INITIATING THE FOUNTAINHEAD OF SAPIENCE PHILOSOPHY
Up to now, almost at the end of my life, I have kept in my memory the lessons learnt by heart in the old days. They were the elaborated and emotional verses easily penetrating into one’s heart. Guys, with some leisure time today, let’s recollect the past. It is the intimate world of a young girl studying literature. Following are some short and slightly sad poems I’m not sure of learning them at the elementary level or high school.
Following is the second one.
At senior high, I learned the big works like the Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du, the Regal Concubines’ Lamenting Verses by Ôn như Hầu Nguyễn Gia Thiều, the Poesies of Warriors’ Wives by Đặng Trần Côn in Chinese and Lady Đoàn Thị Điểm transcribed it into the Nôm scripts. Additionally, I studied the French and English literature, etc.. Too many to remember. Those were learned at school. Besides, a score of poetry and music informally collected outside school like the poems by T.T.Kh., Trần Dạ Từ, Phạm Thiên Thư …
Alongside with literature, the other subjects are Geometry, Algebra, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, but I was not good at them. At lower classes, students also learn music, home economics like sewing, embroidering and knitting. There were also the electives like swimming, Judo, basketball.
What is that lengthy account for? Just upon reflection of my seven years at high school and some other at college, so far I have not used anything gained in those periods. Seemingly, some benefits gained from the elementary school were the ability of reading, writing in Vietnamese with correct spelling and in the right lines. Later in life, I did not touch anything relating to the verses in the Kieu Tale, the Lamenting of the Regal Concubines or that of the Warriors’ Wives. We do not need Algebra, Geometry, Physics, Chemistry if not working in those areas. We are not well-prepared and taught the essentiality to live among the worldly life. So queer!
Why do schools not provide the info of sufferings? Why are we sorrowful? Why are we angry? How not to be resentful? How is the world formed and operated? Where do humans come from? How to live righteously?
Why do schools not teach the vital issues in life? The Orient has answered those questions thousands of years ago. But how come they are not delved in the current curriculums even in the subject of philosophy?
The conventional truths like the impermanence, cause-alligned conditions, non-selfness…are objective, everlasting and not colored by religion. The human tranquil original mind does not belong to Buddhism, does it?
Thinking it over now, I feel sorry for myself and other people. The fount of sagacity has been flowing for two thousand years but we are unaware of it. My whole childhood like a blank paper but folks stuffed useless information in it. It is my case. What about billions of people on this planet?
Wherever wars, conflicts and resentments happens, wherever tears keep rolling and sighs heard, there is no insight and empathy. Wherever the sagacious fountain flows, all furies, cravings, selfishness, sufferings will be washed away by its current of cool and fresh water.
Nowadays, the well-developed countries with high intellectual levels are aware of the Oriental philosophy of sagacity. Their schools or worksites have begun the application of the Buddhist meditation. Yet, that practice seems not to properly respond to the essential requirements of the cadenced adjustments to the speedy breakthroughs of hi-tech. Humans are still stunned and dazzled among the exceptional advancements of sciences, space conquests and cosmic explorations. Unfortunately, they have not really discovered their mind. They have incompletely comprehended it. And they have not turned back to themselves yet to stay in harmony with their crystalline mind.
Every suffering, struggle and resentful anger is generated from human mind. Why do the leaders, who are responsible for their billions of people, the solemn duties, not initiate the fountainhead of sapience to spread into the mind land of humanity?
Bhikkhuni Thích Nữ Triệt Như
Sunyata Monastery, July 02, 2021
English version by Ngọc Huyền
Link to Vietnamese article: https://tanhkhong.org/a2537/triet-nhu-snhp015-khoi-nguon-minh-triet
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