Why Do True Practitioners Always Wish to Be Ordinary?

Have you ever met a genuine spiritual practitioner who seemed simple, humble, and indifferent to fame or profit? They remind us of a profound paradox: the more they wish to be ordinary, the more extraordinary they appear in the eyes of others. In a dharma talk delivered during the inauguration ceremony of Thien Tan Pagoda, Venerable Master Thich Chan Quang opened our eyes to the interesting relationship between the ordinary, the unusual, and the extraordinary.

### Cultivation Is Doing Something Very Ordinary

Many people think that cultivation involves doing something out of the ordinary. However, true practitioners simply wish to do something very normal. Venerable Master Thich Chan Quang emphasized this point clearly. He taught that we strive to live an ordinary life, even though outsiders may perceive our actions as unusual.

For example, growing up and starting a family is what everyone expects. Therefore, someone who leaves home to become a monk might seem strange. Yet, if we look closely, they are merely adopting a simple, introspective lifestyle focused on self-correction. This ordinariness is actually the foundation for all goodness.

### The Three Layers: Ordinary, Unusual, and Extraordinary

The phrase "not ordinary" carries three layers of meaning: different from the norm, abnormal, and extraordinary. Venerable Master Chan Quang explained that becoming a monastic is already different from the norm. If one cultivates but causes trouble, they are considered abnormal. But if one attains enlightenment, they become extraordinary.

True practitioners do not seek to be extraordinary. Instead, they return to being ordinary: gentle, humble, preferring to stand behind and sit below. Because of this humility, outsiders admire them even more, calling them highly virtuous and wise. This is the beautiful paradox of spiritual practice.

### Do Not Break the Law of Ordinariness

Venerable Master Chan Quang shared a story about a planet with technology that allowed humans to never get sick or die. However, because the population became too crowded, they desperately longed to live alone. He concluded that the natural cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death is ordinary. We often view it as suffering and seek immortality, not realizing that achieving such a state would immediately cause chaos.

Similarly, the law that "you must work to enjoy the fruits" is ordinary. If we dream of a world where no labor is required yet everything is provided, society will collapse. He affirmed that breaking this natural order to pursue something unusual invites trouble. Therefore, we should accept and perform well in the natural, ordinary aspects of life. Do not chase after the unusual only to face disorder.

### Eastern Culture Preserves the Ordinary

Eastern culture teaches children to respect their parents, elders, and teachers. While this seems ordinary, it is actually a way to nurture non-self (anatta) from a young age. Venerable Master Chan Quang noted that Eastern etiquette preserves the ordinary beauty of life. By maintaining these simple, good habits, extraordinary qualities naturally arise.

When the ego is restrained, people develop greater resilience against adversity. This is the hidden strength found within seemingly ordinary manners and rituals.

### The Buddha: Extraordinary Within the Ordinary

The Buddha possessed six supernatural powers and could remain in the world for many eons. Yet, He chose to pass away at the age of eighty—a very ordinary death. Venerable Master Chan Quang expressed that by dying at eighty, the Buddha did something extremely normal. However, within that ordinariness, the extraordinary emerged.

The Buddha did not wish to leave behind an eternal physical body. He wanted His disciples to focus on inner liberation. The extraordinary aspect lies in how He predicted the day of entering nirvana, when flowers fell from the sky and His final instructions echoed through countless ages.

Remember, the extraordinary does not lie in grand external feats. It resides in fulfilling our responsibilities, living kindly, and cultivating ourselves daily. As long as we live truly ordinarily with gratitude and mindfulness, all goodness will naturally manifest. May each of us find peace in simplicity, just as the Master taught.