The word "Learning", the word "Cultivating" in the era of 5.0

On a fine morning, when the dawn had not yet appeared, we (the writer) received a message that was "shocking": "Why don’t you – monks - stay in forest and mountain? What kind of practice are you doing when you all only stay in urban areas?"

We don't know how to answer the question satisfactorily. Firstly, because we don't know if they are "heterodox" or not. Secondly, if they are Buddhists, but they are conservative and extremist, we cannot explain either. In short, because of uncertainty and caution we do not respond to this message.

The sentences of this person create our thinking. So where do we stay when we practice cultivation? Is it true to cultivate only in the forest and mountains? Let's discuss this interesting topic together!

THE WORD "LEARNING", THE WORD "CULTIVATING"

A monk is often understood by society roughly as a "cultivator", that is, a person who gives up worldly life, goes to pagoda and shaves his hair and lives an austere life: eating little, sleeping little, practicing meditation in daily life, chanting sutra, reciting the Buddha's name, etc. Those are not entirely an accurate understanding.

Monks and nuns are those who receive the ten precepts of novices or full-fledged bhikkhu. At first, they have to learn about precepts, rituals, and rules for monastics; At the same time, they learn the scriptures, from shortly, easily understanding sutras to other profound sutras. 

They not only spend the whole day studying, but also practice the prescribed sessions diligently at the pagoda, usually early in the morning at 4 am (or 5 am) and in the evening nights. at 6pm (or 7pm). Depending on each pagoda, the form of practice may be different: chanting, reciting the Buddha's name, sitting in meditation, reciting mantras, or they can combine one form with another in an elaborate practice session.

What, therefore, do monks and nuns study like that for? Pāḷi scripture often mentioned the goal of cultivators is "to lead to one direction of boredom, dispassion, cessation, peace, victory in mind, enlightenment, and Nirvana". The afflictions and sufferings of human life are manifestations of samsara. To be liberated from samsara, we must firstly realize that all dharma is suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self. Therefore, the purpose of cultivation is to be enlightened like that. 

CURRENT STATUS TODAY

We have generalized the word "studying", the word "cultivating". That is the ideal of the monks and nuns. However, the basis of sentient beings over time is different. When it comes to something, we need to know the right time, suitable with the truth and with object. We will give a few examples to clarify these three "contracts".

When it's time to eat: eat! when it's time to sleep: sleep!. It is a contract of time, doing the opposite is not a contract of time

What is said we state it, things that we don’t know we say don’t know. That is the case, if we do the opposite thing it is not reasonable.

Children like snacks, men like cars and sports, and women like shopping. It depends on your preferences and it is called 'understanding the contract'

Thus, when we mention to the practice and study and refer to the three aspects of contract, we will get a few summaries as follows:

Cultivation is crucial, but not everyone can achieve results, there are still people who leave home and then return to the world because they are tempted by the five desires and six objects.

Those who study well, may not necessarily practice well, but those who want to practice well cannot skip studying. However, if we focus too much on the practice of cultivating without learning, it is easy to go astray.

It must be frankly acknowledged that, people born in the era of digital technology 5.0 development bear quite a lot of objective and subjective obstacles for spiritual practice. Objectively, the temptations and attractive invitations from material comforts are very difficult for people to give up and practice. Subjectively, because of being born in an environment full of favorable means leading to sensual pleasures, many people of the era have been infected, creating many bad habits that are difficult to quit such as: smoking addiction, alcoholism, game addiction, shopping addiction, etc., even sex addiction.

If you are not skillful in moderation and adjustment of your spiritual life, it is easy to lead to a situation where you only contain knowledge but we cannot transform afflictions and habits. So we lose merit and virtue because of the manifestations of greed, hatred, and delusion: conceit because of good education, anger when someone looks down on us, and delusion in fame and gain, power, money... So what should we do to be blessed? Where there is good, there is merit: "Abandoning killing is good, giving up taking what is not given is good, abstaining from sexual misconduct is good, abstaining from lying is good, abstaining from double-tongued speech is good. Abandoning evil speech is good, giving up frivolous talk is good, not covetous is good, not hateful is good, right view is good. Everyone, this is called the good." (Central Sutra, volume I, Sutra of Right Justice.

3. PRACTICE SHOULD BE REALITY ABOUT OURSELVES

From the above analysis, we realize that it is very difficult to maintain the Bodhi mind of monastics in this era. However, it does not mean it is impossible. We are born in this stage which is a period of lacking merit and virtue, and it is very difficult to achieve the goal and ideal of the monastic. Therefore, a cultivator - whether ordained or layman, needs to cultivate the paramitas in order to have enough baggage and personal income to overcome the storms of life.

Some people think that just diligently sitting in meditation will have great merit. That's right! But it's only true when you sit and practice without thinking, with concentration and with results. The purification of our mind in this 5.0 society should be going step by step, from basic to advanced. Besides, if the perfections are fully cultivated, the mind will be calm, sitting will be able to settle down. The six paramitas are: generosity, morality, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom. Those thirteen paramitas are: generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, diligence, patience, truthfulness, determination, loving-kindness, and equanimity.

In short, according to the writer's opinion, it is hard for people in this era to endure the afflictions of body and mind so that they can enter the forest, mountains, caves, and niches to live alone, concentrate on meditating in the right direction, it should be blessed and wisdom going together.

Assuming that all monks and nuns go to the mountains and forests to meditate, Buddhism no longer exists in the world today. Why? Because there are no pagodas to spread Buddhism. We have got a chance to learn Buddhism due to the Dharma lectures, training courses which are organized at the pagoda and scriptures published from there. Nowadays, it is seldom to find a person who just passed by listening to a sutra and gained enlightenment like the Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng. He was originally a woodcutter, and when he was passing by a house, he only heard a verse of the Kim Cang Sutra: " You must be unlocated for the appearance of this mind " and immediately enlightened.

We go to the pagoda to chant sutras every day, read dozens of scriptures, but have we got enlightenment yet? If not, it is enough for us to understand how our karma is in this life!

4.FINAL WORDS TO EACH OTHER

After all, we just want to mention the objective reality of the modern world and the subjective basis of people these days. We are Buddhist practitioners, we need to be realistic and dare to look directly at the existing problem, we should not be delusive, dream of all sorts of sublime things. We should aim for the ideal, but if we just sit and hug the ideal then fall asleep without acting on reality, it is just a waste of effort.

Therefore, if we can do good for ourselves, we just do it, and if we can build prosperity for the Dharma, we strive to do it. Cultivation has to develop the perfection through many kalpas, when it is full, it will be accomplished, not just in one day. Explaining the basis of modern times, the Great Most Venerable Thich Tri Tinh had a sentence teaching as follows: "Be lenient and forgive, if you know good, you do it, wherever you go."

Hopefully, society and people know how to take refuge in the Three Jewels, keep the five precepts, know how to do good and avoid evil, and know how to benefit everyone and return to the right path, that's already precious!

Tâm Cung

Translated into English by Nguyen Thi Tham