Like Walking in the Dew: The Truth About Relics and the Power of Good People

In this talk, Venerable Thích Chân Quang decodes the mystery of relics and shares the teaching of Master Quy Sơn: being close to a good person is like walking in the dew. Choose your friends wisely, so that your mind gradually becomes steeped in goodness.

Have you ever wondered: when a human body is cremated, why does one person turn to ashes, while another leaves behind sparkling crystalline beads? These are relics — what many people consider proof of spiritual attainment. But is the truth really that simple? In his dharma talk "Like Walking in the Dew," Venerable Thích Chân Quang helps us understand relics more deeply, along with an important lesson about choosing whom to draw near to.

Relics: A Sign of Good Practice, Not Necessarily Realization

Thầy Thích Chân Quang begins with the phenomenon of relics: the hard, glittering beads found after cremation. He points out that relics are the result of a lifetime of practice, but they do not necessarily mean spiritual realization. He offers a principle: one who has truly realized will certainly leave relics, but one who leaves relics has not necessarily realized.

"One who has attained realization will leave relics when cremated, but one whose remains yield relics has not necessarily attained realization."

He tells the story of a monk who entered deep meditative concentration for two or three days, and after passing away left behind relics — yet could not answer the Zen koan posed by the temple administrator. The administrator remarked that a whole bushel of relics was not worth one correct answer. This shows that relics are merely a sign of a well-lived life, of merit accumulated through practice, but they do not prove spiritual enlightenment.

Like Walking in the Dew: The Teaching of Master Quy Sơn

After discussing relics, Thầy introduces a passage from the "Admonitions" of Master Quy Sơn Linh Hữu:

"To dwell near the good is like walking in the dew: though one's clothes are not immediately soaked, they are moistened moment by moment."

In other words: when we draw near to a person of goodness, it is like walking in the dew. Though our clothes do not get wet right away, they slowly become soaked. This is a profound teaching. The mind of each person, though invisible, constantly radiates outward. When we are near a good person, even before they say a word or do anything, our mind is already influenced for the better. Conversely, near a bad person, we easily absorb their bad habits and faults.

Thầy tells the story of a child entrusted to a rustic nanny. Though the parents were refined and cultured, the child grew up carrying the ways and mannerisms of the nanny. Simply because, from an early age, the nanny's mind had seeped into the child's mind. This is the reality of cause and effect (karmic law) and psychological influence.

Good People and Bad People: Two Kinds

Thầy divides good people and bad people into two categories. Good people of the first kind are easily influenced for the worse when they encounter an unwholesome environment. Good people of the second kind are those who are steadfast — not only do they remain uncontaminated by evil, they can even transform others toward goodness. Similarly, bad people come in two types: those who know how to repent and change when they meet good people, and those whose evil has hardened — who generate and spread negative energy.

Most of us belong to the "somewhat careless" group — not truly and steadfastly good, yet not thoroughly wicked either. We can become better if we stay close to wise spiritual friends, but we can also decline if we keep bad company. This is precisely why choosing our environment and our friends is a matter of survival.

Choosing Whom to Rely On — A Wise Decision

According to Master Quy Sơn, we must actively seek out people of goodness, rather than blindly following our impulses or karmic conditions. When alone, we should be our own teacher, living earnestly and diligently. Thầy shares:

"Those who cannot be their own teacher will never be able to truly teach anyone."

Each day, take time to nourish your spirit:

Place yourself in a wholesome environment, close to people who live ethically.

Keep your daily practice schedule, even far from home, especially when alone.

Learn from the mind of good people, not only from their words or actions.

Life is like walking through morning dew. There is no need to hurry — only to walk the right path. Let the droplets of goodness seep into your heart a little each day. Then one day, you will realize you have become more peaceful and more kind. That is the path of the practitioner — quiet, yet firm.