Whether Former Happiness Still Exists?

Children often do not keep anger or envy at anyone quite a while. On the other hand, they easily find quite simple fun for themselves.

I remember whenever my mother returned from the market, my brother and I ran to the alley in order to welcome her. Did we feel excited about her return? It might be yes. Actually, we mainly were glad because of being given candies or cookies. This may be the only time when we were on top of the world, jigging with delight and satisfaction. Desperately, there were the days we were so sad like the losers, hopelessly shuffling the feet, following Mom, and surprisingly hearing, "Today I have run out of money, please sympathize with me, I’ll make up for tomorrow". We did not let sadness enter our heart for a while, because she understood her children, only a meal of our favorite dishes could make us satisfactorily full, and then we forgot everything. Sometimes, my parents went for work after assigning us to do some duty, such as, washing up, cooking, sweeping the house, etc. We hardly follow their words at once, however, not until parents nearly came back home did my brother and I do housework in a hurry. When being a child, we were so indolent that brother and I refuse to do each other’s duty. Nothing but sweeping the yard was our desirable one to compete for the task. The truth was that we were not such good children; we just wanted the observation of my parents when they were back. It was time we showed our arduousness and then waited to be complimented, "How good and obedient my son is!" All of these thoughts really are the ones of an innocent and silly little child. Not only sweets or pies were taken as joy, but doing the duty for being given compliment is considered blissfully happy. Indeed, memories of childhood are so brightly naive.

How time flies! We wonder whether we have the same characteristics as we had in the childhood or we have ups and downs life obscuring the artless nature! I am sure it is still in our nature, we have it deeply covered with memory other than making use of it. In order to recuperate purity and innocence of a child, and also stay a calm and pure mind, we should not let the negativity of life cover a dark color over the soul and drown ourselves in utter misery. Happiness simply and accessibly happens to each of us. We ought to blame ourselves for not appreciating the present moment, which makes the time unconsciously pass. In addition, we had better keep slow pace of life. Slow living means leading a life with awareness, mindfulness other than wastefully neglecting it. Do not desire the unreal and precarious pleasure which suddenly comes and goes in the universe, because one day it may be the cause of pain.

Currently, nobody has the same situations and positions, but all of us shares one thing seeking for happiness for ourselves, and bestowing it on the others. The moment of happiness springs to our mind thank to memories from childhood. At this time, we can also feel the most happiness as we could. Importantly, everyone should grow the seeds of love, understanding and empathy. As a result, we may be saturated with mainstream of happiness, cheerfully stretch and hug the majestic sky. As for me, I always have unconditional love of Master, and fraternal hands are always ready to support me whenever I get in trouble, especially on the path to liberation. The most important thing is to be grateful to people who are the skillful gardeners make our souls blossom.

 To make Master pleasant, nothing but each of us should diligently practice, and that is all he expects from each disciple. Unlike the children’s wanting to have the accolade, candies, or showing off arduousness, we should wholeheartedly, gratefully and sincerely complete the duty. This happiness is much more double than the one of Mother’s gift from market. It is stories and experiences about advantage or disadvantage after each trip of proclaiming Buddha’s merit, or some short stories but humanity. Why don’t we accumulate and raise such simple happiness? We, on the contrary, tend to offer fretful worry to the others surrounding us. If a person only thinks of the benefit for himself without caring for the sense of the others, is it the trait of Buddhist practitioners?

Happiness from childhood and the one at the moment is not much different. The only big distance between them is awareness of each person. Once we perceive the values that life offers to us, we had better open our hearts to embrace and wish to live with a heart of love, forgiveness, understanding and sympathizing. Our lives will be colorful landscapes to conceal stigma that we suffered in the past. At that time, the happiness we possess is so valuable and magical.

Translated into English by Nguyen Hoang Thoai.