Four Lines of Verse and the Secret of the Endless Spring

The atmosphere of the Lunar New Year in the late nineteen seventies at a high school in southern Vietnam still carried the faint scent of agarwood incense and the sound of lively laughter. In the small meeting room of the school administration, pale yellow fluorescent light fell upon the nervous faces of the students taking part in the spring newspaper competition. The homeroom teacher stood at the podium, holding a sheet of white paper, reading slowly and solemnly:

"And the winner of this year's spring poetry prize is... Thich Chan Quang."

Applause rang out brightly. The sixteen-year-old student stepped forward to receive a prize worth one thousand dong — a large sum for a child's pocket in those days. But what he remembered forever was not the money, but the final four lines of verse that had touched everyone's heart:

"The path into spring is all that happiness is For spring becomes a blessing of love From love, this world turns into heaven Oh spring, warming our hearts as we celebrate"

Many years passed, and having donned the brown robes of a monastic and become a monk, Thay Chan Quang often recounted this memory. He admitted that when he wrote those lines, the heart of that young student simply wished to express the beauty of spring through the raw feelings of youth. He had not yet been aware of a profound law: Why, from East to West, from ancient times to today, have people always regarded spring as the symbol of happiness?

Thay explained that it is a natural response to the rebirth of all things. After months of bitter cold, when trees stood bare and the earth and sky were gloomy, spring brings fresh buds, blossoming apricot flowers, and warm weather. The awakening of life creates hope. But more importantly, when people feel joy from the scenery around them, they begin to change how they treat one another. During the New Year, people avoid quarreling, avoid crying, avoid demanding debts. Instead, they give lucky money and exchange good wishes. This is a sign that Happiness and Love are two sides of the same coin.

There is an interesting detail that Thay sincerely shared as a correction. When the poem was announced, a girl from the same grade, though a different class, quietly wrote her name on the classroom wall along with the words "The path into spring has...". That girl had long had a secret admiration for the boy who wrote the poem, but the two never had any romantic relationship. Thay emphasized that the poem was not a declaration of love, but rather an accidental coincidence with the law of cause and effect (karmic law): Only where there is love can life become heaven.

From this small story, Thay drew out a golden principle for disciples of the Buddha. Many people believe that a "pure mind" is the eternal spring. That is true, but it is too lofty for beginners. Thay chose to start from the low and move toward the high: To have a pure mind, one must first know how to love. Without love, even sitting in meditation amid magnificent temples, the heart remains as cold as winter. Conversely, if one knows how to express care, to ask after others, to help, to praise, and to listen, then even a place lacking in material comforts can become a haven of peace.

Thay also spoke about cultivating a heart of compassion. This is not something easy, nor can it be faked with a forced smile. There are monastics who are always smiling, but the moment they turn away, their faces twist in pain and suffering. That is a smile of social politeness, not the smile of inner peace. A true smile comes when the mind has accumulated enough love through many years of sincere practice, so that even when no one is watching, the face still radiates freshness and gentleness. When meeting others, that radiance becomes warmth and affection.

Thay quoted the poet Truong Trao: "One word of love sustains the world." If everyone hated one another, life itself would come to an end. Therefore, the task of the practitioner is to extend the "endless spring" by scattering love everywhere, throughout the whole year, not only during the three days of the New Year. When we give love, we are giving happiness to others, and at the same time we are building a heaven right here in this world.

The Meaning of the Story

This story illustrates a core principle: True happiness arises from sincere love. Spring is not merely a season of nature, but a state of the heart when people know how to let go of hatred and envy in order to receive and give warmth. To attain an "endless spring," each of us must patiently and sincerely cultivate a heart of compassion, turning love into concrete action through care, listening, and a peaceful smile, thereby transforming this life into heaven.

Compiled from a dharma talk by the Venerable Thich Chan Quang.