Author: Most Ven.Dr. Thich Tri Quang

This year the Great Celebration of the United Nations' Vesak Day (2008) marks an important turning point for the international Buddhist religion in general, especially for Vietnamese Monks, Nuns, and Buddhist disciples. Indeed, this event has elevated the vital role of Buddhism today by providing various values for harmony, peace, happiness, and friendship to the social lives of human beings on earth.

This is also a bridge connecting the Vietnamese Buddhist religion with over 600 international Buddhist delegations from 100 nations to meet, exchange, share, and learn from one another the valuable experiences that all Buddhist disciples harvest on their path of practice for themselves and for others. In addition, for the Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation, this is an opportunity to assert the position of Buddhism in the new era, in which the spirit of solidarity as well as the real benefit of Buddhism for the Vietnamese people are revealed clearly.

The commemoration of Buddha's Vesak Day reminds us to contemplate the time when Buddha still existed in this world confronting social injustices, disputes and killing among human beings. He always thought deeply in order to find ways to solve the problems causing suffering to people in various classes in this global world. On his path to find enlightenment and emancipation for himself and for all other human beings, after 49 days of meditating under the Bodhi tree, Buddha had discovered the path to the cessation of suffering, usually called the 37 Factors to Enlightenment of the Four Noble Truths.

Since then, with his immense compassion, Buddha entered into society, observing the lives and capabilities of people in order to find a practical way to benefit all people. On his initial path to propagate the Truth, the Eightfold Noble Path is the summit of the 37 Factors to Enlightenment that the Buddha presented, aiming at helping people develop their wisdom and perfectly achieve the human character of a Buddhist disciple, contributing beautifully as well to the community and society.

The model of the Eightfold Noble Path is not a doctrine of plain reasoning. After his Enlightenment, Buddha expressed the spirit of the Eightfold Noble Path all his life in instructing and assisting people. In his 49 years of preaching the Law, Buddha's teachings did not originate from Utopias or illusions such as those of current philosophers. Rather, all of the teachings of the Buddha presented to people are the beautiful results He obtained in his life on the earth.

Immediately after leaving Bodh-Gaya, with his view, seeing things as they were, Buddha understood very well that the five ascetics with whom he had formerly practiced, who were discontented with the conflicts during that time and who had gone to lead the holy life, practicing ascetic means in order to find salvation. They could not, however, succeed. Instead, they were increasingly affected by the bounds of suffering. Buddha had arrived at the right time, presenting the true law they had been expecting. He had opened their knowledge and their right view, and they became his first five disciples.

On his way to educate and assist people, Buddha has walked step-by-step together with people, skillfully transforming bad people to return to their authentic good lives. He converted people easily because whenever he met a person, he could understand that person's nature or his acts from his understanding of causes and effects. As a symbol, Uu Lau Tan Loa Ca Diep released a poisonous snake to kill Buddha, but He remained calm and peaceful because He knew at the beginning that Man also had the idea to find the Truth. Halfway to finding it, however, he was attracted to fame and to the benefits of a nation's great master, which caused him to become haughty and to commit many sinful deeds. Buddha had awakened man's initial good mind to seek religion, so he created the conditions to assist him back to a true and kind life.

With the wisdom of a Person possessing Righteous Knowledge, Buddha always realized the truth, and He thought, spoke, and acted righteously. Owing to this, He had achieved many great benefits. In particular, he had rejected the old tradition of classes existing for many generations in his contemporary society. To follow Buddha's teachings, the seven princes from Sakya clan, upon joining the religious group, had to pay tribute to Upali while he belonged to the lower class, having served them before. Or King Pasenadi had to accept Sunita, who had formerly originated from a lower class, but now had a position equal to the ones from the noble classes in the Buddhist Congregation.

Buddha's acts and resolution to bring equality to all people were a response to the aspirations of the majority of the people at that time. They were already very dissatisfied with the unjust laws and had lost confidence with the Brahmin class who no longer had the talent, wisdom, or morality to build peaceful or happy lives for the people. Buddha was the only one who had dared to speak out on this truth and to realize it through the activities of the Buddhist Congregation.

Buddha's holy life provided benefit to people, and the model lives of the Buddhist Congregation had fully responded to the needs of the current society. Thus, Buddha and the Congregation profoundly affected society, causing kings and princes to respect and consider them well. Buddha never refused any act that could bring benefit and peace to life. He gave advice to all classes - from kings, princes, or Brahmins to the people from the lowest classes of the society - so everyone could develop knowledge and virtue in their lives.

Buddha teaches us that people are bound by karma and are affected by worries and sadness, called the four evils, from which the five aggregates are the most dangerous. These act upon people, causing them to lose their self control and commit wrong deeds, drowning in the realms of life and death for innumerable lives. As for Buddha, when he became enlightened, He stated that he was no longer under the influence of these four evils. Since that time, He engaged in life, transforming everything in the society to be completely beautiful. For people, full of cravings, hatred, delusion, committing wrong acts, they surely could not solve the problems of others, but they could create more worries and suffering for themselves. They thought they would build a beautiful and civilized country, but instead, they made society more destructive and worse because their actions originated from desire and ignorance. Because of this, Buddha declared that each person has to build an ethical life for him- or herself, to train their minds to become clear and bright, and to cultivate the wisdom to see through the three lives of causes and effects.

