The Rice Field and the Lesson of Labor's Pace

**Summary:** A childhood memory of Venerable Thích Chân Quang, working the fields at age sixteen, where he learned the value of urgency and labor productivity through hoeing the ground to plant potatoes.

At sixteen, the young man Thích Chân Quang—who had not yet ordained—stood in a dry, barren field, his hands gripping a heavy hoe. His family then consisted only of his father and himself as the two pillars, while his mother and younger sisters were small and frail. As the only son, he bore the responsibility for all the strenuous work. His body was thin and frail, but his eyes burned bright each time he looked at the unprepared beds of soil.

The sun climbed higher, its harsh heat beating down on his sweat-soaked shirt. He knew clearly that if he did not finish hoeing this ground by morning, his sisters would not be able to plant the peanuts in time for the season. Time was gold, it was the food and clothing for the entire family. He took a deep breath, focusing his entire spirit on each swing of the hoe.

"Faster! Go even faster!" he reminded himself in his mind. Each stroke had to be decisive, each row of earth even. He did not allow himself to rest, nor to complain of fatigue. In his mind at that moment, there was only one goal: to complete the task at the highest speed so his sisters could proceed with the sowing.

He hoed the earth, moving backwards as he worked, creating straight rows. Behind him, four or five tiny sisters followed, scattering seeds into each clump of soil he had just cleared. The sound of the hoe striking the earth blended with the light footsteps of his sisters, creating a rhythm of urgent labor filled with love.

There were moments when he wanted to stop to drink water, to wipe his sweat. But seeing his sisters patiently waiting, he gritted his teeth and continued. He realized that sluggishness not only affected the work's progress but also made others wait, wasting time and resources. From then on, a habit formed in his mind: whatever the task, it must be done swiftly, neatly, and productively.

Many years later, having become a deeply learned monk, he still held to that spirit of labor. He shared that when working slowly, he felt a sense of guilt, feeling irresponsible and lacking in virtue. Conversely, when working swiftly, he felt he was contributing, living usefully. This was not merely an economic issue, but one of cause and effect (karmic law) and morality.

He also spoke of foreign specialists working on Vietnamese oil rigs. They worked from morning till afternoon, not drinking a sip of water, not eating a morsel of rice, laboring diligently until their shift ended. That urgency left many Vietnamese astonished and made them reflect on their own habit of working "slowly, leisurely."

**The Meaning of the Story**

Venerable Thích Chân Quang uses his personal experience to illustrate the concept of "Living Swiftly." Living swiftly does not mean rushing or being hasty, leading to mistakes. Rather, it means working with a spirit of urgency, with intense focus, and with productivity. Vietnamese people often suffer disadvantages in international competition not because they are less intelligent, but because they lack the spirit of urgent work, still carrying an agricultural mindset of "waiting" instead of actively "building." Practicing the speed of work is a method of moral cultivation that helps a person increase their blessings from merit and contribute more to the community.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang.