The Trial in the Heart: The Secret of the Swan Soaring High

This dharma talk, "The Swan Soaring High," teaches us to think well of others rather than rushing to condemn them. Let the compassionate lawyer within us grow stronger than the prosecutor, so that we may live in peace and in harmony with cause and effect (karmic law).

Long ago, when the Buddha was about to leave the city of Rajagaha to travel, the monks were busy preparing their belongings. Only Venerable Mahakasyapa remained at ease, doing nothing at all. Public opinion began to stir: "He must still be attached to his wealthy family and wants to stay here." Knowing the thoughts of the monks, the Buddha corrected them: "Mahakasyapa is an extraordinary being who has never been attached to anything trivial in this world."

And the Buddha taught this verse: "Rousing himself with mindfulness, he is attached to no dwelling, like a swan soaring high, leaving behind the small pond."

This dharma talk opens a profound lesson, not only about the conduct of the noble ones, but also about how we view other people.

Why do we easily think ill of others?

In the Buddha's time as well as now, people still carry the same tendency to speak ill and think ill of others. Thay Chan Quang once observed:

"Out of a hundred people, ninety of them like to think ill of others. Only about ten, those who have cultivated themselves steadily, are spared from being thought ill of... And only about one or two percent of people like to think well of others."

This is why sentient beings so often form unwholesome connections with one another. If we keep thinking ill of others, we create more bad karma and close off our own path of practice. Meanwhile, those who know how to think well of others hold a great advantage:

"Better that they think well of others, that their hearts feel love and respect for people, and that they live more joyfully. More joyful than endlessly thinking ill of others, only to leave one's own heart in constant unrest."

The trial in the heart: the prosecutor and the lawyer

Within each of us, there is both a prosecutor and a lawyer. The prosecutor always sees the bad and rushes to condemn. The lawyer does everything possible to explain, to understand, and to lessen the blame of the one who has erred. Thay Chan Quang described this vividly:

"It is the same within the heart of a good person. We have a prosecutor, and we also have a lawyer within ourselves... if our heart has only the prosecutor and no lawyer, then we are a demon."

The same event, seen by one who thinks ill and one who thinks well, appears in two completely different ways. For example, a person who often smiles: the unwholesome mind says "silly, awkward," while the wholesome mind thinks "a peaceful, joyful soul." A person who walks quickly is criticized as "rushing like a thief," while the wholesome mind praises them as "swift and energetic." A person dressed beautifully is called "vain," but can also be seen as "showing respect for others." It all comes down to how we see, from the depths of our heart.

The secret of understanding

To have a noble lawyer within our hearts, we must cultivate ourselves for a long time; it does not come easily. It is the ability to understand the suffering and the mistakes of others. When we see someone do wrong, instead of criticizing, let us ask ourselves: why did they have to do that? Poverty? Pressure? Or a lack of understanding? From there, we can find ways to help them rather than despise them. Thay emphasized:

"That is understanding suffering, and also understanding the mistakes of others... we try our best to explain on their behalf, so that in the end we can set aside some of the wrong, the bad, that we see in them."

Better that others fail us, than that we fail others

The story of Cao Cao, famous for his suspicion and ingratitude, is proof of the trap that awaits the clever. Cao Cao declared: "Better that I fail others, than that others fail me." That saying has led countless people to treat one another harshly. Thay Chan Quang revised it, as if offering a prayer for his soul: "Better that others fail me, than that I fail them."

Thinking well of others is not foolishness; it is a choice of the compassionate heart. We may be deceived once, but we are protecting our own spiritual life. When we do not fail others, the gods and the noble ones will love and protect us.

The Buddha and the fairness of cause and effect (karmic law)

The Buddha could have remained silent before false rumors, but he did not. Because he understood cause and effect (karmic law) clearly:

"Do not think that the Buddha stands outside cause and effect (karmic law). Whoever believes that by practicing some lofty method they can escape cause and effect (karmic law), that person will fall into the animal realm at once."

The Buddha's defense of Mahakasyapa was not merely affection between teacher and disciple; it was upholding fairness in the world. If a good person is wronged and no one stands up to explain, then fairness fades away. The Buddha acted out of his transcendent wisdom, knowing clearly what should be said and what should be done. And when we hear someone speak ill of another, we too bear a responsibility: if we know it is a false accusation and say nothing, we unknowingly take that karma upon ourselves.

The swan soaring high: the simple life of Venerable Mahakasyapa

Venerable Mahakasyapa was born into a wealthy family, but he gave up everything to follow the Buddha. His life is an epic song of letting go and purity. He lived an ascetic, simple life, indifferent to material things. His wife also attained the fruit of an Arhat, and the two practiced together, then parted ways so that each could continue on the path of liberation. At the moment of their parting, the earth trembled as if in a gentle earthquake, moved by the sacrifice and purity of their two souls. That is the very image of the swan soaring high, leaving behind the small pond, the pond of sensual pleasure and attachment, to fly into the boundless sky of freedom.

We can learn from him and from the Buddha: begin by opening a truly fair trial within our own hearts. Whenever we wish to condemn someone, let us ask: "What is my lawyer saying?" Let that lawyer rise up and find a way to defend the other person. That is how we nurture compassion, the path that leads to true peace and happiness. Today, try thinking well of one person who has been troubling you. You will find your heart growing lighter, and the whole world becoming more lovely.