Peaceful Relationships | Brother Troi Nguyen Luc

Naturally we become happier.

People around us are happier

and we take positive actions based on that peace.

It's long lasting.

It's more sustainable.

So basically, transforming oneself is transforming others.

Like Thầy said, "peace in oneself, peace in the world".

So to me, it

I like the words spiritual activist, which is inward activism,

which in fact is not separate from outward activism.

And it shows already my relationship with my family, with my parents is much better.

Now, it's never been better.

Before I becoming a monk,

my parents, they did not agree.

They were very upset.

I used to buy books, CDs and DVDs of Buddhism, the practice and give it to them.

And I wanted to to show them this is very nice teachings.

And

one day they said to me, Why you waste your money and all these things,

why you don't spend your money on better things.

And that's when it struck me, because I realized that I was not really practicing

and I was trying to impose things on them.

I was still getting angry.

I was still not very nice to them.

I still reacted.

And when they said that to me, I stopped imposing things on them

and I went inwards.

I tried to look more deeply and focus reconciling with parents in me.

And slowly, slowly, now that I have ordained.

And they came to my ordination ceremony and they were very happy.

They were able to accept my decision.

And now my relationship with them is very good.

They don't need to know how to breathe in and out deeply

and mindfully, they don't need to know.

If they want to know, they would come and ask, but

To me,

just being happy around them and making them happy.

That's already good enough.

When conditions are sufficient.

There would be opportunity for them to to know about the practice.

But for me, this is a big achievement for me

to be able to reconcile with my family, my parents.

Yeah, I'm very happy.

And with that kind of transformation.

I just have more faith in the practice.

And I see that there are activists out there who are burned out

like myself in the past.

And I aspire to be able to support them with the practice.

But I think, first of all, I have to make sure that

I can embody the practice genuinely.