28 May The four principles of Truc Lam Zen in Vietnam
Go with the Flow
To practice in the spirit of secular Zen, which means living amidst the world while finding happiness in the Dharma, you need to embrace the principle of going with the flow. Going with the flow means adapting to your current circumstances without insisting on different conditions. It’s about accepting what is, without saying, “If these conditions don’t exist, I can’t be here, I can’t be happy.” That’s not going with the flow. You must learn to accept the present moment and find joy in it; this is the essence of going with the flow. Acceptance is beneficial to your health and supports a life in the Dharma. If you don’t know how to accept, happiness will elude you no matter where you go. This is the first principle of secular Zen.
The second principle is to eat when hungry and drink when thirsty.
In Zen, “hungry” and “thirsty” don’t simply refer to following instinct. Interpreting it that way would be missing the point of Zen! Eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty means truly being mindful of eating and drinking. There have been people who died of thirst next to a river. Each of us has genuine needs, and the first step in practice is recognizing those true needs, like eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty. Some desires are not genuine, and satisfying them doesn’t truly matter. However, chasing after non-genuine desires can ruin our lives. We mistake what we don’t need for something essential, and pursuing it can cost us dearly. Holding onto these false needs harms us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Recognizing the difference between true needs and false desires is a critical step in practice. We must reflect inward to clearly see our real needs. Once we realize that stability, comfort, and happiness are the true necessities, we naturally follow the principle of eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty. This means we only consume what we truly need and let go of everything else. We require stability, comfort, and happiness, and we must understand how to meet those genuine needs. When we’re sad, we must know how to ease the sadness. When angry, we must know how to calm our anger. When lonely, we must know how to ease the loneliness. When unstable, we must know how to bring stability into our hearts. This is the essence of eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty. If you’re not hungry, don’t eat—doing so leads to harm! If you’re not thirsty, don’t drink—doing so leads to harm!
The third principle is: We already have treasures at home, so don’t search elsewhere. “At home” means within ourselves. “Having treasures” means we already possess what we need. “Stop searching” means to cease seeking outside for what is already within.
Indifference to surroundings and practicing meditation is the fourth principle. “Surroundings” refers to everything happening around us. In our daily lives, we should meet these circumstances with an attitude of indifference. Indifference doesn’t mean a lack of mindfulness. According to the practice of mindfulness, we are aware of what’s happening, both inside and outside of us, but we approach it with non-attachment. Indifference here means not clinging or rejecting. Craving and aversion are two extremes: craving is attachment, and aversion is fleeing. By freeing ourselves from both, we naturally experience peace and happiness. This is called letting go, and it’s the core of freedom. If we truly seek happiness and freedom, we must develop an indifferent attitude. Indifference to surroundings and meditation go hand in hand: when you’re indifferent to what happens around you, there’s no need to question meditation—you’ve already mastered it. So, don’t ask about meditation anymore.
By following these four principles, there’s no need to ask about meditation anymore!