The Fifth Day of Summer Retreat: “Happy Home”

Morality can cover for the shortage of intellectual but intellectual can never make up for the lack of morality, the ultimate characteristic of human. An elite person with derailed personality will lose trust and support from others. In working environment, immoral behavior is even more harmful. Unethical employee may break the rule with whatever price to serve personal benefit/agenda. Such bad activities will ruin his/her future. Integrity is one of the core characteristics making up human dignity while lying ruin them all.

On the 5th day of the retreat, young people listened to the Dharma talk “The Deceptive Track” from Bhikkhuni Thich Nu Huong Nhu, member of Central Preaching Committee, senior lecturer for Central Preaching Committee in HCMC, lecturer for Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Ho Chi Minh City, abbot of Thien Quang Pagoda in Binh Duong Province.

Spring is the beginning for a year and youth is the beginning for one life. Hence since school age, people should learn how to live truly and sincerely to form the right behavior in life for bright future.

Integrity (not lying) is the 4th theme in the five precepts for lay Buddhists. Why? Because “We reap as we sow”. Every good/evil thought, speech or action of ours in present will give us fruits of happiness/suffering in future. Sowing deeds of lying/sham will certainly generate bad results.

There are many ways leading to success, hence we should not exchange our dignity/virtue for impermanent fame. Success built from ability, efforts, intellection, ethics are respectful, stable and good for us in long term. Prince Siddhartha renounces his title and royal palace to go into jungle searching for the truth. With efforts, wisdom and virtue, he has got the ultimate Attainment that are respected and praised for more than 2500 years.

Basically, Vietnamese are so smart. Nevertheless, such intelligence is not used properly yet. Greed, selfishness, agenda, degree-trading, benefit-trading… are popular nowadays. It seems that things are running on the deceptive track making lots of obstacles for the development of the country.

In the afternoon, psychologist Ly Thi Mai and MC Mai Phuong hold a talk show with practical and hot topic to the youth: "Happy Home".

It is thought that issues of love, marriage and family are too delicate to talk or discuss in public. People think that everyone grows up, falls in love, gets married and breeds children for centuries without having to learn about those. It means to say people can teach oneself how to behave reasonably in marriage life. We do not deny such mindset although it is not quite right.

What are proper knowledges for adults to be ready for marriage life? Nowadays, youths freely and hurriedly fall in love and have sex with having any preparation/consideration. Abortion is a popular, serious and painful problem for the whole society.

Therefore, before wedding, young people need advice, knowledge as well as psychological preparation to behave properly in the family. These are the fundamentals for youth to have true love and happy marriage life.

The atmosphere of conference gets exciting in the Q&A session when psychologist Ly Thi Mai gives seasoned advises to the mass.

Following are the recorded photographs:

Talk Show "Happy Home"

BBT Website