Understanding the heart - Humility

We can only learn humility if we are fortunate enough to realize that what we have today must be thanks to the work of so many people who have supported us.

The ancients often say: "Natural musk incense" is to remind people with true talent, just like fragrant flowers, automatically will be known and admired by many people without having to try to prove or assert themselves.

The sages always work in silence. When they were done, they immediately retreated to a secluded place to conserve energy and preserve their long-term performance for the great war – the "unrevealed sage". When we embrace the loving energy of the public, we borrow a huge emotional debt. If we are truly gifted and virtuous, and our contributions truly create benefits or at least joy for the public, we can strike a balance. Otherwise, the universe will drain our energy to pay back the huge debt we have inadvertently borrowed. In the Tale of Kieu, there are two very strange verses: "The flower comes out/ A thousand silver collectors destined for a lifetime of talent." According to Nguyen Du, if all of our beauty flows out, we will not have a long-term destiny, or we will encounter many difficulties. Why is that? Because we have nothing left to nurture ourselves, we don't want to hone other skills. And because we think we're talented, we always look down on others, or we're more likely to become the object of jealousy around us.

Now, however, people want people to know him quickly. They use all kinds of sophisticated tactics to introduce themselves through media such as newspapers, television, the internet. They call it ad tech. Advertising means introducing yourself in a good way to everyone. Although we do not embellish more, we know how to exploit our strengths to attract people's interest. Advertisements that have struck the public's favorite emotions, thanks to many repetitions that they unconsciously accept and believe. Therefore, when we discover that reality is not as perfect as advertised, we cannot assume that they have deceived us. They just didn't talk about their shortcomings, not that they confirmed they weren't. That's ad tech's shrewd dishonesty.

Young people today easily become famous thanks to "shocking" styles. That is, they startle everyone with their strangeness. Part of it is also due to the public's interest in curious new things. Although it is ridiculous actions, extravagant statements, vulgar images, but in a split second, thousands to tens of thousands of people know and participate in the discussion. For them, attracting the attention of a large number of people is already talented. Such an act of ignorance is tantamount to taking oneself by storm. If you don't contribute anything useful and use the energy of public interest, and you create bad energy from disturbing people's minds, don't ask why there are so many calamities in their lives.

It is true that a person with talent is like a flower with a lot of honey, which will be followed and destroyed by bees and butterflies. Therefore, in order to nurture and use our talents for a long time, the ancients advised us to always sharpen our disposition, especially humility. The energy of virtue helps us to safely and rationally limit the projection of our talents.

The word "humility" is composed of the words "humility" and "reverence." "Humility" is not being pushy in order to yield to others. To be "humble" is to have an additional attitude of reverence, even if the subject is inferior to us. Humility is already difficult but humility is even harder, because "strength is weak and lose" is a general trend of today's society. We can only learn humility if we are fortunate enough to realize that what we have today must be thanks to the work of so many people who have supported us. We're also fortunate enough to be mentored by adults, so we're not too satisfied with our talents that show up quite early. We are again close and learn with perfect virtues. We also know how to always look back at ourselves and see clearly the things that we haven't changed. Or because of some great event, we see clearly the deep connection between us and other less fortunate people.

There have been many times when I don't want to acknowledge my younger sibling. I felt that I was both talented and diligent, never caused any trouble to my family, but also brought fragrance to my family and the whole family. So, when I witnessed the evil things done by my brother, I declared, "Henceforth, I don't have a brother like you." At that moment, he looked at me in shock for a long time. But then he understood, so he silently accepted the punishment. The distance between my brothers was growing. I always feel embarrassed when someone asks about my brother, while he is very proud of me.

Years later, I also tried to understand why being blood brothers had so many disparities. Until one day, I overheard my sister tell a friend that the beauty of my parents had passed through me for the most part. That sentence was like a thunderbolt that shattered many doubts about the identity of me and my brother. As it turns out, most of my strengths have my brother's part, and most of my brother's weaknesses have my brother's part as well. My brother and I are just a continuation of a bloodline. Since then, I've been looking at my brother with different eyes. Thanks to that, my brother also tried to change himself a lot. Then I discovered another truth: my brother had some great things that I didn't have, or some things he did very well that I couldn't. I regretted it and began to look back on my old complacent. Now my brothers can talk to each other like friends. I always said I would make up for that little brother in me, and I knew my brother was living for me too.

