We try many ways to find peace. We pray, visit places of worship, follow rituals, and read books.
But sometimes, even after all that, the fear or pain doesn’t go away. What should we do then?
A young boy once asked Thich Nhat Hanh a question— one that may hold a gentle answer for our own search.
Little Hu
The revered Thai Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh tells the story of a young boy named Hu.
Hu loved visiting the local temple with his parents. He found that people were happier and calmer when they were in the temple. They were nice to each other. And most importantly, the head monk seemed to be very fond of him. Whenever Hu visited, the priest would affectionately give him a banana or a mango.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could live here? Hu thought.
Life at the Temple
He asked his parents if he could become a monk. Though he was very young, his parents agreed. They requested the head monk to accept Hu as a novice (a student) so that he could learn. He was given a small brown robe, which made him look like a baby monk.
Hu noticed that everyone who came to the temple brought bananas, oranges, mangoes, and many other exotic fruits—and placed them before the Buddha. He thought, “The Buddha must be very fond of these fruits.”
That gave rise to another question: “When does the Buddha eat all these fruits?”
He kept observing the proceedings for many days, but he could never see the Buddha eating any of them. He thought, “Maybe when everyone goes away at night and the hall is empty—that is when the Buddha must be eating the fruits.”
Waiting for the Buddha
So he came back to the prayer hall at night and stood quietly behind the door, waiting for the Buddha to come alive and start relishing all the mangoes and bananas placed before him.
But there was no sign of the Buddha moving.
Hu became very confused. Why doesn’t the Buddha eat these delicious fruits brought to him?
After some years, he came to the realization that the Buddha statue was not the ‘real’ Buddha.
Where Does the Buddha Live?
But that gave rise to another confusion—where does the Buddha really live?
One day, he heard some people talking about the ‘Pure Land’ where the Buddhas lived. From their conversation, he inferred that this place was far away from the temple. He became very sad. “Why does the Buddha live so far away from us?”
Then, at the age of fourteen, he met Thich Nhat Hanh and posed the same question to him.
Thay was glad that Hu had finally asked someone about the question that had been bothering him for years. He explained that the Buddha doesn’t live in statues or in a faraway land—nor only in those who wear special robes.
He is in us.
Touching the Buddha Inside
In me? How can I see him? Can I talk to him?
Thay explained:
A Buddha is anyone who is awake—who is aware of everything that happens inside and around them—and who understands and loves deeply. Siddhartha became a fully awakened being, a Buddha. He is the Buddha we have accepted as our teacher. He said that each one of us has a seed of awakening within us, and that all of us are future Buddhas.
This made Hu very happy. He grew up to become the Director of the School of Social Work in Vietnam and inspired many people to contribute towards the rebuilding of villages after the war.
Can You See the Buddha?
In this story, Thay points out how there are many Buddhas and bodhisattvas in our midst.
A bodhisattva (pronounced bo-dee-sat-va) is a compassionate person—someone who cares deeply about helping others and who vows to become a Buddha.
Our parents, who perform many duties from morning to evening to keep us nourished and comfortable, could be bodhisattvas.
The vendor at the corner shop who shares his food with a homeless person every day could be a bodhisattva.
You too are a bodhisattva—if you think of the happiness of others and do things that bring peace to them.
Nurturing the Baby Buddha
Each one of us has the seeds to be a Buddha. We just need to water them more.
What about times when we are angry, or worried, or wishing ill of another? That is the ‘non-Buddha’ element in us.
Thay offers a simple metaphor to remember in those times: the only difference between you and the Buddha is that he is a full-time Buddha. You are a part-time Buddha.
If we keep watering the Buddha element in us, the baby Buddha within us will grow—
until it permeates every cell, and we begin to radiate the Divine nature.
A Simple Practice to Get in Touch with the Divine Within
Thich Nhat Hanh suggests a powerful practice to connect with the Divine in us:
If you practice touching the qualities of the Buddha in you, you are touching the real Buddha—not the Buddha made of plaster, copper, or even emeralds—but the Buddha who is alive and living within us.
You can take a few minutes to close your eyes, breathe deeply, and talk to the Buddha within you:
Little Buddha, are you there?
My little Buddha, are you there?
In the beginning, you may not be able to hear the answer.
But as you practice calming down and listening deeply, you may begin to hear the voice of your little Buddha:
“Yes, my dear, I am always here for you.”
You can think of the qualities of the Divine that you relate to—or need—the most. For instance:
“I know, little Buddha, you are calm (or fearless, or all-powerful…)I know you are always there.I need you to help me be calm (or fearless, or all-powerful…)I know I am calm because you are always here.Thank you, little Buddha, for always being here.”
And the little Buddha replies:
“Of course I am always here. Come and visit me whenever you need to.In fact, come more often.”
You can replace the word “Buddha” with any name of the Divine that speaks to your heart. The practice is simply a way to touch the sacred presence already within you.
Reference
This article was originally published on The Sabad Project
Reflection Question
What is one quality of the Divine you feel you need most in your life right now? (Calmness? Courage? Compassion? Strength? Something else?)