Nỗi Nhục Của Chiếc Xe Đạp Và Bảy Bước Thông Minh

The atmosphere inside the Meo Pagoda, also known as Linh Mieu, in Thanh Hoa province seemed to thicken. Afternoon sunlight slanted through the forest canopy, illuminating the young yet serious faces of hundreds of student practitioners. The steady hum of ceiling fans could not dispel the summer heat, nor could it calm the swirling thoughts within their minds. On the teaching platform, Venerable Thich Chan Quang paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across each face before he suddenly asked a question.

"Do you see this video camera? Who manufactured it?"

A few whispers rose from the crowd: "Japan... Germany... foreign countries."

The Venerable nodded, his voice dropping low. "This microphone? This watch? The motorbikes you ride? Vietnam has not yet produced a single car bearing the label Made in Vietnam. We only buy and use things made by others."

Silence enveloped the hall. It was not the silence of passivity, but the silence of a pain that had just been touched. The Venerable continued, recounting the heroic history of the nation: rising up to reclaim independence after a thousand years of Northern domination, and the sacred resistance wars against France and America. Yet, he posed a question that startled many students.

"So today, where are we losing? What is this shame we speak of?"

He offered the example of South Korea. Forty years ago, they were as poor and backward as Vietnam. But beside them lay Japan, a civilized and sophisticated power where people bowed gently to one another and no one dared to litter carelessly. The Korean people felt shame when looking at their neighbor. This sense of moral shame became an enormous driving force. They resolved, they struggled, and after four decades, their products—from Samsung phones to Kia cars—surpassed traditional competitors.

"Why did they succeed? Because they knew shame," the Venerable emphasized. "And today, I entrust this shame to you. You must wash away this shame for our country."

One boy in the front row gripped the hem of his robe tightly, his face flushing red with a mix of embarrassment and determination. He thought about the Bphone, the first Vietnamese effort in the high-end smartphone market. The Venerable analyzed that its failure was not due to a lack of talent, but a lack of humility and proper process. Instead of claiming it was the best product in the world, the founder should have said: "This is the first time Vietnamese people have manufactured this; please try it and report errors so we can improve." Had they done so, every Vietnamese person would have become a quality control engineer, and the product would have succeeded through collective wisdom.

From this lesson, the Venerable outlined the Seven Intelligent Steps for an individual or a nation to rise.

First, study well. Second, excel in examinations. Third, work skillfully. Fourth, create excellent products through innovation. Fifth, master marketing and sales. Sixth, provide outstanding after-sales service and warranties. Seventh, recover and recycle materials, aiming for a cosmic civilization.

"Vietnam is currently solid only in the first and second steps," he pointed out clearly. "We win medals in Mathematics and Physics Olympiads, but when we enter the workforce or create high-tech products, we remain hesitant. Especially the seventh step—a waste-free civilization—is the ultimate destination that the modern world has not yet reached, but which Vietnamese people must strive toward."

In that moment, a cool breeze swept in from the forest, carrying the faint scent of incense. The student practitioners looked at one another, no longer possessing the innocent carelessness of the morning. In their eyes, the flame of responsibility had been lit. It was not a destructive fire, but a transformative one: turning shame into motivation, and dreams of flying into the will to build wingless flying vehicles based on gravity-neutralizing technology.

The story conveys a profound message about patriotism and the responsibility of the younger generation. Military heroism of the past must be continued by economic and scientific strength in the present. The core lesson lies in the concept of moral shame: recognizing personal and national limitations not to feel inferior, but to transform them into a driving force for progress. Adhering to the Seven Intelligent Steps—from learning and working to creating, commercializing, and protecting the environment—is the only path for Vietnam to escape the shame of merely consuming foreign goods and to contribute to the common civilization of humanity.

Compiled from the dharma talk of Venerable Thich Chan Quang