BTO – I am a freelance journalist and still fairly young, so my experience of life is limited and not yet very deep. While writing my articles, I have sometimes witnessed things I could not understand, even after thinking about them all night. A hunter who had ruthlessly slaughtered countless wild creatures, destroying the lives of small animals, became kind and completely changed his nature after a single unexpected event. Some people appear deeply generous on the outside, spending large sums to help others, but only to cover up cruel, wicked and unlawful acts. In many serious crimes, the perpetrator is only a child. I am always troubled by the question of human compassion in life, so that one day I can teach my own children.

Living beautifully

One day, while my mind was wandering over the question of compassion, a monk knocked at my door. Seeing the kindness shining in his eyes, I knew at once that he was a true monk, not one of those who dress up as clergy to swindle people out of their money. As I came closer, he greeted me and asked whether something was troubling me. I asked him:

– Master, there is a great deal of compassion in our society, but so many things are such a muddle of black and white that I cannot tell what is right and what is wrong, and I don't know how to teach my children. Please guide me.

The monk said slowly:

– You have surely heard the saying: “Keep an unchanging heart amid life's endless changes.” There are many things in life whose true nature the human mind cannot clearly see. What matters is that you keep firm faith in yourself and teach children to value what others have done for them, especially their parents. A child who knows gratitude will grow up to have compassion.

Hearing the monk's words, I felt steadier in my own life and gained new faith in the compassionate hearts of this world. Clearly, there are a great many compassionate people in this country and around the world, in countless different forms. I may not be able to see the true nature of things, but at least the charitable work they have done will help many people in unfortunate circumstances. Everyone has a good side and a bad side; the two exist together in every person, opposing and intertwining. We cannot erase the bad side completely, but if we think of others, we will become compassionate people. Today, more and more social evils are appearing in our society, so immoral and inhuman that just hearing about them makes us shudder. Those who commit them are human too, but their bad side has overwhelmed all the compassion in their nature. I believe that the upbringing we receive as children has a great influence on our lives and our compassion as adults. That is why teaching young people to live with compassion and to live usefully is the duty not only of individual parents but of society as a whole. First of all, teach children to respect others and to honor the parents who gave them life. That is the basic morality each of us needs to keep living with compassion amid life's endless changes.

Đinh Thành Trung