What Are We Living For? You, Too, Can Spread the Dharma

On the first day of the new year, a lay Buddhist came to say goodbye to the teacher, saying he had an appointment. The teacher immediately advised him: "Set aside all worldly matters. Set aside the appointment. Sit and listen to the teachings." Have you ever asked yourself: living in this world, what do we truly live for? Some say to eat, some say to enjoy ourselves, and others say to love. But if that is all, how are we any different from pigs, monkeys, or goats? There is a deeper answer, and it will change your life.

The Purpose of Life: "Living to Practice, Practicing to Live"

In his new year teaching, Venerable Thích Chân Quang posed a question very close to home: "Whoever says we live to eat is very much like a pig. Whoever says we live to play is very much like a monkey. And whoever says we live to love is very much like a goat." So what do we live for?

"We live to practice, and we practice in order to live. We practice so that we may live rightly, and we live rightly so that we may practice. That is all." — Venerable Thích Chân Quang

Practice is not about escaping the world. It is about living each moment fully, purifying the mind and heart so that we become better people. And when we practice, we help others practice as well. That is precisely what it means to spread the Dharma.

Spreading the Dharma Is Not the Duty of Monks Alone

Spreading the Dharma means bringing the teachings to others. Venerable Chân Quang emphasized: "It is not only the venerable teachers standing at the podium. Everyone has the duty to bring the teachings into the world." Each of us, by living rightly, speaking kind words, and doing good deeds, can become a person who spreads the Dharma.

He also shared that to stand at the podium and teach successfully, one must plant wholesome roots over many lifetimes. But we should not be discouraged by this. There are small, quiet acts that carry an immense power to transform.

Many Small Yet Effective Ways to Spread the Dharma

We can spread the Dharma in many ways. We can invite friends and loved ones to the temple to hear the teachings. We can give dharma books, recordings, or USB drives of dharma talks to others. And whenever the opportunity arises, we can simply talk with our friends about the teachings.

If we cannot teach, we can act as a "matchmaker," introducing others to places where they can hear the teachings. That, too, plants wholesome roots. Venerable Chân Quang once shared: "Whenever I hear of a good teaching session, I immediately invite people to come. And when I hear that a teacher gives good talks, I call people right away."

Spreading the Dharma Requires Skillfulness and Character

Bringing the teachings into people's hearts must never be done through force or coercion. The teacher instructed: "When it comes to the teachings, bringing them into someone's heart absolutely requires no violence. Not only must there be no violence, but one must gently persuade, must be gentle, must be sweet." For example, instead of saying, "If you do not listen to the teachings, you are foolish," say, "Only people of wisdom like you go to listen to the teachings." The meaning is the same, but one sentence drives people away, while the other draws them near.

Yet for our words to carry weight, we must live as we speak. He said: "When we speak about the teachings, about morality, we are bound to live very beautifully, very well." If we preach the teachings but break our promises and tell lies, who would believe us? Therefore, spreading the Dharma asks us to build an exemplary character.

The Reward of One Who Lives a Life of Virtue

The teacher shared that a person who lives an exemplary life and wholeheartedly brings the teachings to others will, after death, have two places for rebirth: a royal palace or a heavenly realm. But even that is not the final destination. Someone asked: "Where is the third place? At the temple, practicing as a monastic." Because only the path of practice leads to complete liberation.

So, beginning today, let us live in order to practice. Let us become people who spread the Dharma through the very way we live. Every kind word, every good deed, every story of cause and effect (karmic law) shared with a friend is a seed of enlightenment. Do not wait. Begin today…