Buddhism for the Future: Don't Just Build Grand Temples, Build Within the Human Heart

Looking back at 30 years of Buddhism's growth in Thanh Hóa, what matters more is how the next 30 years will unfold. Most Venerable Thích Chân Quang offers this counsel: let us build temples within the hearts of people and elevate social morality to a new height.

During a seminar commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Thanh Hóa Buddhist Representative Board, Most Venerable Thích Chân Quang began with a surprising observation. "Today we gather, we are happy, we recount the past... But the true, hidden intention of this seminar is for the 30 years to come," he said. This question makes each of us reflect: what are we preparing for future generations?

The past 30 years have been significant, yet they are only a premise. We cannot deny the remarkable progress of Buddhism in Thanh Hóa over this period: more monks and nuns, more lay followers, and more diverse Buddhist activities. However, Most Venerable Thích Chân Quang also warns that looking back can lead to complacency and carelessness. He emphasized that if progress in the next 30 years is only marginal, then we have failed the Buddha, our nation, and everyone.

The goal is not merely to double the progress, but to multiply it thirtyfold. Many might think that if so much was achieved in the past 30 years, doubling the effort next time is enough. But Most Venerable Thích Chân Quang's perspective is entirely different. He believes such thinking is a mistake, a sign of moving slowly or even regressing. Looking at how far we have come, we must aim to advance thirty times further in the next three decades.

His vision extends beyond the physical form of grand temples to the elevation of social morality. He shares three aspirations for the future: a thirty-fold increase in monastics to around five thousand, more temples restored and newly built, and a universal taking of refuge so that no follower is left behind. Yet he quickly reiterates that the purpose of Buddhism is not to build its own glory, but to bring benefit to all beings. Therefore, the deeper value lies in a dramatic upliftment of the entire society's ethical standards.

Ultimately, building within the human heart is the true value of the Buddha's teachings. The most important thing is not the splendor of temple buildings, but the transformation of every person's heart. When each individual believes in the law of cause and effect (karmic law), masters their own ego, and lives for others, then Buddhism truly holds meaning in this world.

We must dream of living saints among us. The deepest aspiration is not merely to be reborn in the Pure Land after death, but to see realized practitioners living vibrantly in the world. Most Venerable Thích Chân Quang expresses the hope that many among the monastic community attain saintly fruition. Such individuals would then stand like immovable mountains in the midst of life.

Buddhism is diverse, yet unified by the teaching of non-self (anatta). Looking to the future, he wishes for Buddhism in Thanh Hóa to encompass all traditions for people to study. But he stresses that if our practice is driven by personal dreams, we have strayed from the Buddha's path. Only when we practice correctly toward the goal of non-self—extinguishing the sense of a separate self—do we walk the true path of the Buddha's Way. This is the common ground of all traditions: the path of eradicating ego.

This teaching is not merely about the future, but a reminder of our responsibility. Let us not let the next thirty years pass meaninglessly. Let us begin with the smallest step: transforming ourselves, living more kindly and lovingly, so that together we build a Buddhism whose strength lies not in grand temples, but in people who understand and embody the Dharma.