Living According to Buddha’s Teachings: The Knife in the Heart

Living According to Buddha’s Teachings: The Knife in the Heart
By Tam Hoa - 19/10/2020

People who study Buddhism have different purposes: to become a Buddha, to achieve liberation from the cycle of birth and death, to reach the Western Pure Land, to escape suffering, to transform their body and mind, and so on.

A good or evil mind is shaped by the circumstances and environment in which we live. Each person has a metaphorical knife in their heart. Therefore, the first step in reforming the mind is to learn Buddhism.

A Thought-Provoking Story:

Happiness lies in giving, in letting go; smile at life no matter how much bitterness and suffering remains.

Once, in the city of Sāvatthī, India, Buddha came to teach a family where both the husband and wife were greedy and cruel, lacking respect for morality. Buddha manifested as a monk and came to beg for food. At that time, the husband was away, and the wife, upon seeing the monk, began to angrily curse him. The monk said:

– I am a practitioner, simply begging for food to survive. I kindly ask for a bowl of rice to ease my hunger, why scold me so harshly?

The wife shouted even louder, and just then the husband returned, holding a knife in his hand. Without saying a word, he rushed forward to attack the monk. Suddenly, a crystal wall appeared, surrounding and protecting the monk. The wall was clear and unbreakable, without a door. The husband tried to push, kick, and stab, but nothing could penetrate it.

The husband then said: – Open the door and let me in!

The monk replied: – Very well! But first, throw away the knife.

The husband thought to himself, "I’m much bigger than this small monk. I don’t need a knife to kill him". So, he threw the knife far away, but the crystal wall remained unchanged. Angrily, the husband shouted:

– I’ve already thrown the knife away, why won’t you let me in?

The monk responded: – No, I didn’t ask you to throw away the knife in your hand; I want you to discard the knife in your heart!

Shocked and frightened, the husband realized that the monk knew his deepest thoughts. He immediately knelt down, confessed, and repented. The crystal wall vanished, and the monk revealed himself as Buddha, shining with a brilliant radiance, and guided both the husband and wife.

Reflection:
The story shows us that all evil arises from the mind because the mind is the source. If the mind is virtuous, all actions and deeds will be virtuous. If the mind is evil, words and actions will also be evil. Whether a mind is good or bad depends on the environment and circumstances in which we live. To reform the mind and eliminate afflictions such as greed, hatred, and delusion, the first step is to learn Buddhism.

When our mind clings to worldly illusions, suffering inevitably follows. But when the mind lets go, peace and tranquility come.

Today, our society is one that indulges in material pleasures. Because of this, people often show impurities in their souls, and greed, anger, and hatred surface whenever things don’t go their way. Movies, lifestyles of indulgence, and revealing clothing impact our minds daily. Our natural essence has become contaminated, no longer pure and holy as it once was.

When we begin practicing, we directly cleanse these stains that cling to our minds through diligent effort and perseverance. This returns our mind to a state of purity and expands our wisdom. At that point, we can begin to broaden our understanding. With knowledge, we can extend our perception, observe, hear, and learn about everything we love. At this stage, we are no longer affected or entangled by the surrounding environment because we have gained the wisdom of Buddhism.

Thich Nhuan Thanh