Love for the Dharma Has Two Branches

Inside the Buddhist lecture hall, a quiet atmosphere prevailed. A senior monk stood in the courtyard, pointing to an old Suzuki motorcycle parked against the wall. He turned to look at the monks and nuns seated in rows, his gaze calm and steady.

"Today, we will speak about love," he began. "But not romantic love between men and women; rather, our love for the Dharma. First, however, I wish to ask you: why do we love a motorcycle?"

An elderly monk with strong white hair spoke up. "Venerable sir, I truly wanted a new vehicle. My old one broke down often, sometimes failing in the middle of the night with no place to repair it. I researched carefully and chose this one because I like the color red. It feels more solid, representing wisdom, so I selected this bike."

"Precisely," the senior monk nodded. "You answered very accurately. We love an object for two reasons. First, because it is good, durable, and meets our needs. This is its rational nature, its aspect of wisdom. Second, because it is beautiful—the romantic red color, the refined design. This is its aesthetic nature. Only when these two are balanced do we truly love something."

He looked over the assembly, lowering his voice. "The Buddha's teachings (Dharma) are the same. We love them for two reasons. One, due to past connections—we planted seeds of affinity with the Dharma in previous lives, so this love arises naturally now. Two, for present reasons, just as the elder monk described: we love the rationality of the Dharma, and we love its beauty."

A young monk asked, "Venerable sir, emotional attachment to the path is easy to understand, but how do we explain the rational aspect?"

The senior monk smiled. "The rationality of the Dharma lies in its strictness and logic. Consider the law of cause and effect (karmic law). Other religions might say that deities in heaven judge us, sending the good to heaven and the bad to hell. But the Dharma teaches that no external judge is needed. The universe operates under a fair karmic law: whatever seed you plant, that fruit you reap. Cause leads directly to effect, as precise as a mathematical system. Such high-level reason conquers even the most intellectual minds in the world."

"And where is the beauty of the Dharma?" he asked, then answered himself. "It resides in the compassion taught by the Buddha, in the purity of the temple, in the gentle smiles of the elders, and in the sutras and verses that are both profound and melodious. This is the beauty that moves the human heart."

He paused, his eyes growing distant. "I remember my early days after ordination, living at Pure Land Temple. All day long, we had to recite lengthy rituals with difficult characters. One day, the supervising senior monk caught me avoiding recitation and expelled me from the temple. I begged the abbot for five days: mornings for labor, afternoons for studying one section of the Shurangama Sutra. I memorized it within five days. Yet, I did not enjoy it, because at that time, the sutra lacked clear rational appeal for me—I loved mathematics, needing firm theory to be convinced."

He shook his head gently. "Many foreigners today feel the same way. They are tired of their own religions, which demand blind faith, love, and obedience. They come to Buddhism and read words filled with reason: a bhikkhu sitting cross-legged, eliminating greed and hatred, building ethics—it is so rational that they fall in love immediately."

"But," his tone became serious, "this places a great responsibility on our shoulders. When spreading the Dharma, do not merely push belief—that is outdated. Promote the rationality of the Dharma and wrap it in exquisite beauty. Speak of cause and effect (karmic law), but do so beautifully. Introduce non-self (anatta), but present it elegantly. Do not threaten people with fear; if you scare them, they will leave instantly."

He continued, "Recently, during the summer retreat, I was invited to teach. I made the monks learn poetry. They were surprised: 'Why must practitioners study poetry?' I told them, 'So that when necessary, you can create new rituals.' That day, someone invited us to perform a memorial service for a one-year-old child. Do you know what we chanted? The Amitabha Sutra. Did anyone understand it? No one did. Even we did not fully grasp it while chanting. Is this the true spirit of the Dharma?"

"If you knew how to write poetry," he said, "that very afternoon, you could compose a verse that fits the family’s grief while gradually elevating the spiritual truth. Or if there is a ceremony for national peace and prosperity without an existing ritual, you could write one immediately, satisfying everyone’s hearts and making them love the Dharma through its beauty and reason."

He looked out the window, where the late afternoon sun slanted across the courtyard. "After thousands of years, our rituals remain so poor; when situations arise, we have nothing suitable to use. Creative power lies in our hands. Learn to write poetry, learn to create, so that every ritual holds both deep philosophical meaning and aesthetic beauty. Only then can we plant the mind of the Dharma in countless beings in this world."

Silence fell over the hall. A gentle breeze drifted through, carrying the faint scent of lotus flowers. The monks and nuns sat motionless, their expressions contemplative, absorbing the teacher’s words—love for the Dharma does not stem from blind faith, but from two sturdy branches: reason and beauty.

The Meaning of the Story

Love for the Buddha's teachings (Dharma) is not a blind emotion but has two solid roots. The first is reason, because the Dharma possesses a logical, strict, and correct philosophical system, such as the law of cause and effect (karmic law). The second is aesthetics, because the Dharma embodies the beauty of compassion, purity, and subtlety in its scriptures and monastic life. Practitioners and teachers must promote both elements: presenting the teachings with sharp reason while wrapping them in delicate beauty to touch emotions and guide others toward genuine devotion.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thich Chan Quang