Definition of Heaven | Thich Nhat Hanh

Many people think that the Kingdom of God
is a place where there is no suffering,

there is only happiness.

There are those of us who think that
the Pure Land is a place

where there is no suffering.

If you have a beautiful garden,

and if you are the gardener,

you know that in your garden

there are are flowers, of course,
but there is garbage also.

Because if there are flowers,
there must be garbage.

Flowers are to become garbage.

But you don't mind,

because you know that garbage
can be transformed back into flowers.

Without garbage there is no flower.

Without suffering
there can be no happiness.

Can you imagine a place
where there is only happiness?

Can you imagine a garden
where there are only flowers?

And these flowers never become garbage?

You must agree with the fact
that in the Kingdom of God

there is compassion,
and understanding, love.

In the Pure Land of the Buddha also

there is compassion, understanding,

forgiveness.

But let us ask the question as,

with what substance
we fabricate compassion?

And joy, and forgiveness?

The quality of a Buddha,

of a great being,
is understanding and compassion.

Let us ask this question,

how can we cultivate
understanding and compassion?

Understanding and compassion
are the two most precious flowers.

It is very clear, everyone is able to see

that if you do not understand suffering,

you can never cultivate
compassion and understanding.

It is by getting in touch with suffering

that you bring about
understanding and compassion.

If you have no chance to
get in touch with the suffering,

how can you cultivate
understanding and compassion?

So,

the flower of understanding and compassion
is made with the garbage of suffering.

It is by touching the suffering,

it is by getting in
touch with the suffering,

that you have a chance to
understand the nature of suffering,

that you can bring about
understanding and compassion.

Therefore, suffering
is very, very crucial,

very necessary for us to cultivate
understanding and compassion.

Do you want to send your children
to a place where there is no suffering?

In that place, he or she
will never have a chance

to learn how to be
understanding and compassionate.

Because understanding and compassion
are born on the ground of suffering.

And you know it by yourself.

That is why, my definition
of the Kingdom of God

is not a place where
there is no suffering.

I would not go to a place
where there is no suffering.

I have no chance to cultivate
my understanding and compassion.

I refuse to go to such a place.

Such a place can never exist.

It is like a garden
that only has flowers.

And the flowers never
turn back into garbage.

This is absurd, this is impossible!

My understanding of the Kingdom of God

is that it is a place where
there is understanding and compassion.

And if there is
understanding and compassion,

there is also
the other side of it: suffering.

That is a place where people know
how to transform suffering

into understanding and compassion.

In the Pure Land also

there are bodhisattvas
who master the art of transformation.

So you can bring
your suffering over there.

They will help you to transform.

It is with this element of suffering

that you can cultivate
compassion and understanding.

So, thinking of the Kingdom of God

as a place where there is no suffering
is a very naive idea.

Thinking of the Pure Land of the Buddha

as a place where there is
only happiness, no suffering,

is a very absurd, naive idea.

That is why, it is better to define
the Kingdom of God

as a place where there are
plenty of chances to learn,

to understand suffering,

so that we can cultivate
our understanding and compassion.

And there are buddhas, bodhisattvas,
angels, who know how to do it

and who teach us how to do it.
And we are no longer afraid of suffering,

because we have mastered
the art of transforming suffering

into understanding and compassion.

In the teaching of the Buddha,

it is by looking deeply
into the nature of suffering,

the first noble truth,

that you have a chance to see

the path of transformation and healing,
which is the fourth noble truth,

'magga', the path.

The fourth noble truth
is the path of transformation.

And if you try to run away
from the first noble truth,

there is no chance for you
to see the fourth noble truth.

The first noble truth

and the fourth noble truth inter-are.
Without one, there is no the other.

That is the teaching of interbeing.

That is why, we, practitioners,

we should not be afraid of suffering.

We should be able to face suffering,
to embrace suffering,

to look deeply
into the nature of suffering.

And then, understanding suffering
brings about

the path of transformation and healing.

Trying to run away from suffering,
you have no chance.