Only by attaining this could they transform not only people and improve society, but also transform the Realm of Law to become truly beautiful.

The practice of the Eightfold Noble Path (Atthahgika Magga) assists Buddhist disciples to return to themselves, create good karma in body, speech, and mind to'develop Morality (Sila), Concentration (Samathi), and Wisdom (panna). Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood belong to Morality, aiming at controlling the words and actions, unaffected by the environment, not committing sins, living righteously, avoiding dishonesty and greed, leading a meaningful life, bringing mutual benefit to oneself and others, and using true, correct words that can affect people to love and to open their hearts to follow Buddha.

Due to restraining desires and not committing wrong deeds, their minds are calm, proceeding to reach the phase of Concentration composed of Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration, thus assisting them to focus on the power of their spirit to lift themselves up, and to develop calmness.

Wisdom (Right View, Right Thought) helps one to think correctly and understand accurately, thus being able to see the nature of things - the view compatible with truth.
The 37 Factors to Enlightenment, according to Buddha's teachings, aims mainly at purifying people in order to refine their lives through the Eightfold Noble Path thus assisting people to contribute well to civilized society.

Today, although Buddha is absent from this world, the spirit of the Eightfold Noble Path He illuminates still develops generation after generation, bringing great benefits to people from various countries and times, creating the vital power of Buddhism bearing multiple aspects over five continents.

In particular, Buddhism in Viet-Nam has existed for more than twenty centuries. It still secretly bears a vital spiritual power in the lives of the Vietnamese people. This is due to the traditional engagement of Buddhism which brings welfare to the country and the people. Through history, Buddhism in Viet-Nam still records many traces of many Zen monks who have skillfully integrated the spirit of the Eightfold Noble Path into life, achieving many important contributions for people.

The special point is that the Vietnamese Zen Monks appear under various forms for various actions. They sometimes play the role of Highest-Ranking Counselor Mandarin Khuong Viet, other times acting as the boat rower Do Thuan, or physician Tue Tinh, or bronze workman Nguyen Minh Khong.. .There are even times when they reigned happily as kings, and they still engaged bravely in battles to protect the people from the dominating yokes of foreign invaders.

Although entering into life, Vietnamese Zen Monks are not affected by the honors and privileges that darken their enlightened souls. Their virtues have created special mediation streams symbolizing the vital power of the Vietnamese Buddhism, tightly attached to the mission of serving their country.

Although serving in any position, they still apply the spirit of the Eightfold Noble Path to their work in order to protect and build up their country. History still records the kind Ly dynasty which lasted for more than 200 years. The kings of the Ly dynasties, from King Ly Thai To to Ly Nhan Tong, were very famous for their virtue of loving people and taking good care of them so that they could be happy and comfortable. Next was the Tran dynasty -King Tran Thai Tong who had listened to the advice of the Zen Monk Phu Van, and who had led a life considering highly people's minds. For ten years, he organized the internal management of state affairs, and he fought against foreign invaders. In addition, he also deeply meditated with respect to Buddha's teachings. Or King Tran Nhan Tong who carried out Buddhism by fighting bravely together with the people at the battles. He was the one who gave birth to democracy, respecting the ideas of the community at the Dien Hong Conference.

Today, to continue following the Eightfold Noble Path's spirit, the Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation, have already made absolute resolutions. The Congregation has directed the Monks, Nuns, and Disciples step-by-step to form their lives to be suitable to the upward general trend of people. Because of this, the Vietnamese Buddhist activities have moved gradually to a stable position and have grown very strongly up to this day.

Originating from correct view and evaluation (the Right View), the Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation has worked out the directions for activities and development to benefit the Monks, Nuns, and Disciples. That Right View, originating from the idea to aim toward the advantages of the country, people, and in addition, for the welfare and the peace of the humanity (the Right Thought). Thus, the correct Resolutions of the Congregation have been supported and recognized by the Monks, Nuns, and Disciples (the Right Speech), thus assisting the activities of the Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation's to develop more and more powerfully each day.

The wonderful achievements in various fields that the Monks, Nuns, and Disciples have harvested for more than 30 years have contributed greatly to the building of a happy, harmonious, and developing society (Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration). This is the proof asserting the vital and beautiful presence of the Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation in the lives of people.

To sum up, Buddha and the Ancestor Zen Monks have applied the Eightfold Noble Path practically in educating and assisting people to lead lives with virtue and knowledge, thus creating a peaceful, harmonious, and developing society.

Today, following Buddha's path, although we are of any race or any religion, it is necessary that we carry out the spirit of the Eightfold Noble Path through multi-faceted engagement to life.

Please pray that the UN Great Vesak Day illuminates the potential power of compassion and wisdom to show us a good direction for working beautifully in the establishment of an equal, harmonious, democratic, developing society, and that it contributes to the prevention of war, building a world full of peace and happiness.

Thank you very much for listening to us.

My best wishes to you all for eternally peaceful lives under the True Law.

(Translated by Ms. Dieu Bao)