The Brick of Samsara

On a lightly rainy afternoon, I sat by the temple porch, watching droplets fall onto the lotus leaves. A young novice monk ran to my side, his eyes bright with curiosity.

"Venerable Sir, I see in my family that my parents are kind, my older siblings are well-behaved, but why is my youngest sibling so stubborn and always talks back? He seems unlike anyone else."

I smiled at the novice monk and slowly began to explain.

"Do you know, when we are born, we are not blank sheets of paper upon which the environment draws its design. Instead, we carry with us an entire treasury from countless past lifetimes. There is a story like this..."

Long ago, a man was born in a peaceful countryside village where everyone lived in harmony, loved and cared for each other. Yet strangely, this man was greedy, selfish, and often deceived others. Seeing this, the villagers confronted him, and the village chief spoke sternly.

"My dear child, in our village, no one lies or deceives another. You must abandon this habit. Here, one is one and two is two. A promise once made is kept, never broken."

The man bowed his head, but his heart was still full of schemes. Gradually, through the community's guidance, he began to change. But then one day, he met a traveler from a distant land. This traveler was also cunning and fond of taking advantage of others. The two met, like matching pieces, and together they devised plans to deceive the villagers.

When the village chief learned of this, he gathered everyone. He spoke to the man.

"My dear child, you have lived in our village for so many years, why have you still not absorbed our way of life? You must look within yourself. That bad habit, if you do not correct it, will follow you into your next life, like a brick that builds the house of your soul."

The man was stunned. He realized that every action, every thought of his not only affected this life but also served as bricks building his character for future lifetimes. He knelt down, tears rolling down his face.

"I am sorry, I will change. I do not want my soul to forever be a dark, twisted cave."

From then on, the man completely transformed. He lived truthfully, selflessly helping others. The villagers were all glad. And when he passed away, it was said that his soul was reborn into a good family, where he continued to accumulate beautiful bricks for his spirit.

I paused and looked at the novice monk. He listened attentively, his eyes seeming to understand something. I continued.

"In every lifetime, we carry influences from past environments. But more importantly, we ourselves must learn to choose and build our soul with bricks of love, generosity, and selflessness. Otherwise, no matter how good our surroundings, we may still become corrupt."

The novice monk nodded and whispered a question.

"Venerable Sir, then how do I know if I am building my house with good bricks or bad ones?"

I smiled and replied.

"Look at what you do every day. If you feel your heart is light and peaceful, then those are good bricks. But if you feel troubled and anxious, those are bad bricks. Mend them right away, before they form a solid wall."

The novice monk bowed his head and ran off, leaving me with reflections on the endless cycle of samsara, where each person fashions their own destiny.

Meaning of the Story

Each person is an independent being, carrying karma from countless past lifetimes. The living environment has an influence, but it does not entirely determine a person's nature. We can change and build our soul with beautiful bricks through every action and thought in the present. This is the path of practice, the way to transcend the painful cycle of samsara.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang.