The Calm Mind: The True Index of a Person's Worth

**Summary:** Venerable Thích Chân Quang teaches that a person's true value does not lie in wealth or status, but in a calm mind. Choosing the difficult path of meditative concentration to unfold wisdom and live a meaningful life.

Today, when I heard the Venerable Thích Chân Quang’s question, “Is practicing Buddhism easy or hard?”, I was suddenly startled. For so long, I had thought that practice was just about chanting the Buddha’s name and reciting sutras, but the teacher said that if someone thinks practicing Buddhism is easy, that person lacks wisdom. This opened up an entirely new perspective for me on the value of a human being.

**Practicing Buddhism is Hard**

The Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment was a great event for the world, but to reach that state of enlightenment, He endured countless hardships. After His enlightenment, He remained silent because He saw the Dharma was too profound, too subtle to express. Because of this, Venerable Thích Chân Quang emphasizes:

“Anyone who understands that practicing Buddhism is hard is a person with wisdom. And anyone who thinks practicing Buddhism is easy does not yet have wisdom.”

Practice is a battle with oneself. Not everyone can overcome greed, hatred, and delusion. The Buddha walked for forty-five years to teach the Dharma, not to make it easy, but to guide sentient beings out of ignorance. That path has never been a smooth one.

**The World Needs Sages**

In a world full of instability, without good people, without sages, this Earth would self-destruct. Venerable Thích Chân Quang points out:

“If sages do not appear in succession in this world, then this Earth will become like Mars.”

Looking at society, we can see this truth clearly. Those who call for forest protection, those who oppose video game addiction, those who fight for peace are all opposed by powerful forces. The world is constantly pulled toward greed, anger, and selfishness. Only because of a small minority of people with calm minds and morality does the world still retain a little light.

**Taking Refuge in the Dharma Amidst an Unstable World**

We are truly fortunate to be born in a country with the Buddha’s teachings. Despite many difficulties, this is a place where we can find peace. Venerable Thích Chân Quang confirms:

“We take refuge in the Buddha’s teachings to pass through this life, which is so full of turmoil, darkness, and ignorance.”

Amidst the bustle of life, finding a temple, a teacher, and an opportunity to practice is a great blessing. We can sit in meditative concentration, chant sutras, and gradually purify our minds. This is the way to escape the vortex of the material world.

**The Difficult Path Unfolds Wisdom**

Many people choose the simple path of just chanting the Buddha’s name, but Venerable Thích Chân Quang advises us to choose the more difficult path. Why? Because the easy path does not help us develop. When we face difficulties, we must use our minds, we must struggle, and only then can we become wise. He says:

“It is the difficult path that gives us wisdom.”

Meditative concentration is that difficult path. When our mind is always thinking, we must learn to gather it, to surround and dissolve the delusive thoughts. This is very hard, but the harder it is, the greater the merit and wisdom. A person who practices the easy path may feel comfortable, but when facing the world, they may be looked down upon. Conversely, a person who practices the difficult path will have a solid inner strength, able to stand firm before any adversity.

**A Person’s True Value Lies in a Calm Mind**

From this, Venerable Thích Chân Quang offers a wonderful definition of a person’s worth. It is not money, not status, nor physical beauty. He says:

“A person of value is one whose mind is at peace.”

When the mind is calm, we do not get angry easily, are not dragged by desires, and do not commit wrongdoings. A calm and patient person can endure what others cannot. Like the Buddhist laywoman in the teacher’s story who worked as a call center operator: she listened to insults for nine hours every day yet maintained her patience, all thanks to her practice of meditative concentration. She became an excellent employee, but she was even happier when she could return to the temple, pay respects to the Buddha, and sit in meditation. That is the true value.

In contrast, a disturbed mind breeds anger and lust. Like the story of the man who drank alcohol and beat his wife just because she talked back, or the scene of young people addicted to video games losing their future—all due to a mind that is not calm. The teacher emphasizes:

“The more agitated a person’s mind is, the more it races with non-stop thoughts that cannot be controlled, the more easily these kinds of negative things arise.”

Therefore, each day we must strive to reflect, to practice meditation, to transform our inner selves. Do not choose the easy path; courageously choose the difficult path. Each night, pray to be reborn with your memory intact, to continue your practice. That path may be long, but it will certainly lead to a pure mind and a life of true value.