The Secret Formula for Finding a Job

A young man, unemployed for a long time and filled with despair, sought guidance at the temple. His teacher shared the law of cause and effect (karmic law): make a vow to dedicate a large portion of one’s salary to creating merit, accepting a simple life in exchange for employment opportunities.

In the late afternoon, pale golden sunlight filtered through the leaves of an ancient terminalia tree, scattering tiny coins of light across the brick courtyard of Phat Quang Temple. The temple bell had just rung, deep and slow, as if gently urging people not to rush. In a corner of the courtyard, a young man sat with his head in his hands, eyes red from crying, his fingers gripping each other so tightly that his nails left red marks on his skin.

His name was Phong. He had graduated from university with good grades a year earlier. Since receiving his diploma, he had searched for work like a moth drawn to a flame. From one company to another, from one interview to the next, doors remained firmly shut. He was hired by a few places for probationary periods, but various reasons led him to leave each time. Phong began to doubt himself and even the world around him. He felt like a boat washed ashore into shallow water, unable to return to the open sea no matter how hard he tried.

That afternoon, after receiving yet another rejection from a small company, Phong decided to visit the temple. He did not believe in deities, but feeling empty inside, he needed a place to sit in peace. He had been sitting in that corner for nearly an hour, staring into space, while his mind replayed every rejection he had ever heard. "We need someone more experienced." "Your profile is not truly outstanding." "We will contact you again if a suitable position arises."

A gentle shadow fell before Phong. He looked up to see a monk wearing brown robes, with a kind face and a smile as soft as willow branches swaying in the wind. It was Venerable Thich Chan Quang.

"Are you facing difficulties?" the teacher asked. His voice was warm and low, free of judgment or interrogation, carrying only pure concern.

Phong burst into tears. The tears he had held back all afternoon flowed freely as he confessed everything: his despair, his insecurity, and the feeling of abandonment common to a young person who has lost their way.

The teacher listened completely. When Phong finished speaking, the teacher did not rush to offer advice. Instead, he asked one question: "Do you believe in cause and effect (karmic law)?"

Phong hesitated. "Yes... I am not sure. But right now, I have nothing left to lose."

The teacher smiled. "Then let us speak of a formula. This formula is not magic, nor is it a miracle. It is the law of cause and effect (karmic law), which is fair and relentless."

The teacher sat down on the stone steps and told Phong about the "choices" presented by karmic law. He spoke of a person who came before Yama, the King of Hell. Because they lacked blessings from merit, they were given a choice: either be reborn as a dog loved by humans, or be reborn as a human hated by others. He also spoke of a young man who wished to become a director. He was allowed to rise, but had to carry a debt for life, or remain a worker living peacefully with a modest surplus in the bank.

"Opportunities," the teacher said, "do not come naturally if your blessings from merit are insufficient. You want a good job and a bright future, but you lack the merit from good actions you planted in the past. If you wish to demand more than what you currently possess, you must pay the price."

Phong lowered his head, feeling the teacher’s words like a sharp blade cutting directly into his deepest wound.

"So... what should I do?" Phong asked, his voice trembling.

The teacher looked at Phong, his gaze both serious and full of hope. "Do you dare to make a great promise? A promise to the Three Jewels and to your own life."

Phong did not fully understand, but his instinct for survival urged him forward. "I dare. I am ready to do anything to get a job. I do not want my parents to worry about me anymore, nor do I want to hear relatives whispering behind my back."

The teacher nodded. "Then kneel before the Buddha and make this vow: 'I know I lack blessings from merit, which makes finding work difficult. Now I ask the Buddha for help. If I find a job, I vow to dedicate twenty percent of my income to creating merit.'"

Phong was startled. Twenty percent? At this moment, he had no income at all. But when he did have a job, twenty percent would be a significant portion. Yet, looking into the teacher’s eyes, he saw a strange certainty there. Phong knelt down, facing the Buddha statue, and repeated the vow taught by the teacher. His voice trembled but remained clear. He felt a slight electric current run along his spine, as if something sacred had just connected.

