The Call of Home and Lessons on Love

The air at the end of the year was thick with the scent of incense smoke mingling with the aroma of sticky rice cakes boiling over a glowing fire. Loudspeakers in the distance played festive spring music, yet for every child living far from home, it sounded like a sacred call urging them to leave behind the noisy city and return to the place where they were born.

Young engineer Minh stood before the train station in Ho Chi Minh City, pulling a heavy suitcase filled with gifts for his parents. For three years, busy work had forced him to make empty promises that he would return for Tet this time. But seeing the crowds rushing out onto the streets, he felt a distinct emptiness in his heart. He remembered the crow’s feet deepening around his mother’s eyes during their phone calls, and his father’s anxious posture waiting on the porch. This was not mere duty, but an invisible thread, stronger than granite, pulling him back.

On the night train rattling toward his hometown, Minh met Uncle Tu, a middle-aged man with a gentle smile. Uncle Tu was also hurrying home, knowing well that his old house held no luxury. In a warm, low voice, he said, "Do you know? True happiness exists only where there are people who love us and whom we love. Even if the house is poor and material things are lacking, without familial bonds, life becomes just a long chain of lonely days."

Uncle Tu’s words lingered in Minh’s mind. He wondered if he had misunderstood happiness all along. Had he confused the convenience of city life with the peace of the soul?

When he finally arrived home, the reunion was deeply moving. His mother embraced him tightly, tears rolling down her wrinkled cheeks. His father stood quietly behind, his trembling hands gently patting his son’s shoulder. In that moment, Minh realized that the "sacred calling" of Tet was a reminder of filial piety. A child working far away, no matter how busy, should strive to return for the most important festival. This is how one plants the seeds of companionship for old age.

That evening, the family gathered around the dinner table, sharing old memories. Curious, Minh asked his grandfather, known for his wisdom, why he had married his grandmother—a simple, rustic woman who did not meet the standards of social status expected at the time.

Grandfather smiled, his gaze drifting into the past, and spoke slowly. "Back then, I was studying, handsome, and pursued by many girls. But one day, on the road, I happened to see a girl carrying goods on a pole. Looking at her, I suddenly felt an unbearable tenderness. A strange feeling invaded my heart. I waited for a chance to meet again, gradually got to know her, and asked for her hand. Now, looking back, I do not understand why I chose her. Perhaps it was destiny."

Minh laughed upon hearing this. "What is destiny, Grandpa? How strange!"

Grandfather replied seriously, "Do not explain reasons with logic or conditions. Destiny is something that cannot be explained. It binds two people to love and care for each other naturally. It is like a mother’s love for her child; even if the child is wayward, mad, or criminal, the mother still loves. That is instinct, the deepest love, transcending all reasoning."

This story opened a new perspective for Minh. He realized that love has many levels. There is superficial affection based on preference—liking dogs or being attracted to beauty—which requires no destiny. There is admiration for talent, which can easily change. And there is moral love, rooted in responsibility, such as when Buddhists visit temples on the first day of Tet, placing their greatest devotion in the Buddha’s teachings (Dharma) to find tranquility.

Yet, the deepest and most enduring love stems from destiny and human instinct. It needs no reason and no conditions. It exists like breath, like the beating of the heart. Minh looked at his parents and grandparents, suddenly understanding that happiness is not about fighting to gain something, but about letting go of selfishness. What remains is only two things: peace within the mind/heart and love for one another.

The Meaning of the Story

This narrative emphasizes that true happiness lies in combining inner peace with loving kindness. Returning home for Tet or taking refuge in the Buddha’s teachings (Dharma) is not merely ritual; it is a way to nurture filial piety and sow good cause and effect (karmic law) so that old age is not lonely. More importantly, we must distinguish between levels of love: from shallow attractions based on instinct or preference, to profound connections formed through destiny and ethics. Only by understanding and cherishing these core values can we find true peace amidst the chaos of life.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Most Venerable Thich Chan Quang