REGARDING PARTNERS – VEN. THAY THANH

Regarding Partners:

Teaching in Virginia Beach in June, 2016, Ven. Chuc Thanh responded to a question from a sangha member regarding personal relationships by saying “Don’t try to find a perfect partner.  You will only suffer trying to find one.  No one is perfect.”   Later in 2016 while teaching in NC the topic of personal relationships came up again.  Ven. Chuc Thanh advised “Don’t expect more from a partner than they can give. It is okay to change your expectations.”

When dealing with issues in personal relationships, do you consider how you may be influencing the situation, or do you have the tendency to place your focus on your perception of the other person’s statements or actions?  What do these recommendations by Chuc Thanh suggest?

(Venerable Thich Chuc Thanh is the Dharma Master at Dong Hung Temple. These quotations were collected from 2015 through 2018 as he taught in Virginia Beach, VA and Southern Shores, NC.  The quotation titles and commentary are by temple member Mark Palamara.)