The Black Smoke of No Authority

Black smoke from charcoal kilns curled up, obscuring the afternoon sky in the new economic zone. The stifling heat of red basalt soil mixed with the sour smell of sweat, making it hard to breathe. In this wild landscape, a skinny, sun-tanned teenager was busy burning charcoal to make a living. His name was Viet. He had just turned sixteen, barely leaving childhood behind.

Life at that time was incredibly harsh. After liberation, his family was moved to this land to clear forests for farming. Schools were not yet built, and there was no electricity, only the faint glow of oil lamps at night. To reduce population pressure in big cities, people from all over came here to farm. Children had to work alongside their parents, gathering to play loosely supervised at night due to the lack of formal education.

One afternoon, while Viet was hammering charcoal, a younger sibling ran to call him. "Brother, the commune is looking for you!" They wanted to form a Young Pioneers team to gather the children and teach them, as there were no schools. Viet was assigned to lead this group. But the real challenge began when he faced children who were stubborn as buffalo, coming from everywhere and used to a free, unrestrained life in the mountains.

Viet struggled to find ways to guide them. Since the commune had no materials, he rode his bicycle back to Saigon, searching through old bookstores for books on youth organizations, history, and revolutionary ethics. He read voraciously, took careful notes, and brought them back to apply. However, the children did not care. Even though he invited five or six other senior mentors to help, the situation did not improve. Those elders shouted instructions, but the children treated them as invisible. They continued to run, scream, and play loudly right in front of them, completely ignoring every command.

Then one day, Viet had to go inside to rest. When he returned, he saw the familiar chaotic scene from afar: five or six adults standing helplessly in the yard, while the children still ran around wildly, laughing loudly. Suddenly, one child looked up, eyes bright, and shouted, "Brother Viet is coming!"

That short sentence worked like magic. Immediately, all the children stopped. Laughter died instantly. Their limbs froze stiff. In a blink, lines formed neatly and straight. Each child stood silent, eyes downcast or looking straight ahead at Viet approaching from a distance. Viet was so surprised he stopped in his tracks. He did not understand why. He was also just a sixteen-year-old boy, with no deep authoritative voice, no tall imposing figure, and even thinner than many others. Why did older, more trustworthy-looking adults fail, while he only needed to appear for them to obey?

Later, after becoming a monk and a teacher, Viet – now Venerable Thich Chan Quang – kept that same curiosity. He realized he never used "authority" or "power" to force obedience. He did not claim to be a saint, declare enlightenment, nor give grand speeches like Napoleon or Nguyen Hue, whose sharp glances or hand gestures could make the world tremble and ready to sacrifice their lives.

Instead, he chose the path of Confucius and the Buddha. He did not rely on himself to create attraction, but relied on "reason." What he said to the children, though simple, touched the essence, clearly distinguishing right from wrong. The children listened and felt the truth and logic in every word. They obeyed not out of fear of a dictatorial teacher, but because their wisdom was awakened, seeing that path as correct.

This journey lasted many years. From a boy burning charcoal in the new economic zone to an ordinary master, even calling himself "below average," with nothing special about his appearance or voice. Yet, his humility and propagation of core values, compatible with human conscience, drew millions of people. They followed not a person, but a path, a truth. And that truth, like light, never goes out, whether the candle-holder is a hundred years old or no longer exists.

The Meaning of the Story

This story illustrates the concept of "willpower" and "inner strength" from the perspective of the Buddha's teachings (Dharma). Willpower does not necessarily manifest through aggression, power, or fame, as seen with figures like Napoleon. Sometimes, it lies in persistence, sincerity, and the ability to convey correct reason. A person with true willpower relies on the Dharma and universal morality rather than the individual ego. When we live according to what is right, wisdom naturally opens, and influence spreads organically and sustainably, without need for coercion or tricks.

Compiled from the dharma talk of Venerable Thich Chan Quang