The Natural Vow and the Many Shades of Love

A story of the transformation from dry reasoning to overflowing love, illustrated through a young man's natural vow and a lesson on emotional energy.

The late afternoon sunlight poured like honey over the courtyard of Phật Quang Temple, gilding the rows of ancient trees. The sound of the bell rang out gently, dispelling what remained of the midsummer heat. In that tranquil atmosphere, a group of young people sat gathered together, their eyes turned toward the master giving the teaching. The space was so quiet that one could hear the wind slipping through the leaves, yet within each heart, small waves of curiosity and reflection were stirring.

The master paused, his gentle gaze passing over each young face before he spoke in a warm, deep voice: "Children, have you ever asked yourselves why we come here for the Ullambana Festival? Is it only out of reverence for the Buddha? Or is it also because we love this temple, love our teachers, and most important of all, love one another?"

A young man named Minh, who was given to much reflection, frowned slightly. He remembered scrolling through social media and seeing friends who were lively online, yet when they met in person at the temple, the feeling of closeness was entirely different. As if reading his thoughts, the master continued:

"Friends on Facebook are virtual friends. Now that we meet face to face, we become real friends. All the actions of sentient beings, small and great, are governed by feelings. That is the law of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination."

Minh nodded, but a trace of doubt remained in his heart. He thought: "Everyone has feelings, but are they good or bad? Loving someone must surely bring blessings from merit, mustn't it?"

As if answering that silent question, the master smiled, and his voice grew deeper. "It is not so simple. If you love a person of virtue, you receive blessings from merit. But if you love someone without virtue, someone harmful who ruins lives, then the more you love them, the heavier the sin. In the same way, to venerate a saint brings boundless blessings from merit, but to venerate a false spiritual teacher, and then go about promoting them, is to drag others into delusion. That is to bear sin."

Young Minh shivered. He suddenly realized that his heart was at times blind, chasing after emotion while lacking wisdom to light the way. The master stepped down from the teaching platform and drew closer to his disciples, his eyes shining with a strange conviction.

"Imagine this," the master said slowly. "When you kneel before the Buddha and simply form the intention in your mind, saying, 'I vow to venerate the Buddha absolutely,' that single thought, once it arises, shakes the entire heavenly realm. The old karma from countless lifetimes begins to be rearranged. You will never again die a wretched, shameful death. Cause and effect (karmic law) is transformed, and your dignity is preserved."

The master's voice suddenly grew stern, touching the hidden fear within each person's heart. "But be careful with hatred. If you hate the wrong person, a good person, every opportunity in your life is lost. And hating a bad person? Do not do it. Ho Chi Minh once said, 'I hate the bad deed, not the bad person.' If you confuse a person with their faults, you will become just as bad as they are. Subtle wisdom knows how to separate the person from their actions."

The teaching ended with an image full of poetry and philosophy. The master told of a young man who, when asked how much he loved a girl, did not need to calculate or prepare a script, but blurted out:

"If I ever leave you, may a car run me down and kill me!"

That was not an empty promise, but the natural result of love and loyalty having reached their utmost point. It arose suddenly, powerfully, beyond all restraint, like water breaking through a dike. The master explained that when reverence for the Buddha, for one's homeland, and for one's parents reaches the absolute level, the solemn vow will arise naturally from the very depths of the heart, forced by no one.

Minh looked around and saw the faces of his friends sunk in reflection. He understood that life is not the cold, leveling equality of the West, where parents and children are made equal to the point of disrespect. Rather, life is a painting of many colors, with rich shades of feeling: filial devotion to parents, respect for teachers, fondness for friends, and love for all things, from a fallen petal to a fallen leaf.

The Meaning of the Story

The story emphasizes the central role of feeling in spiritual life and in cause and effect (karmic law). Every action springs from feeling, but that feeling must be guided by wisdom to distinguish right from wrong, so that we do not mistakenly love the wicked or mistakenly hate the good. The deepest lesson concerns the transformation of karmic force through absolute reverence for the Three Jewels and for one's homeland. When feeling reaches the peak of sincerity and loyalty, it creates an inner strength that helps a person overcome destinies of suffering (dukkha), while affirming the beauty of a soul rich in emotional shades, unlike either numbness or false equality.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang.