A Bowl of Rice and the Lesson of Wise Attention

At noon during a meditation retreat, harsh sunlight beat down on the temple courtyard. Yet beneath the shade of an ancient tree, the air remained cool thanks to the gentle breeze. The bell rang to signal mealtime, and meditators lined up one by one to enter the dining hall. Among them was Tuan, a young man attending his first retreat. He sat at his place, facing a steaming bowl of white rice accompanied by simple boiled vegetables.

Tuan looked around and saw young volunteers bustling about, carrying dishes and cleaning up. A hidden thought arose in his heart, mixing pride with satisfaction. He thought, "I am a practitioner. I meditate hard, while these people serve me. In truth, they have great blessings from merit just to attend to practitioners like me." With this mindset, Tuan picked up his chopsticks casually, lacking any sense of gratitude or humility.

Just then, the teacher walked past and stopped beside Tuan’s table. Observing the boy’s relaxed yet arrogant expression, the teacher asked softly enough for only Tuan to hear.

"Tuan, what are you thinking in your mind while eating?"

Startled, Tuan quickly replied, "Dharma teacher, I... I am not thinking anything. I am just focusing on eating to maintain mindfulness."

The teacher smiled, but his eyes revealed strictness. "Thinking nothing is also a mistake. And if you think, 'Because I practice, it is their blessing to serve me,' that thought is even more erroneous."

Confused and pale-faced, Tuan asked, "How is it wrong, Dharma teacher?"

The teacher explained slowly, each word sinking into Tuan’s ears. "Meditation is not a separate realm detached from life. When you sit here, you rely on the merit of the Three Jewels and the silent sacrifice of your fellow practitioners. If you generate arrogance and look down on those serving you, you cut the thread connecting you to morality. This is called unwise attention."

The teacher offered specific advice. "Next time, when you see the bowl of rice, think: 'Thanks to my teachers creating conditions, and thanks to the efforts of the young volunteers, I have this meal to diligently practice.' Generate deep gratitude. That is wise attention. These correct thoughts create blessings from merit and help your mind easily enter meditative concentration, rather than mere indifference or pride."

Tuan bowed his head, gripping his chopsticks tightly. He realized that every moment in life is an opportunity to train the mind. Eating, walking, or even using the restroom all require a right view and thoughts aligned with moral principles to nurture wholesome seeds.

### The Meaning of the Story

This story highlights the third principle: Meditation involves calming the mind, but wise attention—thinking in accordance with moral truth—is an extremely important support. Many mistakenly believe meditation means abandoning all thoughts. In reality, during the initial stages, we must actively generate beautiful concepts of gratitude and humility in daily activities. These correct thoughts create blessings from merit, helping the mind gradually settle and move closer to true meditative concentration.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Most Venerable Thich Chan Quang