During the first month after making the vow, there was still no good news. Phong began to doubt, but the teacher’s words echoed in his mind: "If there is no result next month, raise the stakes." In the second month, still unemployed, Phong knelt before the Buddha again, this time committing to dedicate thirty percent. By the third month, he vowed to dedicate fifty percent. During this third vow, Phong’s heart pounded violently, and his head spun. Fifty percent of his salary meant he would live very difficultly, but desperation had pushed him to his limit.

Then, opportunity arrived unexpectedly, though not smoothly as he had imagined. A small company offered him a technical support assistant position. The salary was not high, and the work was strenuous. His first month’s salary was four million dong. According to his promise, he had to set aside two million dong to create merit. With the remaining two million, he had to cover rent, food, and money sent home to his parents. Every day, Phong ate rice with lemon and salt, sometimes just white rice with chili sauce. Yet, he went to work regularly and gave his best effort.

He fulfilled his promise seriously. Each month, he used those two million dong to create merit according to the three standards taught by the teacher: helping good people do good deeds (supporting scholarship funds for poor children), stopping bad people from doing evil (joining a group of good friends and advising a friend falling into gambling), and saving people in danger (volunteering with a rescue team during flood season). He did not act to "exchange" for something more, but because he understood this was the only path to accumulate what he had previously lacked.

Years passed. Phong continued working at that small company, living simply. Gradually, his work became more stable. He was entrusted with greater responsibilities, gained experience, and his income increased slightly. As his income rose, the portion he kept for living expenses increased a little, but the portion dedicated to creating merit remained the same or grew. He no longer felt extreme hardship because he had grown accustomed to "living below his own blessings from merit."

And the miracle arrived slowly but surely. Three years later, from an ordinary technical support assistant, Phong was promoted to team leader, and then to department manager. His salary matched his new status. He maintained the habit of regularly creating merit. Now, the portion he set aside was no longer a burden but a joy. He felt his life had more meaning. Good relationships came to him naturally. He found a life partner who understood him and walked with him on the path of accumulating merit.

One late afternoon at the end of the year, Phong returned to Phat Quang Temple. He met Venerable Thich Chan Quang again. The teacher still wore that kind smile, his eyes lighting up when he saw Phong.

"Do you understand the formula now?" the teacher asked.

Phong bowed his head, tears of happiness rolling down his cheeks. "I understand, Teacher. I realize that opportunities are not things we seize, but things we build through our own letting go and dedication. I paid the price, but that price taught me how to live more correctly."

The teacher nodded. "Exactly. Cause and effect (karmic law) does not deceive anyone. If you lack blessings from merit, you must pay the price to obtain them. But if you use that 'payment' to do meritorious deeds correctly, you resolve the deadlock while simultaneously accumulating new blessings from merit for the future. That is wisdom."

Phong looked out at the temple courtyard, seeing the afternoon sun soften and the terminalia leaves sway in the gentle breeze. He felt a lightness and peace he had never known before. The road ahead was still long, but now he knew which path he was walking, and he knew that every step was firm.

### The Meaning of the Story

This story reminds us that in life, if we wish to achieve an opportunity or success but lack sufficient blessings from merit, we must accept a "trade-off" or "pay a price." This payment is not a punishment, but the natural law of cause and effect (karmic law). Those who practice wisely choose conscious trade-offs: proactively dedicating a portion of income or resources to create merit properly. This involves helping good people do good deeds, stopping bad people from doing evil, and saving people in danger. These actions help "settle the account" for the opportunity we seek while accumulating new blessings from merit for the future. Simultaneously, one must learn to "live below one’s current blessings from merit." This means being humble and not harboring ambitions beyond one’s actual capacity, thereby avoiding unintended tragedies of paying prices and ensuring that blessings from merit remain abundant and sustainable.

Compiled from the dharma talk of Most Venerable Thich Chan Quang