore, living in remote areas allows practitioners to fulfill their vow to bring the Buddha's teachings (Dharma) to places where they are scarce.

The teacher recalled his early days of practice at a quiet rural temple, surrounded by lotus ponds, fields, and distant mountains. It was precisely this pure scenery that nurtured his soul, freeing him from delusions about the world.

## Permeation: The Silent Anxiety for Urban Practitioners

Venerable Chan Quang shared a heartfelt observation: "Life as a practitioner in the city is quite unstable. Only those teachers who, before entering the city to open temples and give lectures, had previously practiced diligently in the mountains, forests, or countryside, can retain some of their original character."

This suggests that a young practitioner who begins their journey in solitude builds a stronger foundation of virtue before stepping into urban life. If one lacks this opportunity, they should direct their mind toward nature and pure places, occasionally returning to the countryside to rest and restore their spirit.

## Lessons for the Modern Practitioner: Courage and Protecting the Mind

Regardless of where one practices, the most important factor remains the mind/heart. When the ancients said "one cultivates in the city," they praised laypeople who know how to keep their minds steady amidst the debts of life. Yet, we should not look down on mountain practitioners. They have chosen to retreat from the mundane to nourish their spiritual power, which is also a commendable path of action.

As practitioners, we must clearly recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each environment. If you are in the city, remain like a lotus flower amidst mud, always mindful against temptation. If you are in the mountains, practice diligently to shine the light of the Buddha's teachings into dark places.

Please begin today. No matter your location, nurture compassion, practice meditative concentration, and live according to the right Dharma. For whether in the market or the mountain, the true master is the one who guards their mind.