"Infinite multiplication", indeed no one in this world is perfect. We often use the word "perfect" to refer to someone who has too many bright spots. But at the end of the day, they still have dark corners. Unfortunately, life always has narrow lenses. No one compares a genius scientist to a farmer. Or no one thinks a janitor is just as important as a great leader. But the truth is that a scientist cannot make rice like a farmer, and without rice no one can become a genius. Doesn't genius eat? Just like the fact that the leader cannot hold a broom to sweep the streets every morning, because he is too busy with countless important tasks. But if no one cleans the streets, the environment will be polluted, diseases will spread, so can the leader be peaceful? Don't leaders breathe different air? So the scientist, the farmer, the leader, the janitor are equally important and respectable. Although scientists and leaders have created great benefits for life, it is only the favor of the universe for them. One person is mediocre in order to put energy into the other to become extraordinary. After all, nothing is trivial or extraordinary. It's all contained in each other.

Hardly anyone can accept this. But it is the very deep and mysterious truth of nature. In nature, every individual is formed from the entire universe and always has an interaction with every other individual. No individual is an exception. On the other hand, the more special talents a person has, the more indebted they are to the universe. Because to become a special person, they must have a special genetic structure and must have a special growing environment. They have to rely on special favorable circumstances and also the special needs of the community to adapt to their talents. All those "special" things are sent by the universe. It can be said that a person with outstanding talent is a person who is entrusted by the universe with the mission of serving everyone. If they are not aware of their mission, use their special talents to be proud, arrogant, or just worry about building selfish rights, surely the universe will take it back.

In Vietnamese cultural tradition, when we sit down to eat with our family, we have to determine the right seat to show who is bigger than us. Even though we have advanced degrees, make a lot of money, and are respected by many people, when we return to our families, we are still smaller than them. Whenever our parents' guests visit, we have to stop what we're doing, walk up to our arms and bow politely. This is not only a ritual in intercourse, but also a practice of reverence. For that adult may have accumulated a great deal of talent and virtue; they used to roll and have a lot of experience in life; Or did they once forget themselves to protect the river, contribute to the construction of the country. In the Buddhist tradition, it is also customary to greet each other by folding hands like lotus buds. Whether the other person is older or younger than us, we still fold our hands and bow our heads solemnly. In addition to expressing appreciation for the moment of meeting, it also reminds us that the other person can become a Buddha in the future, no matter who they are or what they have done.

Not long ago, in every school, the motto was upheld: "First learning ceremony, after learning literature" – students must be prioritized to cultivate rituals more than to receive knowledge. That is, the education sector promises to train virtue rather than talent. Cultivating ritual is the practice of humility. Every day we must practice behavior of humility and reverence towards our parents, teachers, neighbors and all friends. We must realize that everyone has a need for understanding and love, and that everyone can be talented and virtuous. Don't let differences in appearance or early life knowledge become a wall that makes us proud of ourselves and disrespectful to each other. If we always know how to love each other as "noise overshadows the mirror", then we are the future of our country and humanity.

But unfortunately, along with the outward trend of society, schools now only worry about cramming knowledge to expect more students to achieve good grades. Conduct is only a deterrent not to violate school rules, not a mental training for students to have a solid baggage in life. Worse still, school etiquette, like the "civilized" parts of society, is nothing more than a jewel for the "intellectual self." Pretending to respect each other through politeness is the smoothest "bankruptcy" of morality.

Aware of the serious deterioration of morality everywhere, causing many heartbreaking tragedies to occur, causing people to lose more and more faith in true love and happiness, let us return together to rebuild our spiritual life. We have come to realize that only a peaceful, clear, and understanding mind can create a truly meaningful life. What could be more meaningful than when we come together in fraternity; no one will look at anyone with suspicion or hatred; no one will want to be honored or dominated; there will be no shadow of lies or petty attempts; there will be no more stigma between cultures or understanding; There will be no irresponsible or heartless people. Is this the ancient "soul civilization" lifestyle of our ancestors? Is this our deepest dream right now? We do not want to continue to be "believers" in the cult of material aura that inadvertently bankrupt the morality of our race. We don't want to see our children and grandchildren struggle for more than half a lifetime before realizing the true value of life. We just want to be relaxed in life. We just want everyone to be equal, harmonious and love each other.

Unable to wait any longer, our ancestors are looking forward to our awakening and return. Humility—glass above and below—is the ideal model for beginning.

Like flowers blooming in the field
, Ugly beauty also about nothing, Looking at each other's being,
Common being, Civilisation,
soul.