Peace comes not from the outside, but from within.

Every Tet holiday, Vietnamese people are busy with traditional rituals such as sending the Kitchen God to heaven, burning votive paper, offering prayers to ward off bad luck, or consulting fortune tellers to pray for a peaceful and lucky new year. These customs have been deeply ingrained in our spiritual lives for generations.

However, upon reflection, we will see that many of these rituals bring no practical benefit to well-being, and may even cause us to waste money and effort, and further increase misconceptions and superstitions.

Wrong views bind our minds.

When we burn votive paper or perform rituals to appease the stars, we hope for external protection, but we forget that good or bad fortune doesn't come from supernatural things, but from our own thoughts, words, and actions. The Buddha taught that all outcomes in life are due to cause and effect – that is, the actions we sow in the present will shape our future. If we continue to chase after rituals without proper understanding, we will remain bound by ignorance and wrong views.

To live in peace or to seek peace?

Illustrative image.

The Buddha's teachings on how to seek peace.

The Buddha did not teach us to seek peace from any particular power, but rather pointed out the true path to happiness: do good, avoid evil, and purify your mind. The true method for seeking peace is:

1. Kind thoughts: Always maintain a compassionate heart, free from anger and jealousy. A pure mind will bring peace to yourself and those around you.

2. Kind words: Speak truthful, kind, and joyful words to others. Kind words are the thread that connects hearts, creating harmony and trust in relationships.

3. Good deeds: Cultivate good actions such as helping others, giving alms, observing precepts, and practicing meditation. These actions are the seeds of merit, bringing us peace and happiness in the present and the future.

Peace comes not from the outside, but from within.

Many people think that offering sacrifices and burning paper money will bring peace, but in reality, inner purity is the source of all peace. When the mind is pure, we have no fear, no desires, and naturally feel serenity. The Buddha taught: "The mind leads all things, the mind is the master, the mind creates." Therefore, if you want peace, start with your own mind.

Tet is a time to sow seeds of kindness.

Instead of holding unnecessary rituals, Tet is a time for us to reflect on ourselves, renew our minds, and sow seeds of goodness.

Take time to love your family, help those in need, do good deeds, and live according to the teachings of the Buddha. That is the most beautiful and meaningful way to seek peace.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/cau-an-khong-den-tu-ngoai-ma-tu-trong-tam.html