The Secret of the Lecturer and the Lesson on Presence

The afternoon sun slanted through the classroom windows, casting a pale golden light over the rows of wooden benches. The air in the room was thick with tension. A young teacher, his hands trembling as they clutched the hem of his robe, stepped up to the lectern. Before him sat hundreds of eyes, staring intently or whispering among themselves. His heart pounded, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He tried to take a deep breath, but his mind went completely blank.

When the practice session ended, the young teacher returned to Thay Thich Chan Quang with a face full of anxiety and helplessness. He scratched his head and said in a small voice:

"Dear Teacher, I don't know how to stop being afraid. Every time I stand before a crowd, my hands and feet freeze. Here's what I've been thinking: I should pretend there's no one down there at all. If I imagine I'm just speaking into empty space, surely I'll tremble less."

The Teacher sat down, gazing at his disciple with eyes that were gentle yet serious. He remained silent for a long while, letting the stillness sink into the confused young man's mind. Then he spoke, slowly and clearly:

"My child, that is a great mistake. If you regard the listeners down there as 'not existing,' then by the law of cause and effect (karmic law), they will regard you as 'not existing' as well."

The young teacher looked up in surprise:

"What? Why is that, Teacher?"

"Because when your heart is indifferent, when you distance yourself and fail to respect them, the energy of compassion and connection between you and them is naturally cut off. When you step onto the lectern with the attitude of 'pretending no one is there,' you are sending out a signal of coldness and separation. And what is the result? Down there, people will begin chatting among themselves, doodling aimlessly, nudging each other's shoulders, and completely ignoring your words. They will see you as a ghost, because you saw them as ghosts first."

This explanation was like a bucket of cold water splashed onto the young teacher's mind. He remembered the times he had gone to listen to the Dharma, and how, when he saw a lecturer with head bowed, reciting the sutras mechanically without making eye contact, he too had felt drowsy and wanted to leave. Now he understood the root cause, which went far deeper than the techniques of public speaking.

"Then what should I do?" the young teacher asked, his voice earnest.

"Before you step out of this door," the Teacher emphasized each word, "you must give rise to a fervent aspiration: 'I love the people sitting out there. I respect them. I want to share the very best with them.' Nurture the awareness of their presence in your heart. When you truly see them, when you truly care about their joys and their suffering (dukkha), they will feel that warmth. That is how cause and effect (karmic law) works: when we love others, they love us in return; when we respect others, they respect us in return."

From that day on, whenever he prepared to teach or to spread the Dharma, the young teacher would spend a few quiet minutes imagining the faces of each listener, sending them words of blessing. Strangely enough, his trembling gradually faded, replaced by a deep and steady peace. When he began to speak, the whole room seemed to settle into stillness. The eyes before him were no longer indifferent but began to shine with attention and empathy. He came to realize that spiritual practice is not about escaping the world to find tranquility for oneself alone, but about entering the world with an open heart, transforming both oneself and others.

The Meaning of the Story

This story illustrates the lesson of the relationship of cause and effect (karmic law) between the one who teaches the path and those who receive it. Spiritual practice can never be separated from how we treat sentient beings. If a practitioner maintains an attitude of indifference, detachment, or disdain toward the outer world (even toward one's own audience) in order to protect a sense of personal purity, the result will be isolation and failure in spreading the Dharma. On the other hand, when a practitioner learns to harmonize inner awareness with outward compassion, cherishing and loving those around them, they create a genuine connection that allows the Buddha's teachings (Dharma) to spread and bring real benefit to the world.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Thay Thich Chan Quang