Don't let greed hide behind sincerity.

I've been haunted by what's called sincerity for fifteen years now. I kept hoping that as life progressed, things became clearer, and with better public awareness campaigns, people's perceptions would change. But that hope remained a very futile one.

Illustrative image.

When I was a child, my house was near a temple. Every full moon and the first day of the lunar month, my mother would take me there to worship Buddha. Like many people in the village, my mother went to the temple simply to pray for peace. She and many others were told by the monks that Buddha could only bring peace of mind, not wealth or power. Therefore, asking for material possessions or fame at the temple was an excessive and disrespectful request. The villagers went to the temple with sincere hearts, often picking fruits from their gardens to offer to Buddha. They only hoped that after visiting the temple, their minds would be at peace, their health would improve, and their thoughts would be liberated.

Life's changes have led people to come up with many things that are incompatible with Buddhist teachings, some even considered highly pragmatic and alien to traditional spiritual life. However, because many people have such strong aspirations, they readily accept these ideas and see them as a way to express their wishes to the Buddha.

During the first few days of spring, while visiting temples and queuing to receive calligraphy blessings, I saw people bowing and praying to Buddha while simultaneously displaying entire pages listing their names and requests. Some people requested many different characters at once, from the characters for "fortune," "prosperity," "longevity," "wealth," and "nobility"—all were requested and carefully taken home.

People who pray for wealth and success at temples or seek calligraphy at calligraphy spaces at the beginning of the year often express their sincerity. However, I personally believe that what they call "sincerity" cannot completely mask their "greed."

I always think of the teachings of the monk at the old village temple: that when going to the temple, the most important thing is to do it with a sincere heart, without greed; whatever you pray for must be practical, not to make things difficult for the Buddha, which is also sowing delusion in yourself.

I know that everyone, at some point, desires wealth, prosperity, and social standing, but above all, it must be achieved through merit and personal effort, not merely through what is called "sincerity" expressed in written words. Of course, requesting calligraphy at the beginning of the year, if done sincerely, can be considered a goal to strive for. I have never requested more than one character each year. One year I ask for "blessing," another for "happiness," and another for "peace." Because with blessings comes everything; asking for "happiness" is a wish for good fortune to come to oneself. Peace, good fortune, and happiness will then bring everything. No one can change a person's heart better than their own understanding. By listening and learning, one will realize, overcome desires, and their actions will surely change.

Hanh Nhien

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