(Bell)
Dear Thay, I would not like it, I'd find it very unhealthy
to be in a place where everybody thought the same.
And yet I very often cause myself inner conflict,
suffering, and lack of freedom
because of my anxiety that I do not agree with everything,
be that in a close relationship,
a working relationship, or a spiritual practice, including here.
How can I free myself of this?
When we look at something like a flower,
although we are looking at the same thing
but the ways we see the flower might be different.
Everyone is looking at that one flower,
but everyone has a different feeling, a different sight.
So, although we do the same thing,
but we can do it differently already.
I don't think we should try to have people to think the same way we think.
What we like is that the thinking should be productive,
the thinking should bring about
more understanding and more compassion.
And there are different ways of thinking.
It is like sitting meditation.
We should not want the other person to do exactly what we do,
because that is another body.
The feelings in him or her are different.
So with intelligence, that person should manage
and coordinate his body, his feelings in such a way
that the breathing and the sitting can bring the best thing to him or to her.
And the way that person does that might be different from our way.
So we should not expect the other person
to do exactly what we are doing.
We should only expect that she be able to arrive at more peace,
more clarity, more compassion.
But the way might be different.
So we can be peaceful with that.
Because every flower is a wonder,
every person is a wonder.
And we should not produce
the kinds of thoughts and people like we do with a machine.
So I think what we can say is
that what we really want is more peace,
more brotherhood and sisterhood,
more joy, more freedom.
And the way to produce these wonderful things might be different,
and they should be free enough, tolerant enough
so the people will be able to do it their own way.
So they can combine the two:
you have this and you have also that,
which is freedom.
Is it okay?
Thank you.
(Bell)