From Director General of the Power Company to Leader of the Practice Community

Mr. Thiep accepted retirement, only to find that leading a practice community was even more demanding than his days as a boss.

Late at night in Hai Phong, warm yellow light spilled through the window of a living room where Mr. Thiep sat with a few Buddhist practitioners. Hot tea trickled into small cups, and the scent of agarwood incense drifted through the quiet air. He wore a shirt with a worn collar; the man who had once been a powerful executive now looked thinner, his eyes still bright but carrying a trace of deep reflection. The evening before, he had just met with the teacher, and now, back home, he was still turning the conversation over in his mind.

In the past, he had been the Director General of Hai Phong Power Company, a position of authority where every command he issued set the whole system in motion. But when he reached the mandatory retirement age, he was forced to step down. No more spacious office, no more subordinates waiting for instructions. At first, an emptiness burned in his chest: he still had wisdom, still had experience, so why did the rules force him to stop? He felt resentful, wanting to keep contributing but not being allowed to.

He sat restlessly, tapping at his phone, then sighed to his wife:

"I still have strength, still have so many plans for the power industry. Why must I stop? It's so frustrating, like being cast aside to the margins."

His wife shook her head gently and said:

"Dear, that's just how the rules are. Let's accept it, and then find something else to do."

He fell silent, his heart torn between an ego that still wanted to be in control and the reality of having to let go. Then he took on the responsibility of leading the practice community in Hai Phong, a group of several hundred people. He thought it would be easy, but after meeting the teacher the night before, he exclaimed:

"Now that I'm leading a practice community of several hundred people, I see it's even more suffering (dukkha) than when I was Director General of the power company."

The teacher smiled and asked why, and he explained before everyone:

"When I was Director General, I just gave orders and my staff had to carry them out. But in the practice community, can a leader really give orders? You have to persuade, have to plead, have to gently encourage."

A practitioner nearby nodded in agreement:

"That's right, brother. At midnight people call you to unburden their hearts, and you have to listen, have to explain. It's nothing like the old days when you just told someone to do something and it was done."

He continued, his voice like someone recounting his own private hardships:

"And then there's the matter that if I want to smoke a cigarette, I've lost; if I want a sip of wine, it's all ruined. I have to be a role model, so everything must stop. It's much harder than before, and the moral demands are higher too."

That was the turning point: he realized that the old executive position only required power, while the role of community leader was genuine spiritual practice. He accepted retirement, and then accepted the new hardships as well. No longer resentful, he threw himself into caring for the practice community.

Every morning he rose early to remind everyone to chant the sutras, and in the evenings he took phone calls from person after person. On tiring days, he told himself:

"Let it go and accept it. Doing good deeds brings a bit of hardship, but the heart is joyful."

He gave up cigarettes and alcohol completely, becoming a true role model. A few months passed, the community grew closer, and he felt his heart grow light. Without any position or authority, he was happier than during his days as a boss. The old emptiness vanished entirely, replaced by a smile whenever he saw several hundred people practicing earnestly.

The Meaning of the Story

Accepting our fate, even when we lose a position or face a more difficult role, frees us from afflictions (kleshas). Finding new ways to contribute that fit our circumstances opens up true value, turning adversity into an opportunity for practice and joy.

Compiled from a dharma talk by TT. Thich Chan Quang