The Bridge and the Loss of Direction

The afternoon air on Chuong Duong Bridge was already stifling with the roar of traffic and the rush of crowds, yet in the minds of two young people, everything seemed to freeze. They walked side by side, no longer moving with the rhythm of love, but jostling each other with frustration. Their quarrel blended with the wind whistling through the bridge’s railings, every word sharp as a knife.

"You are always like this! You always think you are right!" the girl shouted, her voice trembling with suppressed anger. Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back, refusing to let them fall before strangers.

The boy remained silent, his jaw clenched tight. He stared straight ahead with stubborn defiance, unwilling to yield even though he knew the argument led nowhere. He believed his silence was a victory, a way to force her to admit her mistake. But he did not understand that this silence was pushing her into the abyss of despair.

They continued walking toward the center of the bridge. As they climbed higher, the wind grew stronger, whipping the girl’s hair and chilling both her skin and her heart. In her mind, there was no room left for reason or beautiful memories. Only one question pierced her soul: "Why am I suffering so much? Why has love become such a burden?"

Suddenly, she stopped. The boy took a few more steps before turning around to find her standing alone by the cold iron railing. Her eyes were empty, devoid of anger, filled only with extreme exhaustion.

"What... what are you doing?" he asked, panic rising in his voice as he realized something was wrong.

She did not answer. She looked down at the Red River churning below, where, in the distorted thinking of that moment, she believed all afflictions could be washed away. She stepped out from the safety of her lover’s presence, moving closer to the endless void.

"Don't!" the boy screamed, lunging forward to grab her hand. But his fingers only brushed the hem of her coat as she let go.

His cry was swallowed by the wind and the waves. He stood frozen, his hand still reaching into empty space, his heart constricting, his blood seeming to turn to ice. He did not dare jump after her. It was not because he did not love her, but because survival instinct and sheer terror pinned him to the ground. He accepted losing her, accepted this pain, all because of a fleeting moment of heat and the absence of a solid purpose in life.

After the incident, many asked why the girl acted so recklessly. The answer lay in the emptiness within her. When a person lacks a "motivation to live," meaning they have no sufficiently large or enduring reason to cling to life, even the smallest stumble can become the final thread pulling them into the abyss. Love, if based solely on temporary emotions without a foundation of sacrifice and shared goals, easily collapses under pressure.

The teacher explained that if we define our motivation for living as "living usefully for the world," then personal conflicts and emotional wounds will no longer be reasons to abandon life. We will gain the strength to persevere, to forgive, and to weather storms of emotion. Those who live usefully seek to resolve conflicts rather than push them to extremes, knowing their lives are tied to the responsibilities and joys of the community.

The Meaning of the Story

This story warns against the consequences of living without clear motivation and purpose. When people chase only temporary emotions or illusory needs, they easily fall into deadlock and despair when facing minor difficulties. The moral lesson emphasizes that defining the goal of "living usefully for the world" not only helps us avoid selfishness but also creates a firm spiritual anchor. This anchor allows us to stand strong against life’s waves, protecting ourselves and those around us from unnecessary tragedies.

Compiled from the dharma talk of Most Venerable Thich Chan Quang