BELONGINGS – VEN. THAY THANH

Belongings:

Teaching in Virginia Beach in October, 2022, Ven. Thay Thanh said “The Buddha teaches us that we only possess our belongings (including our money) temporarily.  There are five entities that can take our possessions from us: Fire can destroy them; Flood can carry them away; Thieves can steal them; Untrustworthy family members can take them and the Government can tax them.  Our body is the same.  It is a belonging we only temporarily have possession of.  The only thing we really possess is our karma.”

The five entities that can take our possessions is a reference to classic, perhaps ancient, Buddha teachings.  Still, you can think about how this applies to today and perhaps spend way too much time thinking about how to protect the possessions you work so hard to accumulate.  How do you think the accumulation of possessions factors into a modern practice of Buddhism?  Are the acquisition and protection of things a form of suffering?  Do you see any opportunities in your practice to relieve this form of suffering?

Ven. Thay Thanh also reminds us, as he often does, that there is only one thing we take with us when we transition from this life.  It is our karma. 

(Venerable Thich Chuc Thanh is the Dharma Master at Dong Hung Temple. This quotation is part of a continuing collection from his dharma talks given in Virginia Beach, VA and Southern Shores, NC beginning in 2015. The quotation title and commentary are by temple member Mark Palamara.)